Project RGB

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10-22-2003, 02:30 PM
Sabz5150

Project RGB

My LEDs arrived :D :D :D

My first step is to get the shifter... well... shifting. I'm going to raid the Ratshack for my pots and resistors tonight. I'll be using 4 conductor telephone wire for running the wires to the control box with RJ-11 connectors on the box itself. This will let me connect, disconnect and add on with little to no effort.

Anyway, here are preliminary pics of the shift knob. I'll have more pictures shorty. Sorry for the blur, had to take them with no flash.

I think this will grab a few eyes when I'm showin the 3g off :)
10-22-2003, 02:31 PM
Sabz5150

Red
10-22-2003, 02:31 PM
k-roy

Sounds good. Hey man are you on saabnet?
10-22-2003, 02:32 PM
Sabz5150

Green
10-22-2003, 02:34 PM
Sabz5150

Blue
10-22-2003, 04:14 PM
yaxley

I really like your idea I think it will look sweet when done Id like to see how it works in the car. I like the green cause you can see the numbers I like the blue cause it blue but it seams to bright.
have fun
10-22-2003, 05:06 PM
Sabz5150

Working white, yeilding yellow, composing cyan and making magenta :D
10-22-2003, 05:08 PM
Sabz5150

The magic control box. The trimpots need to be cut down and knobs installed... BUT IT WORKS!
10-22-2003, 05:26 PM
markmdz89hatch

now THAT is fugghing kool as hell!
10-22-2003, 05:30 PM
blazin3gen

hell ya thats cool!!
10-22-2003, 07:39 PM
Sabz5150

Orange
10-22-2003, 07:41 PM
Sabz5150

Pink
10-22-2003, 07:42 PM
Sabz5150

Turquoise
10-22-2003, 07:44 PM
guaynabo89

Looks like your having fun with yur new toys.:D

Keep up the good work.
10-22-2003, 08:02 PM
od2681

now that shit is original
10-23-2003, 09:57 AM
Sabz5150

Thanks for the compliments :) It's gonna take about a month to get it fully installed if nothing goes wrong (But stuff always goes wrong, doesn't it?). A How-To? I'll try ;)
10-23-2003, 10:22 AM
HostileJava

Looks good, keep us updated with pics and diagrams :D
10-23-2003, 10:23 AM
ShawnS

:pimp:
very cool.
10-23-2003, 01:29 PM
B16 ED9

what shift knob is that?
10-23-2003, 01:42 PM
Sabz5150

Quote:

Originally posted by Pimp88Accord
what shift knob is that?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6763

It's a replica Type R knob. It's actually a decent piece... all metal, but it attaches via the three hex screws (I hate that!). Found mine at my local Autozone.
10-23-2003, 08:03 PM
Sabz5150

Test with the Autometer gauges. Sorry for the HORRIBLE picture, but without flash this camera sux.
10-23-2003, 08:30 PM
B16 ED9

ok, dude, you need to explain how the hell ya did this

lol
10-23-2003, 08:42 PM
lightbulblxi

niiiiiiice!!!
10-24-2003, 08:57 AM
Sabz5150

Here's the finished control box and the board that everything will connect to. The three trimmers on the board are for adjusting the brightness of the LED's individual colors so that one doesn't drown out the other colors.

I need to get a translucent tube to act as a diffuser in the instrument cluster, more or less looking and acting like a neon, but LED powered. It'll provide a smooth mix of colors just as the plastic piece in the shifter does.
10-24-2003, 01:08 PM
adams86lxi

awesome!:D
10-24-2003, 05:32 PM
zinj

Very original and very cool! Nice work!
10-25-2003, 06:52 AM
HostileJava

I just want to get all this straight. Are you using a device that has 3 diodes in one lens or are you putting 3 small leds together? Are you running phone wire to each cluster of leds from one central point that will control the colors of all the leds in the car? Where are you reducing the voltage? Is it at the leds or do you have a low voltage going to each cluster?

