timbuktoo

@G8RB8. im just looking for the easiest thing to to supply about 5v, I think that the altiod box I saw used a programmable IC with a few AA's in series. the IC doesnt care too much about the actual voltage, I dont think, only that the transistors will be able to distinguish if they are on or off. If I could do this with a few AA batteries I would, but those would run out and a cop would pull me over and give me a ticket.

@depami. ask rpetty about the patterns, I'm here for the technical chalenge. we are working with tail lights though, trying to convert the incandescent boring lights, into fancy led's with patterns. the IC will tell which led's to light up when, that right now is the easy part, whats harder is supplying the IC with the correct voltage.

G8RB8

http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/2177

depami

timbuktoo

Thank you G8RB8 for all the help. I cant really draw the new schematic I am thinking of because I'm in school at the moment. but 4 BEC regulators would be in parallel with IC between the power source and ground, and each of the 3 lights and the ground. then the LED's would come off the IC. later I can draw up a final schematic and choose a microprocessor. would you recommend using self resetting fuses, just for extra protection, or do you think that that is unnecessary.

@ rPetty, It would be most helpful if you were to draw how you want the led's arranged, and describe how they are to act (like there could be lines of them moving across the top with a fading tail, or what ever can you think of), just try not to go to far out, because that would become much more time consuming to program and debug, and possibly might upset the cops.

EDIT: second time I have missed posts while typing another. depami, thanks for the suggestion, but I feel like it is easier to use the BEC regulator jawn.

17prospective buyer

I think here you guys are running before you can walk. Why not get functional LED's actually on a 928 as a first step? Then you could have the circuit you want to add that functionality to ready for modifications and calculations using Ohms law. Draw a diagram for a completely LED rear lighting system, then you have a baseline to work from.

timbuktoo

that's almost as simple as the incandescent bulbs that they have stock. stick an LED and a resistor in each socket and you are good.

that is why we are starting with Altoids boxes. they are about as simple as we can get with out sacrificing the intention of the project.

depami

No problem. But the BEC is ten bucks and an LM7805 is under a dollar.

Volla

yo timbuktoo,

good going with starting all this in school!

heres a few hints:

for the power source to the IC, all you need is a lm7805 - they are VERY robust, add a 10uF cap on the input and output then youre sorted. it can manage most of the power surges that you will encouter.
you dont need any zener or other protection diodes on the source side, because the rest of your circuit is very simple and you are going to add filtering after the regulator. (the 7805 can handle what the car will throw at it for your setup)

I would recommend start with something like microchip PIC instead of an FPGA, you use C to code them, the development tools are free and the programmers are cheap(relatively) and the PICs manage abuse quite well. Also a pic that can do all that you want to do will be less than 3 dollar.

on the output of the IC that goes to the LEDs i recommend you read up on an open collector setup (that uses NPN transistor). That way you can hook up the led/lightbulbs from the battery voltage through the transistor and switch it on with the 5v processor. This will let you use any 12V setup, also you wont be able to power enough LEDs through the IC, you need some form of transistor circuit in anyway on the output.

There are a bit more to it than that because choosing components to prevent drawing too much current from switching on the transistor is a bit tricky. But this is a good start.

If you are serious about doing this then I will help you (you are going to do all the work, I will just guide you and make sure you dont mess up)! Start a new thread so we dont hijack this one more than we already did, or send me a PM.

Also, Its very nice and all that you are learning JAVA at school, but if you want to do embedded programming, learn C on the side on your own. (if you know JAVA then it wont be difficult) It will also help you a lot if you want an engineering job. If you plan on just designing webistes and android games then JAVA is good enough, anything else then you need C/C++.

==================================================
19?? VW Baja Bug (Completely custom, Golf 1.8 motor, and many, many mods) - Currently my daily drive
1988 Porsche 928 S4 Euro/ROW (Black with Ivory interior) - Under ECU surgery
1982 Porsche 924 Euro (Silver with cream interior)- Gone
1982 Porsche 928 S (Manual) Euro (Petrol Blue with Blue with black and white chequered interior) - Gone
1983 Porsche 928 S (Auto, NA spec, Red, black interior) - Gone
1994 BMW 530i Manual (Maroon, grey interior) - Gone

timbuktoo

i attempted to learn c++ from the internet and books by my self a while back, and most of it just blew over my head. and I had been expecting to take BASIC first semester and C++ second semester, but compsci 1 and 2 (each a 1 semester 1/2 credit) was put in the same classroom as AP compsci which uses java because colleges say to do that, so for the teachers sake everyone is doing java this year. over next summer, after I have a better understanding of programming in general I will look again at c++.

I dont think that this is at all hijacking the thread. rPetty2 just was like yo inventors, and now we are all here.

actually @ 17PB, the simplifying it might be better. because the running lights dont actually need to be making patterns and doing so would detract from their function. so I take it back that the only simpler thing is putting a resistor and led in each spot of the incandescent, you could do that to only one of them. what does everyone else think?

@depami. if you put it that way I see the benefit, so yeah. that's great.

EDIT: I had never been personally thinking as big as a FPGA. I actually know very little about any of the IC's so yeah, the PIC or similar is what I was thinking of.