I Built an open-source LED controller and app from scratch

[oldrev]

Fantastic first test! Which CREE models are you using? Can we find the alu pcb models on the repo?

This aluminum PCB is still in testing and not open-source for now, everything else is open-source.

I'm curious, this Aluminum PCB is just a simple driver board, specifically designed for this enclosure. Without the enclosure, I don't know what use it has.

 

[oldrev]

The effect of the LED array at 2% brightness.

3× royal blue
3 x light blue
3 × cold white (10000k)
1 × green
1 × red
1 × UV + 1 × purple

 

[firechild]

Fantastic first test! Which CREE models are you using? Can we find the alu pcb models on the repo?

These are most definitely not Cree emiters.

This aluminum PCB is still in testing and not open-source for now, everything else is open-source.

I'm curious, this Aluminum PCB is just a simple driver board, specifically designed for this enclosure. Without the enclosure, I don't know what use it has.

This looks amazing. I would love to see the schematic for the drivers. I'm currently using Meanwell LDD drivers and ESPHome for control. Works great but I'm looking at building small modular units, similar to yours and I would need to move away from the LDD drivers due to their size.

 

[oldrev]

These are most definitely not Cree emiters.

This looks amazing. I would love to see the schematic for the drivers. I'm currently using Meanwell LDD drivers and ESPHome for control. Works great but I'm looking at building small modular units, similar to yours and I would need to move away from the LDD drivers due to their size.

Now you have it.

 

[oldrev]

Gentlemen, please allow me to show you what this puppy looks like when it is fully assembled.

dang acrylic. Because of static charge, it never wipes clean.

Here's the ready-made commercial stand.

Cheers.

 

[Arthur_Dent]

Clean work! Have you taken any par readings?

 

[oldrev]

Clean work! Have you taken any par readings?

Not yet, because a spectrometer that can measure PAR values costs a fortune, and this DIY project is a one-man show. I'm also not entirely satisfied with the brightness ratio of the LEDs.

Once the next revision is complete, I'll consider submitting it to a lab for testing.

 

[Ooh fiddlesticks]

This is epic all around! Way to go!

 

[Arthur_Dent]

Not yet, because a spectrometer that can measure PAR values costs a fortune, and this DIY project is a one-man show. I'm also not entirely satisfied with the brightness ratio of the LEDs.

Once the next revision is complete, I'll consider submitting it to a lab for testing.

Not sure where you are based, but I bet someone on this forum would lend you one, in exchange for some knowledge. :)

 

[vandy]

This is great! Nice work. Did you have pcb design experience before you started?

I only LED i've built is a 100w pendant light, but i'd love to design something similar to the punching power of the uno's. Not sure where to start with the pcb design though.

How's it working on your tank?

 

[oldrev]

This is great! Nice work. Did you have pcb design experience before you started?

I only LED i've built is a 100w pendant light, but i'd love to design something similar to the punching power of the uno's. Not sure where to start with the pcb design though.

How's it working on your tank?

Thanks!

Yeah, I've got years of PCB design experience. Learning PCB design isn't that hard, but it does take a ton of time and money to figure things out through trial and error.

For long-term testing, I just started a new saltwater tank, and it'll be ready to go this week.

 

[oldrev]

Not sure where you are based, but I bet someone on this forum would lend you one, in exchange for some knowledge. :)

I got a cheap one with a huge discount. The attachment is the testing report.

Right now I'm working on auto solar simulation using astronomical algorithms.

 

[Arthur_Dent]

Nice work!

 

[Freenow54]

Hello Reefers,

I’ve been working on designing and building what I hope will be the perfect open-source aquarium light controller, and a mobile app to go along with it.

So far, I’ve got a working prototype with a 6-channel design and a functional app.

I’ve been coding for nearly 20 years and have plenty of electronics experience too. I’ll admit we kinda have this gift to keep costs low when it comes to electronics. So, instead of going for something fancy like a Raspberry Pi as the brain, I chose the ESP32-C3, it’s just right for this project. To save even more on the PCB, the controller is super tiny, just 30×22mm, and I’ve pretty much used up every single pin on that ESP32-C3. The other key parts are just two DC-to-DC buck converters and a TL431 voltage reference.

Let’s talk hardware first:

• Built-in buck circuit for a wide input voltage range, 15–36V
• 6-channel LED PWM control with phase-shifting support, 1024-level duty cycle, and up to 24kHz
• A pin for a 3950 NTC thermistor to monitor LED temperature
• Fan PWM control signal output driven by a PID algorithm, plus a fan voltage output adjustable from 3.5V to 12V. You can lock it at 12V and let the PWM signal handle the fan speed, or use a cheap two-wire fan and have the controller regulate the voltage to adjust speed.
• Built-in voltage sensing, plus a pin for an INA139 chip to measure total LED current and handle over-current protection.
• A push button pin to temporary light-on mode or reset WiFi settings.
• 0.1" pin header, DIY friendly.

Then there’s the phone app:

• One big reason I started this project was to dive into Flutter development, so I really wanted the app to look slick and polished. Here’s what it can do:
• Manage multiple devices.
• Manual dimming mode.
• Scheduled mode with multi-stage sunrise/sunset dimming.
• Easy Setup mode.
• Nightlight mode (temporary light-on feature), super handy when you want to peek at your tank in the middle of the night without messing up your light schedule.

This is a fully open-source project, and I mean fully. All the editable hardware design files, firmware, and app source code are up on GitHub: https://github.com/oldrev/borneo. The hardware and firmware are pretty much done, but the app’s still a work in progress—functional, but a bit rough around the edges.

Since I’ve only ever dealt with freshwater planted tanks, I’d love some advice from the saltwater enthusiast. Is this moonlight mode actually important, and if so, what color should it be when it’s on?

Cheers!
Wei L.

Quite the project Congratulations. I volunteer to market here for you. Answer about moon light is a no from me

 

[bradreef]

Great work. I updated as I see the 3 white LED. Interested in par readings or maybe double light fixtures.

 

[jsmkmavity]

Looks great. Hope the tank startup goes smoothly

 

[PPBlimpy]

This is really cool. I wish I knew more about electronics!

I love the app. wonder if you can use the app and driver to control fixtures already on the market.

I love the noopsyche lights but controller/app sucks. they are cheap enough on alibaba i wouldnt mind taking them apart and rewiring the driver into it somehow

 

[Besieged]

This is really cool. I wish I knew more about electronics!

I love the app. wonder if you can you the app and driver to control fixtures already on the market.

I love the noopsyche lights but controller/app sucks

I can second that last!

 

[oldrev]

Great work. I updated as I see the 3 white LED. Interested in par readings or maybe double light fixtures.

Thanks. The PAR value is not accurate. I measured the spectrum close to the light. A meaningful PAR value needs to be measured underwater the water.

 

[oldrev]

Small update: This week, I got the firmware and app to support the acclimation mode. Once you turn it on, it gradually increases the brightness a bit each day within your set date range until it hits your current dimming setting.

Also, I redesigned the dashboard interface.

One last thing, in the settings, you can now pick from 5 different brightness correction algorithms.

You may wondering why there's a latitude and longitude setting for your location. Don't worry, it's not for stealing your privacy. It's just that the fully automatic sun simulation feature, which calculates your local sunrise, noon, and sunset times based on astronomical algorithms, needs to know your location on Earth. All that fancy math happens in the tiny LED controller, not the phone app.