Archive:LightsOut

   

LightsOut Release status: obsolete [box doku]
Description	Light control for the space
Author(s)	tiefpunkt

LightsOut should eventually control the lights in the space, from normal lamps to fancy RGB stripes.

Connectivity

LightsOut is part of the MuMaBus. Lights will probably be availabe in the MuMaBus tree under "mumalab/room/lights/#"

Initial Prototype

Initial Prototype

A small prototype using a relay board and Arduino led to the creation of the MuMaBus Node. The arduino was running Firmata, and pins were directly controlled from software. The python code running on a PC connected to MuMaBus and commands were interpreted correctly. A HTTP interface using MQTT-over-WebSockets was built [1]

Hardware

Currently, LightsOut nodes are planned on Arduinos, which require some sort of embedded PC (such as RPi) to handle MuMaBus communications. Eventually, the Arduinos might be removed and the control hardware such as relay boards are connected directly to the RPi.

Arduinos should use bitlash instead of Firmata for future prototypes.

Switching Node

A node with a set (8 or 16) relais. Will use ready made relay boards with 8 relays. Plan for the future is to connect those using shift registers and SPI, but for now, they'll controlled directly by an Arduino.

RGB Node

A node controlling RGB LEDs, such as the RGB strip currently in the space. The plan is to use WS2801 controllers (datasheet, Cheapish online store, otherwise eBay) to control multiple strips using one RGB node with a SPI-like interface.

RCSwitch Node

A node controlling remote controlled power sockets via RCswitch. Directly connected to the RPi

Status

Nodes

• 1 RCswitch node connected to the status RPi

Lights

Name	Type	Topic	Notes
Whiteboard	RCswitch	mumalab/room/lights/whiteboard/state	switched on and off with the space status
Hanging Lights	RCswitch	mumalab/room/lights/hanging_lights/state	switched on and off with the space status
Chandelier	RCswitch	mumalab/room/lights/chandelier/state	switched on and off with the space status

Rules

Currently only via indiviual Python scripts

• Switch whiteboard light tube and hanging lights on and off in reponse to space status changes.

Version 2.0

For the new space, we'll have to implement a new light control system. This is the rough plan:

• 9 light zones (CFL lights), spread over 3 "rooms"
• 1 12 channel DMX switchpack
• USB->DMX interface
• RPi (or similar) with openHAB
• Input device to interface with lightswitches (push buttons?) in the space

USB->DMX interface

Probably a uDMX interface

• original uDMX site
• uDMX protoboard design
• another mod
• uDMX based on USBasp