Hey everyone! I'm trying to create a circuit that can control a blinking strobe light for my meditation sessions. I want to customize the time between on and off cycles, the ramp-up time to full brightness, the down-ramp time, and the maximum brightness level using potentiometers. From my research, it seems that using an Arduino microcontroller, along with a power supply, a MOSFET, and a resistor, is a good approach. Does that sound right? I'd love to hear any tips you might have! Thanks!
3 Answers
Check out this power supply that might work for your setup! It provides 12V for your microcontroller and has a dimming output for LEDs, using a 0-10VDC or PWM signal for dimming. Here’s a link to it: [LED Power Supply](https://www.ledsupply.com/power-supplies/mean-well-odlv-45w-power-supply?srsltid=AfmBOoprpH8sro6QcK4UwDmtJMe7dAvbUUBs3xT9_RoucrMYqb4dN5gT) and the product PDF for more details: [Product PDF](https://www.meanwell-web.com/content/files/pdfs/productPdfs/MW/ODLV-45/ODLV-45-spec.pdf).
Using an Arduino is doable, but it might be more than you need for this project. Have you considered a 555 timer? It's a classic chip that can generate square waves and allow you to control the frequency and pulse width with potentiometers. You’ll still need a power transistor to drive the light, but it could simplify things!
Ok, will look into that as well, thanks!
I actually built something similar for a bicycle light! I used an Arduino, a MOSFET, resistors, and a potentiometer. If you’re only driving one LED, you can skip the MOSFET and resistors. The programming aspect is fun, especially if you go for RGB LEDs with color mixing! But for your project, the code should be straightforward, making it a nice beginner-friendly project.
Ya that sounds like the circuit for me. I'm not sure about the bulb yet, so I probably have to decide on that before I finalize the other details. Thanks for your input ?
Coolio! Thank you kind Redditor (tips hat)