LED

A light-emitting diode (LED) (Template:Pron-en, L-E-D<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices, and are increasingly used for lighting. Introduced as a practical electronic component in 1962,<ref name=LemelsonMIT/> early LEDs emitted low-intensity red light, but modern versions are available across the visible, ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, with very high brightness.

This page focus in driving LED's and RGB LED's using small microcontrollers as the [Arduino] platform.

Arduino LED's basics

• Arduino basic RGB LED mixer http://www.instructables.com/id/RGB-LED-Tutorial-using-an-Arduino-RGBL/step3/Example-Circuit/
• Arduino basic RGB LED mixer http://fritzing.org/projects/rgb-led-mixer/

LED's and RGB LED's Controllers for Arduino.

(most of the examples are compatible with other mricrocontrollers paltforms)

Arduino can drive RGB's using its PMW Outputs (AnalogWrite). Considering we need 3 of them for each RGB LED's and the Arduino has just 6 one could thing the maxium number we could drive are 2 LED's. Luckly there are a bunch of chips that can easily expand our Arduino PMW ports allowing us to drive a huge number of RGB LED's easily but also any other kind of device that require these outputs as standard LED's or DC Motors.

TLC5940

TLC5940 is a 16 channel PWM unit, so you can drive 5 RGB's LED's. There's an arduino library to easy work with it.

• Datasheet http://www.ti.com/lit/gpn/tlc5940
• Library http://code.google.com/p/tlc5940arduino/
• Tutorial http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Learning/TLC5940/
• Tutorial (Shield design available) http://fritzing.org/projects/pwm-expander-rgb-ledsservos/

M5451

M5451 is a chip specifically designed to drive up to 70 LED's . There's an arduino library to easy work with it that implements PMW support.

• Library http://code.google.com/p/arduino-m5451-current-driver/

• Datasheet http://www.ti.com/lit/gpn/tlc5940
• Library http://code.google.com/p/tlc5940arduino/
• Tutorial http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Learning/TLC5940/
• Tutorial (Shield design available) http://fritzing.org/projects/pwm-expander-rgb-ledsservos/

Packet solutions

ShiftBrite

ShiftBrite is a packet modular RGB LED. There's an arduino library to easy program it.

• ShiftBrite http://macetech.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1

• Library http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Main/ShiftBriteLib

BLINKM, THE SMART LED

The M5450 is a chip specifically designed fro driving LED's and there's an arduino Library for easy working with that

LED Driving chip - M5450 http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datasheet2/e/0zqj6og5wcoq8y1zyxt7r79056py.pdf

Packet solutions

Rainbowduino is a packet Arduino compatible soultion for driving RGB LED's http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/rainbowduino-led-driver-platform-atmega-328-p-371.html?cPath=93_99

Driving RGB LED's requires the use of

• Expand your Arduino PMW (AnalogWrite) outputs http://fritzing.org/projects/pwm-expander-rgb-ledsservos/
• Arduino controller for RGB LED http://fritzing.org/projects/multicolor-rgb-led-controller-shield-for-arduino/
• Arduino controller for RGB LED Strips http://fritzing.org/projects/arduino-controlled-rgb-led-light-strips/

http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Learning/TLC5940

• RGB to Hex Conversion [1]
• Intergacing the Shift Library [2]