It looks very nice. I think your next step after you get it installed would be to hook up somthing so that you can strobe the LEDS at a given interval or possibley to music. Also consider replacind all your exterior lights with LEDS and hooking up the different colors to different control boxes. You could leave it the stock color for driving and then alter them when you go to shows :D
10-25-2003, 06:56 AM
i.c.

looks cool
10-25-2003, 07:19 AM
Sabz5150

Quote:

Originally posted by HostileJava
I just want to get all this straight. Are you using a device that has 3 diodes in one lens or are you putting 3 small leds together? Are you running phone wire to each cluster of leds from one central point that will control the colors of all the leds in the car? Where are you reducing the voltage? Is it at the leds or do you have a low voltage going to each cluster?

It looks very nice. I think your next step after you get it installed would be to hook up somthing so that you can strobe the LEDS at a given interval or possibley to music. Also consider replacind all your exterior lights with LEDS and hooking up the different colors to different control boxes. You could leave it the stock color for driving and then alter them when you go to shows :D

http://www.superbrightleds.com/gifs/led_rgb_dim.gif

http://www.superbrightleds.com/jpgs/RGBd_on.jpg

One package, 5mm in diameter. I will be using 4 conductor phone wire though the majority of the install to make life easier. The voltage is being reduced via a voltage regulator (see control board above). There are three trimmers for adjusting overall brightness so that the three colors are equally bright. The LEDs will be wired in parallel and each of the three colors will have their own resistor to make sure that they aren't cooked if the trimmers and color control pots are cranked to max. All LEDs will route to the PCB board and the color control box will connect to it as well.
10-25-2003, 12:30 PM
A Dawg Jr

I wish I understood, but that shit is AWESOME!!! You're skilled man, skilled
10-25-2003, 08:53 PM
tozza6

Is it possible to get a circuit diagram? Personally i'd love to get that happening in my car and i'd think many other people would too!!
10-26-2003, 09:41 PM
Sabz5150

Quote:

Originally posted by tozza6
Is it possible to get a circuit diagram? Personally i'd love to get that happening in my car and i'd think many other people would too!!

I'll have schematics and diagrams posted when I finish building 'em. I'm still testing the whole thing and getting the bugs worked out :) Don't want someone frying parts and yelling at me for it.
10-26-2003, 10:28 PM
tozza6

Great stuff Sabz - Cant wait for some schematics - I love tinkering with electronics, particularly leds, lights etc - THis project has so much potential - Great work!!
10-27-2003, 07:00 AM
HostileJava

Quote:

Originally posted by tozza6
Great stuff Sabz - Cant wait for some schematics - I love tinkering with electronics, particularly leds, lights etc - THis project has so much potential - Great work!!

It sure does have "Potential". Sorry I couldn't resist. :lol
10-29-2003, 08:56 PM
Sabz5150

Ladies and gentlemen... this is how I will cycle the LEDs through colors automatically.

How it works.

It's a three bit binary counter, counting from zero to seven and restarting. it uses a 555 timer IC to produce a counting pulse (which I can use a potentiometer to adjust the speed) with the pulses being fed to two JK flip-flop circuits. Basically a counter that will count like this:

0: Off Off Off
1: On Off Off
2: Off On Off
3: On On Off
4: Off Off On
5: On Off On
6: Off On On
7: On On On

With each bit being a seperate color, this will switch the LEDs through each possible full color mix. Adding a capacitor in series with each LED will make it fade out instead of just turning off, giving more color patterns.

