Custom LED Brake Light - Microcontroller Controlled (Pics + Video)
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New Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 13
From: Santa Clara, CA, USA
Custom LED Brake Light - Microcontroller Controlled (Pics + Video)
So I finally completed my project - a custom LED Brake Light controlled by a Microcontroller.
I programmed the microcontroller with some C code, so I could make it do whatever I wanted. I decided on a quick, decelerating pattern that would be super cool but relatively subtle.
Here's the video of it in action - YouTube - Custom LED Brake Light - 2007 Honda Fit
In the dark.
In the light
The Insides
The whole thing
How I got the brake light to stay on for pictures
It was such a fun project, and I definitely learned a lot about LEDs - like how to blow them up, burn them up, make them too bright, too dim, and then... juuust right.
Tell me what you think :-D
-ModManKev
I programmed the microcontroller with some C code, so I could make it do whatever I wanted. I decided on a quick, decelerating pattern that would be super cool but relatively subtle.
Here's the video of it in action - YouTube - Custom LED Brake Light - 2007 Honda Fit
In the dark.
In the light
The Insides
The whole thing
How I got the brake light to stay on for pictures
It was such a fun project, and I definitely learned a lot about LEDs - like how to blow them up, burn them up, make them too bright, too dim, and then... juuust right.
Tell me what you think :-D
-ModManKev
Thread Starter
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New Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 13
From: Santa Clara, CA, USA
This project definitely took a long time to figure out (done as a side project over a couple months).
I'll try to explain the different pieces.
There are 41 LEDs in total - these ones: SPECIAL ULTRABRIGHT RED LED - 5MM | All Electronics Corp - Parts, Supplies and Components
25 of them are in the center starburst, and they just turn on like a conventional brake light. These have a 5 Volt regulator and because of my weird layout and the odd number I decided to give each LED their own resistor to best match the brightnesses.
The other 16 that are in the horizontal line are controlled with an ATmega32 microcontroller (this chip has 32 pins of I/O, so I'm only using half of its potential). The LEDs are being sunk into the microcontroller and have their own resistors (all powered by a 2nd 5 Volt Regulator).
I programmed the ATmega32 microcontroller with my computer and this board / programmer - Wright Hobbies Robotics - that's a good site to check out to learn about microcontrollers / robotics / basic code stuff.
The C program I used was pretty simple, just getting the loop working that moved the LED the right way and increasing the delay between light changes to create the awesome decelerating effect. (I'll post the code if people are interested)
Hope that helps, and I'm happy you guys like it.
-ModManKev
I'll try to explain the different pieces.
There are 41 LEDs in total - these ones: SPECIAL ULTRABRIGHT RED LED - 5MM | All Electronics Corp - Parts, Supplies and Components
25 of them are in the center starburst, and they just turn on like a conventional brake light. These have a 5 Volt regulator and because of my weird layout and the odd number I decided to give each LED their own resistor to best match the brightnesses.
The other 16 that are in the horizontal line are controlled with an ATmega32 microcontroller (this chip has 32 pins of I/O, so I'm only using half of its potential). The LEDs are being sunk into the microcontroller and have their own resistors (all powered by a 2nd 5 Volt Regulator).
I programmed the ATmega32 microcontroller with my computer and this board / programmer - Wright Hobbies Robotics - that's a good site to check out to learn about microcontrollers / robotics / basic code stuff.
The C program I used was pretty simple, just getting the loop working that moved the LED the right way and increasing the delay between light changes to create the awesome decelerating effect. (I'll post the code if people are interested)
Hope that helps, and I'm happy you guys like it.
-ModManKev
Potential $$$ maker right there if you could bang out a few more or make custom patterns based on customer design.
Could you make one for me that says "I eat Vette's" every time I hit the brakes!?!?
Could you make one for me that says "I eat Vette's" every time I hit the brakes!?!?
I want one that says "PWNED!" everytime I hit the brakes hahaha! And with the microcontroller, if it's just C code, I could probably program it to light up each letter spelling it out, then make it blink ROFLMAO!
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 173
From: Atlanta, Ga
Agreed!! I could do it for myself, but I'de much rather pay someone else...
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New Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 13
From: Santa Clara, CA, USA
The only limit on how many things you can flash are the number of output pins on the microcontroller - the one I was using had 32 :-D.
But even then, if you really wanted to control more things you can use shift registers and push serial data into them - thus multiplying you controlling power by 5, 10, or as many as you want (if you can deal with the minute delay that it takes to fill the shift registers).
Eventually I want to put super bright LEDs under my car and control them in the same way - then scroll them along the bottom of my car.
This took so long to make I don't think I would want to do any sort of production, I'd have to charge way more than anyone would want.
It's all good though, now I'm going to help my buddy make a custom brake light / running light / turn signal for his motorcycle.
Have fun with all your projects
-ModManKev
But even then, if you really wanted to control more things you can use shift registers and push serial data into them - thus multiplying you controlling power by 5, 10, or as many as you want (if you can deal with the minute delay that it takes to fill the shift registers).
Eventually I want to put super bright LEDs under my car and control them in the same way - then scroll them along the bottom of my car.
This took so long to make I don't think I would want to do any sort of production, I'd have to charge way more than anyone would want.
It's all good though, now I'm going to help my buddy make a custom brake light / running light / turn signal for his motorcycle.
Have fun with all your projects
-ModManKev
can you post a how to thread? :-D
is this the one that you used?
http://www.wrighthobbies.net/catalog...2.9.1white.jpg
is this the one that you used?
http://www.wrighthobbies.net/catalog...2.9.1white.jpg
Last edited by OneStopCustoms; Oct 30, 2007 at 11:10 PM.