Creating Color Temperature

[Exodus]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum and I've got a conundrum that I haven't been able to find an answer to using google. Is it possible to create color temperatures using Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Magenta & Yellow LEDs?

As I was looking at some of the Luxeon stars, I noticed that they have those exact colors referenced in their data sheets.

Can you create an array of LEDs using those 6 colors to mimic color temeratures. What I want to do is mimic the Daytime to nighttime shift in my aquarium, using an Arduino as a Pulse Width Modulator. Essentially Having more blue spectrum during the day and less blue towards the end of the day and more reds/yellows.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

 

[spencer]

I would assume this is possible. I would probably start with a constant on white and use a blue and either a red or amber LED to get morning->day->night.

 

[LLCoolBeans]

This is most certainly possible. If you look at the Cree website it makes mention of using this sort of thing in their recessed lighting inserts.

The technology is elegantly simple, yet incredibly effective. It delivers high efficacy light with beautiful, warm color characteristics by mixing the light from yellow and red LEDs. This approach enables active color management that maintains tight color consistency over the life of the product.

It may be simpler to use a single or bank of cool white LEDs and another single or bank of warm white LEDs and simply fade between the two on a timer.

It would seem that all you really need is adjustment from cool to warm, but not any actual serious fine tuning. I doubt your fish are tint snobs.

I'm subscribing to this thread as I am very interested in this topic.

 

[blasterman]

Anyone have thoughts on this?

Why? Plants / Corals only care about a couple specific bandwidths of light spectra. Increasing/decreasing those specific intensities accomplishes dusk/dawn simulation.

You don't need RGB/CMY because no plant can see most of those colors.

 

[Exodus]

Why? Plants / Corals only care about a couple specific bandwidths of light spectra. Increasing/decreasing those specific intensities accomplishes dusk/dawn simulation.

You don't need RGB/CMY because no plant can see most of those colors.

One of my objectives with this is to come as close to full spectrum light as I can. Not specifically for my plants, yes its a freshwater planted aquarium, but I've been searching everywhere and I haven't found an answer.

One of the things that I really don't like about most of the white leds out there, with the exception of Luxeons and Crees, is that the white leds are actually kind of blue. Of course thats because it's actually a Blue LEd with that phosphor coating, but I want to be able to have 100% Control over it's light output.

Call me crazy, maybe I am for wanting to do this, but I find it very intriguing.