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gnat
12-19-2007, 11:17 AM
A couple of years ago I wanted to make automated christmas lights obviously controlled by my pc, and well... I did it.

SO... I set out playing with my parallel port and some LEDs.

http://168.9.26.28/lights/board1.jpg


I found some software on some christmas lights websites that was kinda buggy but it would let you turn channels of your parallel port on and off. I also later found a winamp pluggin that allowed automatic i/o based on what I would call equalizer thresh holds. You set the level at which the bass will turn this port on or off etc. It was pretty cool but much more blinky looking and not such a solid light. So it took days to get the layout with the other software instead for each song.

Short example no sound: DSCF0006.AVI (http://168.9.26.28/DSCF0006.AVI) 2.6mb

Short of AC/DC w/sound: DSCN1576.MOV (http://168.9.26.28/lights/DSCN1576.MOV) 10mb

Moving onward;

The first relays are added and they will in turn run to the stronger relays which can run off of 9-12v and switch 120v on and off.

overall schematic;
http://168.9.26.28/lights/board3.jpg

in progress;
http://168.9.26.28/lights/board2.jpg

http://168.9.26.28/lights/board.jpg

My friend gets on board and catches up to me quickly after seeing my board play lights. He had two boards of 4 channels.
http://168.9.26.28/lights/DSCN1574.JPG

His case in the end;
http://168.9.26.28/lights/DSCN1567.JPG

my case in the end;
http://168.9.26.28/lights/DSCN1580.JPG

http://168.9.26.28/lights/DSCN1581.JPG

Here is a video I made early on and I added more lights all the way across the house as well as a tree in the front yard which made this much better in the end but never got another video of it.

Jingle Bell rock w/sound: jbrock_2.MOV (http://168.9.26.28/lights/jbrock_2.MOV) 12.9mb

Hope you enjoy it and sorry I'm not very good at taking in progress images and keeping a good log of things. I know this is not a case mod so if it needs to be moved by all means, please move it mods :)
calumc
12-19-2007, 04:47 PM
I'll bet the neighbours love it!!!! :p
gnat
12-19-2007, 08:17 PM
Lol I bet they had no idea what was going on. Kinds siprised this didn't get a little more attention given the season.

:)
SgtM
12-19-2007, 09:06 PM
I can't see any of the pictures. Someone please tell me it's just me. (currently at work)
Computer-Geek
12-20-2007, 02:09 PM
I can see them ! This is pretty cool :)
gnat
12-21-2007, 12:35 AM
I can see them at home now, I can rehost if need be but I've tested them all as I posted them to start with. :/
SgtM
12-21-2007, 02:15 AM
It's probably just my firewall here at work. I looked at the link, and the pics are pointing to an IP address instead of a regular domain name, and we proxy that out. No big deal. I'll check this out at home tomorrow.
Needsleep
12-21-2007, 06:18 AM
good stuff!

next year? (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=y2cXrS0Xysw)

i'm a "bah humbug" kinda guy myself but appreciate the skill/effort that goes into this kinda thing
gnat
12-21-2007, 11:34 AM
It's probably just my firewall here at work. I looked at the link, and the pics are pointing to an IP address instead of a regular domain name, and we proxy that out. No big deal. I'll check this out at home tomorrow.

yeah alot of proxies block uncategorized sites, especially those with an IP address. Hope you kike them when you catch a glimpse!
gnat
12-21-2007, 11:45 AM
good stuff!

next year? (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=y2cXrS0Xysw)

i'm a "bah humbug" kinda guy myself but appreciate the skill/effort that goes into this kinda thing

Well I didn't even use it this year. My friend had a relay go out on his so I let him use mine and at the same time he fixed his so he's running 16 channels instead of 8 this year. I need to run by there and see what he's got going on. The first year we both used a RF modulator from radio shack that actually sent the music out to a specific radio channel. Mine didn't work that great so I had speakers outside as well but his worked amazingly well. You could just park in front of the house and tune in to hear the music in your car along with the light display. It was very cool last time I heard his. They're meant for running in the car for ipods or cd changers but for some reason his worked great. I think it had something to do with the fact that his modulator was outside of the second story window. The distance was about the same so I can only blame it on the height.

Anyways thanks for the appreciation.
SgtM
12-21-2007, 05:49 PM
yeah alot of proxies block uncategorized sites, especially those with an IP address. Hope you kike them when you catch a glimpse!

Yeah, I could have modified the proxy if I wanted to, but I would have had to submit a change and give a reason. erm.. "I wanted to see this dude's Christmas lights". Corp security wouldn't like that too much. Anyway, my thoughts on the project.. VERY COOL! I would love to do something like that one year. How much did the setup cost you? Yeah, it's not a computer mod, but it is a mod nonetheless, and it's computer controlled. No need to move it anywhere. +rep man.
Drum Thumper
12-21-2007, 08:46 PM
And they say there's no use for parallel ports anymore!

Is there anything you cannot do lol?
gnat
12-21-2007, 10:37 PM
Yeah, I could have modified the proxy if I wanted to, but I would have had to submit a change and give a reason. erm.. "I wanted to see this dude's Christmas lights". Corp security wouldn't like that too much. Anyway, my thoughts on the project.. VERY COOL! I would love to do something like that one year. How much did the setup cost you? Yeah, it's not a computer mod, but it is a mod nonetheless, and it's computer controlled. No need to move it anywhere. +rep man.


Ummm I reached the 100$ mark pretty quick but I didn't really go over much, mind you the lights and the many extension cords were a notable factor in the overall cost. I could probably build the entire thing again for about 60-70$ minus accessories.
gnat
12-21-2007, 11:07 PM
And they say there's no use for parallel ports anymore!

Is there anything you cannot do lol?


Yah that's the funny part, the parallel port is great! It all really started with me seeing an orchrestrated christmas light video and thinking to muself "I bet I could do that".

So while bored at work I cut up a parallel cable and started hitting it with my voltmeter to see what I could get straight out of the back of a PC. I was amazed that I could get 5v(I believe it was 5-its been a while) from each wire, and all at the same time. That led me to look for software to control the parallel port without having to write some homebrew software and I found it quite easily since the parallel port has been around for.... I dunno, forever :up: I went to radio shack at lunch and bought a bunch of LEDs to see if it could turn them on and off and after that i was on my way!

You can buy kits that have a ton more channels and very nice software to coordinate your lights with music but I didn't have the money and they were pretty much sold out anyway. It was just the wrong time of year. I have enough trouble mustering up the energy to hook up 8 sets of lights much less something like 24.

Anyways, I'm tend to be pretty modest but I really haven't run into a ton of things I can't do or at least figure out. :redface: The decision is everything! Without that I just end up with a TON of partial projects, and believe me I do have a TON of them. I'm not great at everything I do but I can be good alot of things. ;)

If I ever get the chance I'll post the tablet drawings I've done of cars... drawing is actually my forte. :D

Thanks for the appreciation guys!