New open-source LED controller...

[Blue World Aquariums]

We're currently on schedule for a September release. We will be accepting beta testers (likely) in July. Stay tuned to this thread or the website for details: http://aquarium-led-controller.com

Thanks for the interest!

[Blue World Aquariums]

A few new details on this for you guys:

-We've now built-in the Bluetooth module that was originally planned as an add-on module. We feel this move will help us more completely fulfill our vision of an app-enabled controller. There is no longer any physical user input on the hardware, it is programmed through a mobile app. This is a major change to the product, and it has pushed our release date back to early 2014.

-Monitoring modules in the works to launch with the controller: pH, Salinity, ORP, Disolved oxygen, and Water flow.

-PowerPWM adapter to enable control of some popular LED products that lack a 0-10V control input (eg. Ecoxotic, Current USA products) to launch with the controller.

-Early development has started for a powerbar.

Some screenshots of the Android app:



This is the "home screen" of the app. Pretty self explanatory.




This is the Scenes screen...my favorite part. This screenshot is from the Advanced Lighting Mode. You can customize the colors, names, and functions of the channels that appear here.

The really cool part here, though...is that you can set custom audio files to play with the scene. (for the full effect, you should have a Bluetooth speaker. ) You can set your light levels that will play with the scene, OR for full control, you can program your lights to change as the scene progresses.

This Thunderstorm scene is a default that comes with the app, but you can make your own custom scenes. For this scene we ramp light levels down to simulate cloud cover, and then we timed lightning flashes to the audio.



Here's the Scene Settings screen (Kessil A360 mode). You can choose from a few audio files included with the app, or add your own from your device.

People with a bit of programming experience should take note of the code...you can define functions, variables, use loops, etc. This gives you complete control over the behavior of your light. Making a change to your code and testing it is very quick and easy!



The main settings menu.



Channel settings menu. For DIY setups, you'd want to rename your channels and pick a display color.



If your setup needs less than the 6 channels available, you'll probably want to disable them so they don't appear in your settings and Scenes.



Special settings for Kessil A360 users!

The Android app has development priority, but iOS will follow. We are still after beta testers, and if you're interested in that, please sign up for updates on the website: http://aquarium-led-controller.com/buy/ signup form at the bottom of the page.

That's about it for now! We appreciate any feedback.

[The Grizz]

WOW!! Very nice, very nice indeed. Signed up for updates cause this controller looks badarse!

[daplatapus]

Ya, looks awesome. Might have to sell my Jarduino, lol
Signed up too.

[davej]

Looks awesome.

[GrimReefer]

Thanks for the feedback! Please keep it coming, good or bad.

Here's a question for you guys with DIY setups: What sort of control do you need over your day-to-day settings? What we've set up for the Kessil A360 mode is very simple and takes all of 60 seconds to input your settings:





For advanced mode, settings are similar, but with all of your available channels instead of "brightness" and "color mix". There's also a night settings group for moonlight levels. My question is...do you want more control than that? Personally it would be all that I'd need, but it's not just for me.

Spencer

[davej]

I agree, being as to set each channel to its own schedule and being able to ramp them up over a user defined time would keep me happy.
Anything else would be gravy.!

[daplatapus]

With my Jarduino setup I've got 7 channels with the moon lights included. Each channel is separately controlled and only one colour comes on at a time. But that's a one time set up and once dialed in never touched again. One feature I want to incorporate but don't have yet is a acclimation feature. You get new corals in, hit a button and the fixture dims to say 60% of your regular day to day functions, and over the course of say a week or 2 maybe, it ramps back to the original settings. Perhaps an increase of a few percent per day or something.
For the techy photo guys they may want a save function for say 10K, 15K or 20K, so that if they're going to take pics but their cameras suck at certain K ratings they just hit a pre-set button that they made when they first set it up, and voila perfect light mix for pic taking.

That's all I can think of right now and maybe some of that is already in there but didn't follow some of the original description
Looks awesome though. Can't wait to see it.

[The Grizz]

With my large DIY build I have 5 channels in use with my Profilux 2ex. I can't do moon cycles with it or any other special lighting features, would really like to do at least the cloud cover thing just cause the affect looks pretty neat. I have my LEDs setup so one row of blues come on first, then 2nd row blues, then 1st row whites followed by 2nd set of whites. Red & greens come on later in the morning followed by the high noon kit of white. I would like to add some true UV as I have an extra driver. The acclimation feature would be pretty unique as well.

[GrimReefer]

Originally Posted by daplatapus

With my Jarduino setup I've got 7 channels with the moon lights included. Each channel is separately controlled and only one colour comes on at a time. But that's a one time set up and once dialed in never touched again.

That's a bit different than what I have set up. Currently there is morning, midday, evening, and night "points". You set the time that each point starts, the level of each channel, and the ramp time:



How do you feel about that?

Originally Posted by daplatapus

One feature I want to incorporate but don't have yet is a acclimation feature. You get new corals in, hit a button and the fixture dims to say 60% of your regular day to day functions, and over the course of say a week or 2 maybe, it ramps back to the original settings. Perhaps an increase of a few percent per day or something.

I think that's a useful feature worth adding.

Originally Posted by daplatapus

For the techy photo guys they may want a save function for say 10K, 15K or 20K, so that if they're going to take pics but their cameras suck at certain K ratings they just hit a pre-set button that they made when they first set it up, and voila perfect light mix for pic taking.

Totally. You can accomplish this with the Scenes feature.

Originally Posted by The Grizz

With my large DIY build I have 5 channels in use with my Profilux 2ex. I can't do moon cycles with it or any other special lighting features, would really like to do at least the cloud cover thing just cause the affect looks pretty neat. I have my LEDs setup so one row of blues come on first, then 2nd row blues, then 1st row whites followed by 2nd set of whites. Red & greens come on later in the morning followed by the high noon kit of white. I would like to add some true UV as I have an extra driver. The acclimation feature would be pretty unique as well.

The special lighting features will be covered. What do you think about the day-to-day stuff though? Do you think you'd be happy with our current settings?