LinuxMCE Forums
General => Users => Topic started by: hari on July 08, 2009, 05:55:43 pm
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Hi Girls and Guys,
the Chromoflex units support serial control with rs232. The protocol is documented (USP3). One can atttach multiple units to a single interface (but only broadcasts supported for now). The new Chromoflex_USP3 device template in 0810 supports the protocol, and I've added a new "Light Device (RGB)" with a Set_Level_RGB command. On/Off/set level are mapped to rgb values. It is created as default child when adding the unit from the web admin. PnP won't be supported, as the unit does not send characters back, so no way to auto-detect it.
Video clip showing control of a RGB stripe from an IPAQ orbiter: http://vt100.at/lmce/videos/08072009007.mp4
Feedback appreciated,
best regards,
Hari
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nobody else with a chromoflex?
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This looks really neat, but until I have my system up and doing the media, I can't start on HA.
I haven't seen these devices anywhere, but I want them for my home! It isn't clear from the video how much light they pump out. Where are they intended to be used?
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iirc the chromoflex model I have here supports 2.5A on each channel at 12V. There are also boosters. I use 7W here (100cm of this one: http://www.pur-led.de/product_info.php?info=p679_50cm-flexible-RGB-LED-bar---Stripe-colour-control-12V--standard-.html ). That is 200 lumen, pretty bright at night for an accent light. I've mounted the stripe at the back of my TV rack, pointing at the wall. SO first was like "you did pay 140EUR for that ugly white bar?" (overall bill for everything incld. mounting clips and power supply). But she was quite impressed when she saw the result in the evening. Bar is completely hidden now, just the nice colors on the wall :-)
Now I need some bars for the foyer, literally "RED ALERT" on intrusion :-p
br, Hari
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Now I need some bars for the foyer, literally "RED ALERT" on intrusion :-p
That would go well with the Star Trek UI skin ;)
Ahhhh well, looks like the more I find out about the more I want... ::)
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yup, quite addicting ;-)
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That is really cool. Good Work!
I have been looking at it but due to the cost it has not been invested in.
I visited a shop where they had analog control of the lights which was cool but even cooler when the salesperson used it to adjust the color of the bar behind the TV... I then realised the power of analog control..
I guess it is an limitation of the Ui to use "digital" buttons and not a analog equalizer thingy?
-johan
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we don't have a slider designobj at the moment. The lighting floorplan uses buttons for the different % levels in a row. Was talking to tschak about new elements, but that requires some work.
br, Hari
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Hari,
Looks great. I would like to use some LED lighting for outdoors - mainly effect lighting. I have seen some great pictures of pools with RGB strips mounted under the coping which would be great.
The Chromoflex controllers seem to be focussed in Europe. Is the protocol they are using a standard in any way?
Well done
Darren
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not really, but it is straightforward: preamble, unit address, command byte, length, values, checksum.
It should be fairly easy to support other controllers, there are variants with e.g. DMX and DALI interfaces. I've heard a company is working on an ethernet unit. It took me just a bit over an hour to do the device, and that includes sqlCVS and svn commits. DCEGen really rocks.
br, Hari
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we don't have a slider designobj at the moment. The lighting floorplan uses buttons for the different % levels in a row. Was talking to tschak about new elements, but that requires some work.
br, Hari
MAybe you can achieve soft transitioning in GSD alone. In my case I do it on lower (automation) level. So I just press desired level on floorplan, and then light slowly goes to new level in more continuous way... IMHO in such case, I don't need any more levels...
Regards,
Bulek.
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yeah but we'd need levels for red, green and blue. The regular set level adjusts all of them. For now I just have scenario buttons for my favorite R/G/B levels. But it would be cool to be able to adjust each of them on the floorplan, too.
best regards,
Hari
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we don't have a slider designobj at the moment. The lighting floorplan uses buttons for the different % levels in a row. Was talking to tschak about new elements, but that requires some work.
br, Hari
yeah but we'd need levels for red, green and blue. The regular set level adjusts all of them. For now I just have scenario buttons for my favorite R/G/B levels. But it would be cool to be able to adjust each of them on the floorplan, too.
best regards,
Hari
This may be silly as I'm not familiar with how powerful the floorplan is, but why don't you just use some sort of entry box so that you can type the level of each RGB value?
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that would require a keyboard. Not all orbiter devices have one..
br, Hari
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Hari is new wireless Chromoflex III also supported? Does LinuxMCE sees usb dongle like serial interface so it works same as Chromoflex II?
Also any documentation about how to setup wiring for multiple LED stripes and Chromoflex would be really appreciated and I'll update the wiki with new info.
