Curilights Controller
John Peterson
February 2011
contact102{at}saccade.com
Introduction
After designing the Curilights, I wanted a way to easily control them without a computer attached. I came up with this controller, based on the mbed platform. The controller:
- Stores light patterns on an SD Card
- Connects to a computer via USB for uploading patterns
- Has a menu driven UI with an LCD display for choosing color, brightness, patterns, and options.
- Optionally turns the lights off when the room is dark and no motion is detected.
- Turns the lights on if the room is dark and motion is sensed (night light mode).
The LCD user interface is based on a simple knob input. Turn the knob to change choices and push to make a selection. Using the knob is (like the iPod) immediately intuitive.
Design
The code for the controller is written in C++ using the on-line mbed development tools. A simple motherboard PCB was made for the mbed controller and the various peripherals.
A writeup with schematics, operation and software details is available [PDF, 370K]. More details are also posted on the HackADay Project site.
