ECLIPSE - the Ring Lamp With Progressive Lighting, IR Controlled

I like to watch movies on my video projector, in the dark. Unfortunately, every time the movie is finished, I turn on the light and I'm blinded by this "no transition" dark to bright light.

So I decided to make a lamp which will light slowly and gradually on, like in real movie theaters.

With an Arduino, a IR remote control, a Mosfet and PWM it will be really easy to make. All I have to do is to find a design for my lamp. I wanted it basic and simple. Ultimatly, what is simpler than a circle ?

When the light is on, you'll enjoy your private solar eclipse. Moving the circle back and forward along the spindle, you can diffuse or concentrate the light around the circle.

I'm sure you'll love it ! ;-)

Supplies

What you will need to make your own ECLIPSE Light :

> A 3D Printer or an access to a 3D Printer

> Black PLA filament

> An Infrared Remote control ( Remote control )

> Arduino nano ( Arduino NANO )

> MOSFET module ( MOSFET Module )

> Warm white LED strip ( LED STRIP )

> Infra Red receiver TL1838 ( TL1838 )

> 5mm Red LED ( Red LED )

> 1 LED holder ( LED Holder )

> 3 resistors (220 Ohms, 100 Ohms and 10K Ohms)

> Female Stereo 6.35mm Jack ( 6.35mm Jack Female )

> Male Stereo 6.35mm jack ( 6.35mm Jack Male )

> Female Power connector 5.5mmx2.1mm ( Female Power Connector )

> 2 wires black Textile Cable. Depends on your configuration for the length of the cable ( Black Textile cable )

> Power Supply (12V 3A) ( Power Supply )

> One screw to fix the spindle on your wall (80mm long 5mm diameter max)

> Some wires

> Hot Glue

> Basic soldering skills

> Basic Arduino computing skills

Step 1: Print the Parts

First you need to print the parts of the lamp. STL files avalaibles just below.

I choose black PLA, but I think you can print it with any opaque color of your choice.

If you choose white PLA, maybe the light will pass a little bit through the material. So the "Eclipse effect" will be less stunning.

The parts you need to print :

> 6 Normal_Parts (supports needed)

> 1 Upper_Part (supports needed)

> 1 Lower_Part (supports needed)

> 1 Electronics_Housing (supports needed)

> 1 Lid

> 1 Spindle

> 1 Cap

Print all the parts with a layer height of 0.15mm or 0.2mm.

Step 2: The Assembly of the Frame

I recommend you first to check the correct fit of the parts together before gluing them. If there is a little gap between the parts, just sand the tenon or the face between two parts with sandpaper and everything will be in order.

Then you have to glue the pieces together according to the pattern. See Picture.

Put a drop of cyano glue in the hole and insert the tenon in the hole.

Hold firmly for a minute.

Repeat the same process until the circle is complete.

The whole circle has a diameter of 62cm.

Step 3: Placing the LEDs Strips

Place the frame on a table or a desk, wall face up.

Start by soldering 2 wires, 5cm each, one black on the - pin and one red on the + pin at the start of the LEDs strip#1.

Then peel 5 or 10 cm of the protective layer and start to place the strip, slowly progressing to fill the whole circle.

When it's done, cut the strip#1 (only at the mark). It will normally overlap a little bit.

Solder 2 wires, same as before, to the start of strip#2.

Then do the same process as for strip#1 to glue the strip#2 around the frame. It will normally overlap a little bit.

Now you have to solder the 2 wires at the start of the strip#2 to the end of the strip#1. Black on - and Red on +.

Step 4: Connect the Textile Cable

First, strip the cable on 5cm for having 2 separate wires. It's a good thing to tin the end of each wire.

I did not plan a hole for a screw to block the cable, preventing it to fall. It's easy to do with a 3 or 4mm drill and it will fit YOUR screw ;-) . You have to drill the cylinder before inserting the cable in the frame. I recommend you to drill on the wall side of the cylinder, so the screw will be invisible. See Picture.

Insert the cable in the cylinder. It's usefull to use a little piece of adhesive tape to maintain the textile around the cable.

Then, solder the cable wires to the Red and Black wires connected to the start of strip#1. Don't forget the shrink tube.

Cut the other end of the textile cable the desired length and solder it to the Male 6.35mm Jack. If you use a stereo jack ( with 3 connectors) make sure you connect the same connectors on the male and the female jacks plugs.

The "Light part" is done. Then we have to work on the "Electronic part"

Step 5: Electronics

Watch the Electronic diagram provided.

Female 6.35mm jack plug : Solder 2 wires (black and red, 5cm each) on the 6.35mm female jack plug and connect them to V+ and V- plots of the Mosfet Module. Take care of the connections on this 6.35mm plug so they fit with the connections you did before on the 6.35mm male jack plug.

Female power plug : Solder 4 wires (2 black and 2 red ) on the female Power Plug. 1 pair going to Mosfet Module (Vin and GND) and 1 pair to Vin and GND of the Arduino Nano. Normally, the center pin of the Female power plug is +.

LED : Solder the 220 Ohms resistor to 1 of the legs of the Red LED.

Then solder 2 wires (one on the resistor and 1 on the other LED's leg) which are going to GND for the - LED'S leg and to Pin D10 of the Arduino nano for the + LED'S leg

IR Receptor TL1838 : I decide not to use an factory IR module because I couldn't place the IR receiver in front of the case.

You have 2 choices for connecting the TL1838:

> Solder the respectives resistors and wires directly on the legs of the TL1838 and then to the Nano

> Or (this is the choice I made) cut a little piece of breadboard PCB and solder the componants on the bread board before connecting them to the Nano. PHOTO

Mosfet Module : Only 2 legs of the Mosfet module needs to be connected. Solder a wire from GND to GND of the Arduino and another wire from SIG to PIN D6 of the Arduino Nano.

Put everything in place in the Electronics_Housing and secure with hot glue.

Put the lid on and screw it to the housing.

Step 6: Decode Your Remote Control

Connect the Nano to your PC with USB cable.

An IR remote control send codes to the Arduino nano via TL1838 IR receptor. Every Remote control send differents codes for every pressed key.

So, what we have to do first is to find which codes is sending YOUR remote control.

For that you'll have to upload the IR_Test.ino code to the Nano. Open the Serial Monitor, set the Baud rate to 115200 and press one key on your remote control. The code of this key should appear on the serial monitor.

Note this code and the corresponding key on a sheet of paper or an exel file. Sometimes lines with FFFFFFFF appears. Don't worry it's the code when a key is pressed longer.

You have to repeat the process for all the keys of your remote control.

IR_Test.ino
Download

Step 7: Modify the Main Code to Fit Your Remote Control

Now that you have the codes for every key of your remote control, we can start to modify the main code to fit your remote.

Open the Eclipse_LED.ino code just below in Arduino IDE.

In the void translateIR() (see picture), each IR code starts a function. So you just have to copy/paste your codes instead of mine choosing the functions for the different keys of your remote control.

OFF() : Light off instantly

ON() : Light on full brightness quick fade.

DOWN() : One step brightness down

UP() : One step brightness up

OFFPROG() : Light off, slow fade

ONPROG() : Light on, slow to very slow fade

A, B, C, D, E, W, X, Y, Z are functions for changing the duration of the fade for the ONPROG() function.

A > slow to Z > very slow

You could also want to change the length of these delays. If so, in the " Delays PROGRESSIVE LIGHT ON" section (just below translateIR function) change the values of "delaibas" and "delaihaut".

There are 2 differents delays because in low light (delaisbas), each step of PWM is quite big compare to steps in high light (delaihaut).