LED Chases Controlled with Simple DMX Controller (8 Faders) and Arduino

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1

I'm trying to do a lighting installation that will be 8 RGB LED lights. I want to be able to control the system to run some chases, change colors, do color fades, and strobe.

I want this to be intuitive enough so that with some basic labeling on the controller, anyone can use the system by just moving some faders. The system will be DMX controller -> Arduino -> DMX decoder -> 8 individual RGB Lights. I really just need the arduino to decode the DMX received from the controller so that it will automate the chases, otherwise I could just run the controller into the DMX decoder. I may not even need then DMX decoder if you can help me avoid that, but I do not mind adding that to the system as it is something I'm currently familiar with using computer software to control a similar system. I do not want the client I am installing this for to have to use a computer though so I want it to be painfully simple.

I would like something like this for the fader controls: Channel 1 (color selection), Channel 2 (color fade), Channel 3 (Chase Speed), Channel 4 (Strobe on/Speed), Channel 5 (Dimmer for all lights w/no chase).

Thanks for your help, if there is another tutorial out there that exists already please help me find it I've done a good amount of searching and can't find anything that is exactly what I need for this yet.

2

The system will be DMX controller -> Arduino -> DMX decoder -> 8 individual RGB Lights.

I'm a little confused by that - Usually the "decoder" is built-into the lights. Do you have DMX lights? Are you planning on converting some other kind of lights to DMX control?

Do you already have a DMX controller?

It sounds like you want a programmable DMX controller, or a computer with a DMX interface, or you could build a custom DMX controller. You shouldn't need an Arduino in the middle "translating" the DMX messages.

If you don't have DMX lights you can directly control the lights with the Arduino (no DMX). I've got sound-activated incandescent lights directly controlled by the Arduino (through solid-state relays).

The details of how to do that would depend on your particular LEDs. Dimmable LED power supplies are normally controlled by 10V PWM, so with a simple transistor/MOSFET voltage-boost circuit (one for each channel) you can directly control the LEDs from the Arduino. (You would need some kind of "expansion" for 8 x 3 PWM channels.)