Comments on: Computer controlled multiple light dimmer

By: lightchief

lightchief — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:33:12 +0000

Hey, I’ve found this post some days before. Thank you very much for your post! The pcdimmer program seems to be a very interesting thing. I’ve tested the new version with some of my scanners and movingheads and it is working great.

You have more options than with freestyler and christian helped me to setup my hardware.

Its cool to control the lights with the computer!

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 25 May 2006 19:43:28 +0000

Hey, As for DMX control from the PC, I can recomend this Free software http://freestylerdmx.be/

By: SeanTech

SeanTech — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 01:24:12 +0000

The advantages don’t stop at plain cost! Expansibility is another great advantage one of these DIY-systems have. Expansibility in both hardware and software (think protocol: DMX, X10, DIY, etc…) would be cheap and easy as you really know the hardware.

It’s simple and effective; I like it!

By: DJ-Marcuzz

DJ-Marcuzz — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 23:04:27 +0000

“”It looks like an cool project but it is alraidy there (dmx dimmers with dmx mixer of dmx to pc)”

The big advantage to this is COST. This is so much cheaper than professional DMX equipment, and it is easily expandable.”

Yeah, thats why i wanna build one my self im not so handy, so i probbebly buy my self some dmx equipment for my drive in

By: SeBsZ

SeBsZ — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 18:34:54 +0000

“It looks like an cool project but it is alraidy there (dmx dimmers with dmx mixer of dmx to pc)”

The big advantage to this is COST. This is so much cheaper than professional DMX equipment, and it is easily expandable.

SeBsZ

By: shiftclick

shiftclick — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 17:37:56 +0000

…but will it work with ‘The Clapper’?

seriously though, very good. just add a few light sensor deelies and a pair of white gloves and youve got the whole ‘Jean michel jarre’ thing down!

By: DJ-Marcuzz

DJ-Marcuzz — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 16:58:45 +0000

It looks like an cool project but it is alraidy there (dmx dimmers with dmx mixer of dmx to pc)
But still cool stuff, mabe i wanna build one my self if i only could :P

By: Surya

Surya — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 15:05:27 +0000

LOL PCDIMMMER is already dead

By: SeBsZ

SeBsZ — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 08:16:38 +0000

I think you are ALL missing the point here. First of all, you are building this yourself so it will be a LOT LOT cheaper than expensive hardware such as DMX. Fine, if you find something on ebay, go ahead and buy it, that isn’t the point of it. You are talking about a 69 dollar 4-channel dimmer? I don’t even want to know how much a 16-channel dimmer would cost.

Secondly, all you people talking about X10 here, this isn’t about switching a light in my bedroom on or off, this is about creating huge lightshows that are in REAL TIME. X10 is extremely slow, and sometimes the signals aren’t even received and you have to resend them. This controller is instantaneous, you send a signal and immediately the controller will react and fade beautifully or will do anything you ask it to do.

I am sad to hear that a lot of you think about this project in this way. If you think X10 is 10X better, yes maybe in your case when all you want to do is control your living room lights and you don’t want cables running to every light. This is different, and a lot of you didn’t get the point.

#11 pretorious, no. You can change the transformer which will then give you 5V to run the boards on, which is fine. However, the controller uses something called zero-crossing to detect when to fire the optocouplers. In the USA, it is 60hz, in Europe – 50hz. It might work, but you definitely need to get a different firmware made for 50hz. You could ask Christian and he might be able to do it for you. Just go on the forum and ask your question in English, he will answer.

SeBsZ-

By: alex McCown

alex McCown — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 06:37:42 +0000

i will be refoing to yhis guy
Posted Mar 28, 2006, 8:39 PM ET by
you made an intresting point but a simple free mod to these x 10 things can be done with ease it uses a sim ple hbrige for most and relays with the outhers so jest bust in to thows and it will leve this ecperment “sucking C0(ks jest to put food on the table”

By: pretorious

pretorious — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 04:49:10 +0000

other than changing the transformer, think this will run on 120V?

By: mike

mike — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 04:39:57 +0000

X-10, while cheap, is terribly impractical for running anything other than table lamps. Firstly, the steps in some of the dimmers are few and far between, meaning a smooth fade turns into a mess. Also, the protocol doesent like handling data at very high speeds, with most software (i have found) there is no easy way to produce a “chase effect” and the minumum timing is something like 5 seconds between “cues”. I did use IBM’s “Homedirector” software to configure a simple chase but it would cause the machine running it to hang frequently. Lastly, most dimmer modules are not grounded and are rated for a max of 300 watts. (not very much) All in all, this looks like a promising project. While i went the route of #4, I may have to look into this project around X-mas Time. Or if anyone has links to open source X-10 software, i’d be willing to have a look.

By: Arasoi

Arasoi — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 03:36:59 +0000

Missing the point people . This is not about cheap or better it is about making it with your own hands and brain. :)

To which i say nice project and well done.

By: Alex McCown

Alex McCown — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 01:43:01 +0000

ok all you all high go to x10.com they have something 10x better thin this for $20

By: Paragraph

Paragraph — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 01:18:08 +0000

Nice, you could easily make a smaller one, i love the posiblities of this, you could easily tone it down and use it for smaller lamps and make homebrew signs for RSS or real-time CPU montitoring etc.

If i had the money i would definitly build one.