Jump to content

3Colored LED


Helix
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hello there! I'm new to this forum but very interested in building a MIDIbox SID and I was wondering if there was any way to implement a 3colored LED in some way? Like this one: http://www.kjell.com/content/templates/shop_main_details.aspx?item=90540&path=69800000,71600000,71630000

It would be totally kick ass to have 8 different LEDs that shines according to the soundvolume of each chip. Blue for low volume, yellow for medium and red for max.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... no problem. You just connect them like 3 individual LEDs except that they have a "common"-connection on one end.

Why 3 colours? You can mix them:

- red & blue = magenta

- green & Blue = cyan

- red & green = yellow

... that gives you 6 colours.

It just needs some testing with the resistors... specially red & green, if you don't want a dirty or even brownish yellow.

Greets, Roger

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, thought of that too. One would be able to have the whole spectrum of colours. The good thing is that they wont be brown or anything like that. Colours work that way when you mix paint, if you mix them all the cocktail becomes black. But when you add different colours of light they subtract and become brighter. So if you add all the colours you will get a white light.

I guess ill have to experiment alot. But they are pretty expensive 5€ a piece from kjell.com. I bet they can be found cheaper elsewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you're considering making an 8-SID MIDIbox, I don't think this of all things should be stopping you.

If you want to indicate the volume with a multicolor LED, just use an LM3915 IC (try searching google for "LM3915 VU meter") on the output of each SID.  It costs about $2.50, so 8 of them would be about 20 bucks.  Add it to the cost of a hand full of RGB LEDs and a few support parts, and you could do exactly what you are suggesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Using the full spectrum only makes sense to display e.g. intensity of a parameter. If you want to display the state of function, 6 colours are enough by far. - More colours are nothing more than confusing.

Greats,Roger

The other problem is the DOUT is binary, so you could only turn each RGB LED on or off, making 7 colours (including white) to have it show the full range you would need to connect it to an AOUT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote from: Screaming_Rabbit on 2008-02-02 at 18:59

Quote from: Helix on 2008-02-02 at 12:58

One would be able to have the whole spectrum of colours.

Using the full spectrum only makes sense to display e.g. intensity of a parameter. If you want to display the state of function, 6 colours are enough by far. - More colours are nothing more than confusing.

Greats,Roger

The other problem is the DOUT is binary, so you could only turn each RGB LED on or off, making 7 colours (including white) to have it show the full range you would need to connect it to an AOUT

levon if you want to dim a led you can just strobe the DIN.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you could do something just like what you mention using a combination of a LM3915 dot/bar driver and a 8 to 3 encoder chip.

the LM3915 takes one of 10 outputs low in response to signal level, so you'll need to invert them to drive the encoder.

these could then be fed into an 8-to-3 encoder chip, with the output used to drive the LED directly.

ie Q(0) to Red, Q(1) to Green, Q(2) to Blue on your LED.

you could then choose which order your colours should go.

say your LED glows blue at low levels, through green/yellow at middle levels, etc:

[tt]

out 10 (max) - input (7) = 111 = All cells on = White

out 9        - input (1) = 001 = Red cell alone

out 8        - input (3) = 011 = Red+Green    = Yellow

out 7        - input (2) = 010 = Green cell alone

out 6        - input (6) = 110 = Green+Blue  = Cyan

out 5        - input (4) = 100 = Blue cell alone

out 4        - input (5) = 101 = Red+Blue    = Magenta

out 1-3 OR'd - input (0) = 000 = All cells off

[/tt]

Edit: I've just realised that this all assumes a common cathode LED, and yours is common anode. No big issue, just patch as follows:

[tt]

out 10 (max) - input (0) = 000 = All cells on = White

out 9        - input (6) = 110 = Red cell alone

out 8        - input (4) = 100 = Red+Green    = Yellow

out 7        - input (5) = 101 = Green cell alone

out 6        - input (1) = 001 = Green+Blue  = Cyan

out 5        - input (3) = 011 = Blue cell alone

out 4        - input (2) = 010 = Red+Blue    = Magenta

out 1-3 OR'd - input (7) = 111 = All cells off

[/tt]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote from: cimo on Today at 01:43

levon if you want to dim a led you can just strobe the DIN.

... it was early in the morning for CIMO too  Wink

I would put a PWM on the DOUT

Greets, Roger

ehe Roger, it was late night.. when i went to bed, just before falling asleep i figured out that i wrote DIN instead of DOUT but i was already too sleepy to go downstair and correct it, so i said to myself "let s try to guess who s gonna correct my post first" i thought about S1 and eventually Seppoman so it was not a good guess. ;)

simone

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so i said to myself "let s try to guess who s gonna correct my post first" i thought about S1...

Hahaha I've only just now read this thread :)

BTW, Sorry for the flood of replies... I'm catching up on lost time... only 16 pages to go... can't you guys type slower?! ;D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...