Hostile, you know what's going on right? :)
10-30-2003, 01:16 AM
B16 ED9

lol, this is where i say..................i'm confused, i'm not that experienced in wiring and shit
10-30-2003, 02:44 AM
Elijah

When you get all the bug's worked out you should sell the setup.I'am confused.
10-30-2003, 04:45 AM
HostileJava

Hmm, that circuit looks like somthing I built for Basic Digital Electonics. We only used red leds and the whole thing was on a bread board, but it was the same basic Idea. I was thinking about using that Capacitor Idea for when I replace my outside lights with LEDS. I think it would be cool to have my lights fade off instead of just turn off when I turn the car off. That looks good though. I can't wait to see it in action. I think it would be cool if you had a way to swith between that circuit and just controlling each color with a pot. So that you could cylce through them automagically or set them to a color that fits your moment.

Edit: Come to think about it. Almost 75% of our projects revolved around a 555 timer and Green and Red LED's
10-30-2003, 06:47 AM
Sabz5150

Quote:

Originally posted by HostileJava
I think it would be cool if you had a way to swith between that circuit and just controlling each color with a pot. So that you could cylce through them automagically or set them to a color that fits your moment.

And that is exactly what I plan to do :)
10-30-2003, 07:00 AM
HostileJava

How do you plan on doing that without using alot of switches? I have a few ideas but you must have been thinking about this for a while and I'm interested to see what you've come up with. Also, why does your source say it's a 6v battery? You're going to have to change those resitor values if that circuit is meant to run on 6v's.
10-30-2003, 07:20 AM
Sabz5150

Quote:

Originally posted by HostileJava
How do you plan on doing that without using alot of switches? I have a few ideas but you must have been thinking about this for a while and I'm interested to see what you've come up with. Also, why does your source say it's a 6v battery? You're going to have to change those resitor values if that circuit is meant to run on 6v's.

The whole thing is kept at 5 volts by that voltage regulator. The 555 won't have a problem with this, and I don't think the flip-flops will have any issues either. As for the resistor values I will be replacing one of the 10K's with another potentiometer (Yup, lotsa potential) so I can adjust the timer's speed.

I'm thinking that I can simply use a SPDT switch to either feed power to the potentiometer setup or the timer circuit. I'm still working on that part (Need to pull out my Mouser catalog and start ordering... the Shack doesn't sell those flip-flops) so I will most likely find a solution as I go. However I think this will work.
10-30-2003, 09:38 AM
qh187

I like how this project is going. I actually understand those circuit diagrams too. haha

What are you planning on lighting with these leds? I was planning on doing something similar to this but I've been constantly distracted. With focused leds won't you get dark/bright spots if they're used for backlighting?
10-30-2003, 10:29 AM
Sabz5150

Quote:

Originally posted by qh187
I like how this project is going. I actually understand those circuit diagrams too. haha

What are you planning on lighting with these leds? I was planning on doing something similar to this but I've been constantly distracted. With focused leds won't you get dark/bright spots if they're used for backlighting?

My instrument cluster, shift knob and aftermarket gauges. Maybe more, but that's it for now. The gauges and knob will mix the light nicely, but the cluster I'm still questionable about. I'm probably going to head over to a plactics shop nearby and get a piece of plastic tube (solid cylinder, translucent) about six inches long. This should diffuse the light and allow it to blend and it'll look a bit like a neon tube.
10-30-2003, 10:46 AM
HostileJava

I was thinking you were just gonna use one circuit, but breaking it up into two circuits makes more sense. What voltage regulator are you talking about? I don't see one in the circuit, am I missing somthing?
10-30-2003, 12:12 PM
Sabz5150

Quote:

Originally posted by HostileJava
I was thinking you were just gonna use one circuit, but breaking it up into two circuits makes more sense. What voltage regulator are you talking about? I don't see one in the circuit, am I missing somthing?

The regulator is in the first circuit. I'll use it to power both circuits safely.
11-04-2003, 12:08 PM
Sabz5150

Finished the first circuit and tested it. Works great! Next step is to work on the different goodies like the automagic color cycler circuit and other little ideas I have in mind. The whole deal will be 100% modular, so the circuits will add on with absolutely no problems.

