automation control of RGB LED tape?

wkearney99

wkearney99

Senior Member
What, if any, decent controllers exist for controlling the lighting of 12vdc LED tape, the RGB kind?  I've seen a few offshore items, ones that mainly appear to be a WiFi-to-RF bridge.  Trouble is those seem to require starting their own WiFi SSID, not join an existing one.  
 
Any other solutions out there, either wired or wifi?
 
I've been working on this for a little bit and wanted to use Bluetooth to keep costs down, but, I'm having comm-reliability issues. I'm now looking for a decent WiFi radio.
 
A wired, serial version would be easy.
 
First version is very bare-bones... No enclosure. Also, this runs from 12VDC.
 
rgba.jpg
 
TonyNo said:
I've been working on this for a little bit and wanted to use Bluetooth to keep costs down, but, I'm having comm-reliability issues. I'm now looking for a decent WiFi radio.
 
A wired, serial version would be easy.
 
First version is very bare-bones... No enclosure. Also, this runs from 12VDC.
 
rgba.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Yeah, bluetooth is not without it's adventures. 
 
Thinking it over some I'm inclined to think an integrated controller that supported the RF remote (or IR) commands AND had WiFi client capability would be ideal.  That way the controller would know the state.  From what I'm seeing of the existing low-end offshore units is their WiFi "bridge" doesn't know the state of the tape if other RF remotes make changes.  Being able to use the RF remotes would be convenient, as they're considerably cheaper and less prone to damage than having to dig up a smartphone with an app.  But it'd be sort of stupid to have a WiFi interface without being able to accurately track the state.
 
I wonder if anyone's experimented with using one of those remotes with something like a Raspberry Pi or Arduino?  Might be useful to pull one of those gizmos into the mix, at least for the sake of prototyping something useful without being hemmed-in by the limits of other embedded gear...
 
wkearney99 said:
Sort of, but it appears it'd either require a local DIN box or home-run wiring from the tapes to the controller (which seems pretty expensive).
Click to expand...
 
The RGBW LED dimmer unit is wireless, it just needs a 24 VDC power source and the connections to the LED strip.
 
Then you need the "mini-server" and the "air base" extension to control the dimmer(s).
 
The system as a whole is not cheap but it does have a lot of capability.
 
Here I beta tested a new product from HKG.  It was offered originally  / still is with wireless 802.XX, PLC and Serial.  Personally here I didn't want to utilize the wireless so tested just the PLC and Serial pieces.  It is an "intelligent" device which you program the X-10 codes that you will be using for whatever on the RGB device (old stuff) and can just talk to it via a serial doing just about anything with it.  (same holds true for the 802.XX wireless).
 
Thoughts here though were relating to controlling it serially with internal stuff and talking to it via mothership connected using what is already there (well just via script and event stuff or hand held remote stuff already being utilized by mothership).
 
The speeds were fine for me.  Newest though is using digital control say on a Rasberry Pi; which is faster.
 
Historically I had never tested one of these devices with PLC.  It was plug n play using basic X-10 commands.  The person (Kevin Lo) introducing the product also did write a Homeseer 2/3 plugin for control of said new product.  The company / Kevin Lo did send me his completed device (san's wireless board) to play with and I have.
 
You can read about it here.  It was / is utilizing the older technologies of RGB.  Works fine for me. 
 
http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=162070&page=2
 
attachment.php
 
There's also a product out of the UK - I can't think of the name of it right now, but it's a RS232 controller for the strips - I had kinda intended to pair it with a iTach when I bought it (never opened the package though); since then a lot of new things have made it out on the chinese market.  
 
Or if you want perfect integration but don't mind cost, the Friends of Hue has one that works inside the Philips Hue ecosystem but of course comes with the applicable price tag.  Then again, if your time is worth anything it may not be bad to spend the $90 and be done instantly - along with HS compatibility, IFTTT.com integration and interop with a million other things already out there - suddenly it doesn't seem as astronomical.  It is intended to cut to length and discard the leftovers, which is kinda dumb - but anyone with a little soldering capability could piece a few pieces together just fine.  I use RGB's over my kitchen cabinets which, if 100% tidied up, would be 5 separate sections - but they'd all need to tie together.  Simple feat with some wire and solder.
 
Is the Hue stuff only going to work with their own tapes?  Their website is decidedly annoying, full of marketing fluff and nothing resembling technical details.
 
Ok, so a bit of STFW reveals there's a small in-line controller that goes with the lightstrips (power supply and zigbee).  I'm guessing I could cannibalize one and feed it into an RGB amplifier to use different tapes?  
 
That and then I'd need the starter kit in order to speak to it?   That being what provides the IP network-zigbee bridge?
 
Yeah that's been my thought. I've been meaning to get a hue starter kit anyway - a bulb for each kids' room to do sunset/wake up routines overnight.... With that already in place adding a strip gets much easier.

Their website is very fluffy - one of those products that's often easier to just poke around with yourself. Each strip does have the adapter a and controller built in. I think you're right - like a kitchen like mine I think I could feed an amplifier or two and run 30' off a single Hue module extending it with the 10' rolls.

The control does happen via the hub that's part of the starter kits. The app will control the strips - read the reviews and they speak of the limitations - the bulbs and strips are controlled a little differently but it doesn't seem like a huge obstacle for remotely techie types.
 
Anyone worked with a 'SuperNight' wifi controller?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPERNIGHT-WIFI-Wireless-Smart-Controller-Lighting-Box-For-RGB-LED-Strip-Light-/251379605156
 
My big question is whether or not any of these controllers will connect as a client to the existing network, not just start their own SSID.
 
The one thing that occurs to me is I'll need to rearrange how the strip is powered.  I want to retain use of a wall switch (a RadioRA2 dimmer) for bedside control.  But if I use a wireless controllers it'll need constant power.  Not a huge issue as I can do something like put it in a nearby closet and run 4-conductor to the inputs of an RGB amplifier/power supply.
 
Yup here created a LV board with layered automation pieces to it slow shifting the control of it to LV.  I already have simple two wire 12VDC runs for just LED lighting which is working fine.  The next pieces related to see what will happen on a run for RGB lighting say > 25 feet. 
 
Concurrently testing EL lighting in a similiar fashion using the same power sources and automation controlling. 
 
You might want to look into Todd's videos ( here's one http://blog.thingm.com/2011/07/invisible-accent-light-with-blinkm-maxm-freem/ ) describing how to use some of his company's bits to control a RGB strip.

ThingM has a set of libraries for microcontrollers, and if you use a wireless one connected to these puppies you should be in business. ( after some hacking ) I have built things with their MaxM, ControlM, FreeM and BlinkM connected to Arduinos; it's not too hard. The video above show how to link to RGB strips which are not a ThingM product.

stashing a power supply is probably the biggest headache.

Hue: here is a list of libraries: ( https://github.com/Q42/hue-libs )

( edit for this addition )

Also at Maker Faire this weekend I talked to these folks ( https://www.spark.io/ ) who have a nice offering. OOTB it phones home, but it can be configured not to. They will be releasing their server code this fall. I mention it because of the very small form factor.
 
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