|
|
HowTo: A low cost lighting sequencer (Pt 1)
( Roger Otis)
Step 1 : Overview
|
| | This How To describes how to make a lighting sequencer out of inexpensive, readily available electronic components. The heart of it is a simple decade counter. Of course computer control is more flexible, especially if you have a huge display or want to sync with music or dim lighting. For those who are new to Christmas lighting control and want to get started without connecting their computer to some homemade electronics, this may be of interest to you. If you already have computer controlled lighting, it is a way to add some free running animation which doesn’t require programming or tie up more channels in your existing system. Or, maybe you don't have a computer to dedicate to lighting control. It is also particularly useful if you want to run multiple animated displays. I first saw the basic idea in a Popular Electronics or Radio Electronics magazine 15 to 20 years ago. The circuit controlled a simple jack-in-the-box display. By adding a few more components to the basic circuit I found it is much more capable than it would seem at first glance. It may not be a "Computer Christmas" but it can still be a "Digital Christmas".
Before you start ordering parts, please read the warnings in the Steps on SSR Control Boxes.
|
|
|