Here's a shot of the finished color dial and circuit.
11-05-2003, 08:02 AM
Sabz5150

Small update...

The instrument cluster is harder to light up than I thought, and the translucent LEDs are too damn dim to light the thing properly. :mad: So I'm thinking of using a small LED bar using clear tricolors, I can light it up like Vegas.

Also here is the box where all the magic happens. This is what power, the dials and the wires for the LEDs connect to. Yep, that's a cooling fan, makes sure that the voltage regulator and all the other components stay comfy. Looks cool too ;)
11-05-2003, 08:18 AM
qh187

hey could you post up a picture of the instrument cluster without the black faces? I wanted to see the locations of the bulbs.
11-08-2003, 08:29 PM
easyryder

Wayyy Kool Ya gonna sell em?
11-08-2003, 08:34 PM
zero.counter

Looks...different.
11-08-2003, 08:37 PM
3G Jester

holy shit that is so awsome. please tell me how to do this, parts need, and everything. i want to hook this up to something different im installing in my AV6...but the stuff is the same idea :D
11-09-2003, 12:02 AM
87accordHB

i got that shit knob..but how did u get it to change colors and what not...mine is blue
04-30-2004, 06:32 AM
L3G10N

where's the final pic of the cluster?
04-30-2004, 07:11 AM
shane_lxi

I don't get it? All this science and wiring tech to make a rave in your car? I respect the work you are putting into this, and will admit any day that you are much smarter then I am, but I don't see what's so cool about having neon lights all up in your car...
05-02-2004, 12:29 AM
Sabz5150

Quote:

Originally Posted by shane_lxi

I don't get it? All this science and wiring tech to make a rave in your car? I respect the work you are putting into this, and will admit any day that you are much smarter then I am, but I don't see what's so cool about having neon lights all up in your car...

Not neons... LEDs. They replace the standard instrument cluster lighting as well as the lighting for the Autometer gauges and my shifter. It's nowhere near as out there or obnoxious as a stack of ill-placed neon tubes. The real beauty of the setup is that I can switch it to white light and you'd never be able to tell there was any modifications done.

Why'd I do it? It's a challenge of my electronics skills and creativity. It's also unique and has yet to be reproduced to the level that I've gotten it. Sure, there are the seven color gauges and lights, but this is literally any color you can dream of.

The project as of now is on hold till I can get more revenue to get the parts I need. Everything's just about ready to go, I just need to get the LEDs and I'm set. Some of the more interesting ideas I'm mulling over are interfacing the warning lights to their respective gauges. If you lose oil pressure, the oil gauge on the dash will flash red. Same with the voltmeter. The fuel pressure gauge will take a bit more, as I need a pressure sensor and more electronics to make that work.
05-02-2004, 01:39 AM
Busted_Blue

[awe] ..... [/awe]

You have some wonderful skills there sabz. Maybe you can do mine next ;)
05-02-2004, 01:55 PM
deadlight

Amazing, I know somebody on SHOforum you may be interested in meeting, he did a complete digital conversion in an 89 SHO. Granted it is a bit different from what you're doing, I'm thinking alot of the same rules may apply. But then again I don't understand one fucking thing that's been said in this thread.
05-02-2004, 02:15 PM
HostileJava

Quote:

Originally Posted by deadlight

Amazing, I know somebody on SHOforum you may be interested in meeting, he did a complete digital conversion in an 89 SHO. Granted it is a bit different from what you're doing, I'm thinking alot of the same rules may apply. But then again I don't understand one fucking thing that's been said in this thread.

That's ok, just keep thugging :rofl:
05-02-2004, 03:35 PM
Morpheus

You sure wouldn't want to forget where your gears are at night.
05-02-2004, 05:38 PM
HostileJava

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morpheus

You sure wouldn't want to forget where your gears are at night.

