RGB Torch with built in programme.

[newlamp]

What an idea...

We have designed and can buy RGB Luxeon controllers
and Circular RGB Luxeon modules at superb prices. The controllers fit almost into a matchbox the 3 luxeons run of 8 or 12V
and have 3 optics available - 6, 35 and 45 degree.

Has anybody ever thought about a colour
controlled LUXEON torch? We are not
experts in the battery power or torch chassis designs.

Should be a superb project!

[email protected]

 

[DSpeck]

This sounds like a high-powered version of the Sauce Lightwand. You may wish to do a web-search to see what they can do, so you know what's already patented/copyrighted.

 

[newlamp]

A "light wand" is an interesting marketing term. A light wand is effectly a "light guide" or it could also be a "tube" to evenly diffuse light. Putting this in context with Intellectual Property Laws, this is "PRIOR ART" and cannot be protected by patents.

Talking of the Sauce products manufactured by Colour Kinetics - there are a lot of manufacturers out there using PWM with LEDs.

With reference to my product the controller is already on the market and I know the manufacturers have not broken
any laws!

What you can protect by patents and design copyright is a unique combination of features that has not been utilised before. I have my own patent applications for other product systems but on this project I wanted to use existing technologies and a product that already exists -

So no worries here for challenging the "market leaders"
aka Colour Kinetics.

Now we are on the topic...

What do you think Colour Kinetics are trying to protect?

 

[DSpeck]

I have no idea, just giving you a heads-up to the existence of CK's stuff. You asked, I answered... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif They're the most famous colour-changing hand-held lighting-device manufactures I'm aware of. They also do professional-grade studio/stage lighting - see The LED Museum's website for reviews of some of their products.

I have no affiliation with CK, I've just heard of them... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

 

[LED-FX]

http://www.forbes.com/global/2002/1014/103.html

http://www.uspto.gov/

http://www.artisticlicence.com/appnote009.pdf

Adam

 

[Wylie]

I have a project on standby that could use these in a 12 volt form. Nothing big enough to rush the project or even think about funding but they do sound interesting.
Will you be able to sequence the controls the same in order to change banks of the same colors at the same times and make changes from there?

 

[highlandsun]

I'm assembling some Luxeon-based lightwashers right now, and was going to scavenge the control module out of a CKSauce Lightwasher. What can your controller do?

I've got a 12V 3A power supply to run my 18 1W stars (6 each of R, G, and B). The output of the CKSauce module will supply the base current for 3 additional transistors, to drive the strings of each color. Each color will be in two strings of 3 in series.

 

[newlamp]

Highlandsun et All,

Thanks.

Its great be great to see some people suggest solutions
by modifying existing products. Keep me posted of the way your controller goes be great to see a picture and have a go at dong what your doing. I am no techy is it easy?.

The Luxeon Controller I had in mind for this is a cost-effective off-the-shelf product designed to drive JUST 3 lensed luxeons on a circular module(that is also sold with the unit). I can only assume this exisiting product means 100% reliability and fast modding into a torch chassis.

Anyhows- my new controller samples should will arrive soon - and I will try to post some specs soon. This Luxeon designed Controller is being launched commercially in September,- it has 3 small dials on the main unit for mixing each of the seperate colours - I thought this would be a nice feature for a "torch". If you don't want to fix the colours (or "color" ) you can let the controller do a smooth colour sweep.


[email protected]

 

[highlandsun]

Here's my parts list so far: <font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
6 LXHL-MM1D @ 13.82 = $82.92
6 LXHL-MRRD @ 13.82 = $82.92
6 LXHL-MD1D @ 13.82 = $82.92 + shipping

DigiKey
1 EPS265-ND 12V 2.5A 30W desktop power supply = $46.80
3 PP1045SB-ND 10K slider pot @ 2.84 = $ 8.52
3 MPSA63-ND PNP Darlington @ 0.26 = .78
5 BC604YCT-ND 604ohm .4W 1% @ .19 = .95
12 A9049-ND 6-6 jack @ .75 = $ 9.00
6 H2661-07-ND 6-pin cable @ 3.08 = $18.48
1 EG2429-ND 4PDT switch = $13.62
3 ALSR5F01.0-ND 1ohm 5W @ 1.30 = 3.90
3 MSG13-ND 1K ohm pot @ 1.59 = 4.77
</pre><hr />
I actually need two more of the 6-pin RJ-12 jacks, but miscounted when I placed that order. Sigh. Waiting for some other needs to turn up so I can place a large enough order to avoid the handling charge for small orders...

So far I've spent almost $400.00 on this project; could have bought a Colour Kinetics professional lightwasher for this price. Oh well.

I have a sheet of aluminum that I'll be carving up to mount the Luxeons. A cluster of 3 per sheet, with two 6-pin jacks on each. The clusters will be wired for daisy-chaining - R+, G+, and B+ coming in, going through the stars, and then out the 2nd connector. I'll wire a shorting plug for the end of each chain, that wraps the output R+ to the R-, etc. and all of the - lines will just run straight thru back to the power supply.

E.g.<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
+V --> R+ --> Luxeon --> R+ --> Luxeon --+
|
GND <-- R- <-- ------ <-- R- <-- ------ --+
</pre><hr />

The 3 10K sliders will be used for manual control of the individual colors. The 4PDT switch will toggle the color drivers between the slider input and the CKSauce controller. The output of the switch will drive the 3 Darlington transistors to feed current down the chains. The 1K trimmer pots are for fine-tuning the drive current for the Darlingtons. The 5W 1ohm resistors are for the emitter side of the transistors, they'll have to handle all of the current in the system.


(Hm - how come the "code" UBB directive doesn't switch to a fixed-width font automatically??)

 

[highlandsun]

I need to copy some of this thread onto my web site....

So newlamp, any more news on that controller of yours?

 

[Tomas]

[ QUOTE ]
(Hm - how come the "code" UBB directive doesn't switch to a fixed-width font automatically??)

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmmm ... It's supposed to. Ask the serving wench? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif *ducks*

 

[highlandsun]

I would, but I'm too much of a wuss to dare to ask her about it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'll hit the Questions forum...


Please don't make me dig up my Chinese dictionary - what is that first character in your .sig? The 2nd is obvious...