I just finished my DIY LED Controller
- Thread starter O2surplus
- Start date
I used Seeedstudio. They're fast, I submit the design files and have the PCB's in my hand in as little as 9 days. Here's a link- http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/services-c-185.html
@02Surplus: Awesome! So basically you stripped the components off the Arduino board and made your own PCB? Is the off the shelf board not flexible enough? I am planning to build a controller similar to yours but am torn between using a microcontroller or a cpld board. CPLD just because I can add to the circuit if I decide to control other stuff like pumps and auto top off systems. May be interface it with a PC too! who knows!
Wow, according to their website $10 for Ten 5cmx5cm boards! What was the total cost of your board order?
Yes- It's just a stripped down Arduino UNO. Since the ARDUINO is an open source project, the design files are freely available for anyone to use. All you have to have is the EAGLE software (available free from Cadsoft) to view them. If you've already got a good idea of what you want to accomplish with your controller, just design it using EAGLE and have a board house manufacture the PCB's for you. The software can even be used to provide a Bill of Materials needed for the project, so it's really handy in a lot of ways.
My Pcb's are normally larger than the 5cmx5cm size, so I paid $20 for the Pcb's and another $32 for expedited shipping. That's still not a bad price considering that I normally get a few extra boards with each batch. You can always opt for the "free shipping option" but you'll end up waiting 4-6 weeks to get your order. I don't have that kind of patience, so I'm willing to pay more and get down to soldering earlier.
@o2surplus: Pretty awesome. Just been reading your posts and am very interested.
In your honest opinion do you think it is something that a regular person (ie pretty competent at DIY) could attempt
The only hitch is I have never tackled anything like this before but willing to give it a go.
In your honest opinion do you think it is something that a regular person (ie pretty competent at DIY) could attempt
The only hitch is I have never tackled anything like this before but willing to give it a go.
Very cool.Been a while since I've dove into making my own electronics. Maybe something I'll try during the upcoming cold months.
Anyone can build these projects. All it takes is the desire to learn something new. I did a lot of reading on various online forums about micro-controllers, high power leds, and electronics ect... before I felt ready to tackle DIY electronic design. Don't get me wrong- I've made mistakes along the way, but I chalk that up to the cost of learning something new. If you'd like to tackle something like this yourself, and need some help- just ask. I'll help you out however I can. You can also Google my user name and be pointed to a lot of Forum threads where I've posted- that deal with DIY electronics.
Ok, I'm up for it. Gonna go and do some google research and reading . Thanks for the support. Worst case is I make a few mistakes but learn something new along the journey...can't be that bad