Dude, what the hell is your problem, it's not your car and that was just plain insulting. I think what he's doing requires alot of knowledge and skills that most people don't posses. Including you I'm guessing since you don't have enough to respect what he's doing.
05-03-2004, 12:36 PM
Morpheus

He can do whatever he wants, I just see no purpose in it.
Why not put that skill and money into something to make the car drive better.
Just my opinion.
05-03-2004, 12:40 PM
BITESIZE

Is that knob especially made for the led's?
05-03-2004, 07:58 PM
Forgar_88

Dude i gotta get me one of those damn things!!!
05-05-2004, 11:22 PM
Sabz5150

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morpheus

You sure wouldn't want to forget where your gears are at night.

IT IS NOT JUST THE SHIFT KNOB. THE DASH CLUSTER AND ALL AFTERMARKET GAUGES WILL DO THE SAME THING. It's a replacement for the dash illumination as a whole.

Not flaming at you, just some of the guys haven't noticed that this project goes beyond the shift knob. That was simply the test to see if I could get such a thing working. Hell, I could out a couple of these things in the H4's and have them do the same thing.
05-06-2004, 07:22 AM
shane_lxi

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sabz5150

Not neons... LEDs. They replace the standard instrument cluster lighting as well as the lighting for the Autometer gauges and my shifter. It's nowhere near as out there or obnoxious as a stack of ill-placed neon tubes. The real beauty of the setup is that I can switch it to white light and you'd never be able to tell there was any modifications done.

Why'd I do it? It's a challenge of my electronics skills and creativity. It's also unique and has yet to be reproduced to the level that I've gotten it. Sure, there are the seven color gauges and lights, but this is literally any color you can dream of.

The project as of now is on hold till I can get more revenue to get the parts I need. Everything's just about ready to go, I just need to get the LEDs and I'm set. Some of the more interesting ideas I'm mulling over are interfacing the warning lights to their respective gauges. If you lose oil pressure, the oil gauge on the dash will flash red. Same with the voltmeter. The fuel pressure gauge will take a bit more, as I need a pressure sensor and more electronics to make that work.

Okay, I was thinking long neon tubes that pulse to your music, and a bright green neon under kit, lol. Okay, so LED lit cluster, and shift knob. SOunds good, you doing anything with the center console (ae: A/C control, stereo face)?
05-06-2004, 07:24 AM
shane_lxi

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morpheus

He can do whatever he wants, I just see no purpose in it.
Why not put that skill and money into something to make the car drive better.
Just my opinion.

It prolly didn't cost taht much. And little projects like these are what hones your skills for being able to do bigger stuff later on.
05-06-2004, 09:48 AM
cvergi01

not to mention that it's the little things that we do to our cars that make them different. How many people have you seen do this? I love it, it's a good project that doesn't take away his car while he is working on it.
06-13-2004, 06:50 PM
carotman

So, what's new on this project?

I was wondering what route can we take for the Radio and Fan control console... those use a white bulb already. It's the buttons that are tinted. Like 4 years ago, I tries to scrape off the green coating. It did work but if you scraped just a little too much, the button would become transparent and look like shit....
06-13-2004, 07:29 PM
Sabz5150

Quote:

Originally Posted by carotman

So, what's new on this project?

I was wondering what route can we take for the Radio and Fan control console... those use a white bulb already. It's the buttons that are tinted. Like 4 years ago, I tries to scrape off the green coating. It did work but if you scraped just a little too much, the button would become transparent and look like shit....

Nothing new now :( still saving up for the massive LED order. I've been thinking about how to do the climate controls. I'll be at the boneyard tomorrow, so I'll be sure to take a look at that.
06-13-2004, 08:15 PM
BlueBead

Nice work man! I'm taking some elex courses in my engineering program, but it's always so much nicer to be doing something real and cool, especially to a car. Keep it up and share when you're done!
Good luck man!
06-16-2004, 12:18 AM
L3G10N

Carot, remember the led job of Jesse James on the CAQ? Do you think it'S almost the same job with our 3rd gen?

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