Any interest in wireless RGB LED strip lights with HomeSeer?

[reidfo]

I've been experimenting for a while with RGB LED strips and want to build a wireless controller that I can use to control brightness and color temperature of the LEDs. This thread is to gauge interest from the community and see if any of you are looking for the same thing.

Whichever direction I go, it would be wireless, controllable by HomeSeer, low power, and as small/inconspicuous as possible. Multiple controllers/strips could be synchronized wirelessly.

Potential applications:

• Completely color and brightness controlled
• Under cabinet lighting (e.g. for the kitchen)
• Under cabinet toe lighting
• Wall washer lights
• Mood lighting anywhere you can think of to put an LED strip
• Stairway lighting
• For a cool effect, place behind float mounted artwork to make it "glow"

I'm going to build this for myself, but the direction I take depends on what you folks might also like (buy). I'm hoping there's enough interest to at least offset my development cost.



Questions:

• Would you buy something like this if available? What would it be worth to you for a controller and 3-5m RGB LED strip?
• What wireless tech? I'm considering WiFi and ZigBee right now. ZWave has a high entry price point, so unless there's really huge demand for it I'll probably pass on that. Zigbee is cheaper, but would require an additional controller connected to the HomeSeer computer.
• What applications can you think of that I haven't listed?
• How "plug and play" do you need it to be? Would it be acceptable to connect it first to a Windows or Mac PC via USB to configure the wireless settings? Or would it need to be more like ZWave where you press a button to put it in "add" mode and include it in the network?

Thanks for reading, and I'm looking forward to all your comments, good and bad!


-R

[Automated]

I have some RGB lights. I went the easy/cheap route and just used one of the generic controllers you can find these days and an extra IR port on my GC-100. I can select any of the preconfigured colors, or one of the custom colors, and then control R, G, and B independently (also storing that custom color). Of course, that is just the "dumb" way to do it, i.e. Homeseer doesn't know the exact brightness of each color at its current setting, but then again, it doesn't really need to know it. If we want go get cheesy or give the kids a laugh, then we can put it in "music" mode, and watch them dance to the beat.

The controller: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
which surprisingly, actually responds to all of the commands from the remote in this kit, even the custom color storage positions:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Heck, I probably should have shared that project information before here.

To answer your question, at least for me, it would have to be pretty cheap, and I prefer hardwired interfaces, serial or IP, but I would guess most people would want wireless or something these days.

[reidfo]

Do you run serial to each light strip/controller? That for me is the reason to develop something new and wireless. That and the IR remotes that come with the cheap LED controllers you find from China are useless from an HA standpoint.

[Automated]

We must have cross-posted. I revised my earlier post. They are not totally worthless, if you already have a GC-100, an iTach, or similar IR blasting solution. I even have it all HSTouch integrated. I ran a single 2 conductor wire for the IR blaster to the controller, where the IR blaster is embedded.

[reidfo]

Indeed we did cross post. Thanks for the IR info. Can you control multiple strips independently with your solution? I'm guessing they'd all respond to the same IR commands.I'm open to all ideas on how to accomplish this!

[CharlieWayne]

Re: Any interest in wireless RGB LED strip lights with HomeSeer?

Wouldn't IR in the application solely be a one way communication meaning u would never know the state of the light or controller?

Don't use ZigBee but with WiFi would their be a lag or response delay for music timing. My LAN will be pretty busy serving up media to extenders so I wonder how much impact that would have.

I've seen many videos and post on the internet and this seems very cool. Your proposal sounds interesting if there is two way comms.

Another use could be use of blue plights behind your Movie/Flat Screens like how THX specs Or use on top of crown molding.

I'll be following this thread and your proposals.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[reidfo]

CharlieWayne, I like your comments. One of the reasons I want to make this is to put above some crown moulding. I think you're on the money with your comment that it has to be 2 way communication. I originally thought it wouldn't, but 2 way makes it easier to have homeseer control and an external remote that doesn't talk to homeseer. The light would just report its status.

EDIT: The music timing piece is a great idea! I'll keep that in mind as this develops.

[Automated]

Of course 2 way is always better, but it's hard to beat 27 dollars, considering the fact that the IR hole on my controller is blocked, and only HS can control it. In that way, HS always knows the status of the controller, because it is the only thing that can control it! I keep the current color selection in a virtual device.

I would like a more intelligent controller though. I thought to do one with some kind of small micro controller, but then when the cheapo solution worked so well, I lost interest. It probably would have been different if I didn't already have several extra IR ports to abuse and a box full of IR blasters.

[CharlieWayne]

Re: Any interest in wireless RGB LED strip lights with HomeSeer?

Its like the whole "Good, Better, Best" selection. Sometimes Best sounds great until u realize the price associated with it. I bought a eBay lot of GC100-12 and they are just collecting dust but my reason for buying them was for the use of equipment or applications were HS developers didn't make plugins or hardware to interface.

Another use could be Above ceiling fans. With ceiling fans I only select light kits that project downward cause I dislike the strobe effect caused by the Fan's. Don't know if the RGB is needed in all apps (blue, pink, purple, or other odd ball colors) but RGB might be able to change from white colors that resemble either 2500K, 4000K, or 6000K.

What's your initial thought of a plugin and hardware config?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[mhn]

Have you seen this? http://www.fibaro.com/en/the-fibaro-...gbw-controller

[reidfo]

Have you seen this? http://www.fibaro.com/en/the-fibaro-...gbw-controller

This is exactly what I was looking for! They're not selling in the US yet, but I found a forum post where they said they plan to do so soon.

Do you also use the inputs and current readings with HomeSeer? Curious how that would work.

[mhn]

It's on a breadboard on my desk. :-)

I have tried controlling a white and a RGB LED strip. I don't own a RGBW strip, but 2 seperat strips on the same time works fine. I only tried the inputs for local control of LEDs so far. Homeseer reads the current form the device. I am a bit skeptical about the readings, but readings work. I plan for more testing, when I find some time.

Regards
Morten

[enigmatheatre]

Have you looked at Jon00 WiFi LED Controller for Homeseer.

Form his website:
This unmanaged plugin/client/application allows you to control specific Wi-Fi LED lamps via Homeseer or via the application interface. These lamps are manufactured in China under the following brand names: Limitless LED, dekolight, iLight, applight, applamp, LEDme, EasyBulb & MiLight, depending on country sold. It can control both RGB and White Lamp varieties

There are rgbw controllers that should work with this but I have not tested them.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-4G-LED-RGB...-/390664833152

I can also confirm that the Fibro rgbw controller is a great unit and works Well with homeseer. The only thing I would like is to be able to set param 9 as part of an event as this runs the unit through various chases.

Regards,

Greig.

[reidfo]

I have looked at that, but it's not really what I'm looking for. I need to control 12V LED strips. The Fibaro RGBW controller is very close to what I was thinking of building, especially considering it has analog inputs. I wanted to wire up temperature and humidity sensors as well.

[enigmatheatre]

I have looked at that, but it's not really what I'm looking for. I need to control 12V LED strips. The Fibaro RGBW controller is very close to what I was thinking of building, especially considering it has analog inputs. I wanted to wire up temperature and humidity sensors as well.

This is for 12V LED Strips?