Ok - I have seen some post about LED Controlls here but...
But.. I know little and learning a lot!
I need to be able to controll 24 (min number of channels needed) to 32 (32 channels would be Sure Swell! 
descreet channels, with 2 LEDs on each channel.
I njeed each channel to be able to light at 3 brighgtness levels (More would be nice but not neccesary) low/running, medium/braking, high/attenion.
Each channel needs to be able to go form constant on up to on/off 15 times per second at any one of the 3 brightness levels individually up to any group or all of the 24 channels.
Now which channels light at what brightness level would be controlled by a combination of input from a Speedometer, Tach and possible motion and ambient light sensor(s) with as fast a responce time as possible so as to avoid the 16 year old from rear ending me!!
I wasthinking of using an embeded ITX min form factor running WinXP as I wamnt some various partens used to indicate speed and slowing down, while there would be only one pattern for actual braking.
I'm haveing a duce of a time tring to find something that can contoll this number of Channels of LEDS. I have found a very expensive one that will controll 450 or so channels - but it is way to big, expensive and would not hold up on a snowmobile.
Is there any hope for this here?
I got to think that what I want is chicken feed compared to other LED projects that have been done.
Thanks!
A MAX7219 would do the trick. It can do up to 64 outputs with dimming.
You'd be using half of it.
hey - Thanks for the info - Looks good!!
2 Things:
- do you know if it can handle the amperage of 48 LEDs, or does it have to passit off?
- Looks like the company have 2 new versions. They any good?
- Know of anyone or any company that makes a premade USB version of this? : )
Thanks again!
- It flickers each LED on and off rapidly so only one LED is on at any time. Looks the same but saves power.
- No idea.
- Arduino plus one of the chips with a little bit of solder and hey presto!
Design question: why would you want to spend several hundred(s) of dollars on a tail light for a snowmobile? It reminds me of an article I once read about how the trajectory of technology cannot be determined in advance.
The snowmobile's inventors (Bombardier- Canadians, of course ) did not foresee people making racks for cases of beers, and the deaths that drinking and snowmobiling would incur! I guess the same goes for imagining that someone would make $500 tail-lights!
D
Well - Once I had the idea I Have to see if it will work!
IF the cost is too much I might put a damper on it. I'm hopeing for $300 or less.
I know I'm not a Real Man - I hate Beer! So I got to put something else on my sled!
I dont see how it would cost more than $200 or so if you used ultra bright LEDs.