Cheers,
Valent.
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wireless chromoflex is ONLY supported under windows atm according to the chromoflex developer.
The chromoflex manual clearly shows how to connect multiple modules together to have them work in sync. If you want to work with them individually, you just need enough com ports.
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I would like to start using Chromoflex. Hari is Chromoflex USB dongle supported in LinuxMCE?
http://www.homeautomation-direct.com/shop/Chromoflex_III_RC_USB_Dongle.html
Update: wireless usb dongle doesn't work with LinuxMCE but serial ones do.
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Ordered Chromoflex unit, will arive sometime in January. Can't wait to start playing with it :)
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Ordered Chromoflex unit, will arive sometime in January. Can't wait to start playing with it :)
hi,
where do you ordered the chromoflex unit and which led stripes?
thanks
avajon
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I've ordered mine from http://www.pur-led.de
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HI ALL
what about dmx !!! yes you have a basic driver
wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Cueserver_dmx_lighting, this interface is expensive however you can pick up cheap ones from milford industries www.milinst.com ( serial to dmx512 protocol converters )for around a $150 WHAT CAN YOU CONTROL WITH THIS
control rgb led strip lights "yes" - http://www.edi-led-lights.com/DMX+Controller- china/DMX+Controller-DMX+led+decoder+3+channels+12vdc-322/
control led wash lights "yes" - http://www.wilgex-led.com/Products.asp
transmit/receive wireless dmx "yes" - http://www.gtadigital.com/
switch/dim power "yes" - http://www.djpricecheck.co.uk
/search.php?q=dmx+dimmer+pack
send the dmx signal over the ethernet "yes" - http://www.enttec.com/
control servos/motors "yes" - http://www.bpesolutions.com/dmxproduct.html#anchor706464
turn your iphone into a lighting control desk "yes" - http://synthe-fx.com/products/luminair
The sites listed are just examples and there are hundreds of interface/manurfacters out there some expensive and some very cheap.As for my rgb leds i find setting them up on a lighting desk and then copying the three channel settings to lmce and then a lighting scenarios a good solution
steve
P.S any help with the driver to log messages and keep lmce updated would be great
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HI ALL
what about dmx !!! yes you have a basic driver
wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Cueserver_dmx_lighting, this interface is expensive however you can pick up cheap ones from milford industries www.milinst.com ( serial to dmx512 protocol converters )for around a $150 WHAT CAN YOU CONTROL WITH THIS
why do you hijack this Chromoflex thread with DMX?
br Hari
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gonesurfing,
DMX is a very nice platform. Unfortunately, it is also quite expensive. All RGB controllers I found where 100+EUR. Chromoflex is around 50EUR. Add to that the need for an RS-232 port near by. For DMX you need to factor in the cost for the cabling and the central controller.
imho both have their places.
and, as hari pointed out, lets stay on-topic with Chromoflex in this thread.
EDIT: I did some ebay searching, and did find some DMX RGB LED controllers for 40EUR.
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HI ALL
Sorry if you think i hijacked your thread i thought we where talking about cheap rgb led lighting
steve
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Got one Chromoflex II to play with and LED strip 2m long. Just playing with Chromoflex effects is nice but I would like now to connect it to lmce and see what can I do with it then.
How do I connect Chromoflex to Core? I see that Chromoflex has only two pins, one to receive data and ground pin. So I guess that I need to connect pin 3 (data send) on Core PC to RX pin on Chromoflex, right?
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Hari can you please tell me which how did you connect chromoflex to RS-232 port? Which pins did you use and how you connected them.
Thanks.
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Hari can you please tell me which how did you connect chromoflex to RS-232 port? Which pins did you use and how you connected them.
Thanks.
CHROMO Side PC Side
RX----+---------------TX
|
R
|
GND---+---------------GND
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the pic of the DB9 side is quite bad (like the solder joints :-) ), white is on pin3 (TX) and brown on pin5
br Hari
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Thanks a bunch for pics Hari, I connected it ok then, but I'm missing only the resistor. I'll get it on monday when shops open. How many Ohms do I need to get? Do you know if resistor is a must or can Chromoflex receive signals without it?
Hari in what kind of setup and in which scenarios do you use Chromoflex? How many meters of led stripe do you use? Do you use one or multiple Chromoflex devices?
UPDATE;
If I read the resistor correctly (brown, black, black, brown, brown) then this should be 1k Ohm resistor. Going to the show later today.
Cheers,
Valent.
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Found a nice pdf and took a screenshot, hopefully it will be helpful for others:
http://www.xeroflex.com/software_en4.pdf