Hello, I am looking for a solution to use the FastLED library on high

Michael_Schneider · October 3, 2018, 5:04pm

Hello,
I am looking for a solution to use the FastLED library on high power RGB LEDs. The LED I found will consume up to 10 Watts if all three colors are on. The LED comes with a common anode and three kathodes, one for each RGB color. I can tinker a basic PWM driver for the three colors but then I think I am still far away to connect to the FastLED lib. Maybe there is already a solution for that and I could not find it (or did not use the right words). Anyone with a good idea?

fa25514ad7a4d6321c2d · October 3, 2018, 5:11pm

try to look to this side:

I think - it is best solution in your case ) May be in is not so simple, but if you realize you project with many leds - you will be most bright FastLEDs user )) LOL

Michael_Schneider · October 3, 2018, 5:18pm

@fa25514ad7a4d6321c2d Thanks for this, great Link. I need only three of them so I doubt to be the brightest

fa25514ad7a4d6321c2d · October 3, 2018, 5:25pm

Make Bright, Not War! ))
Hope, you will make it well and show for us ) Thanks!

Daniel_Garcia · October 3, 2018, 5:55pm

There’s also this in the examples for using FastLED while driving analog leds directly - https://github.com/FastLED/FastLED/blob/master/examples/AnalogOutput/AnalogOutput.ino

marmil · October 3, 2018, 6:56pm

There is a simple example of using FastLED to control “analog” LEDs here:

github.com

FastLED/FastLED/blob/master/examples/AnalogOutput/AnalogOutput.ino

#include <FastLED.h>

// Example showing how to use FastLED color functions
// even when you're NOT using a "pixel-addressible" smart LED strip.
//
// This example is designed to control an "analog" RGB LED strip
// (or a single RGB LED) being driven by Arduino PWM output pins.
// So this code never calls FastLED.addLEDs() or FastLED.show().
//
// This example illustrates one way you can use just the portions 
// of FastLED that you need.  In this case, this code uses just the
// fast HSV color conversion code.
// 
// In this example, the RGB values are output on three separate
// 'analog' PWM pins, one for red, one for green, and one for blue.
 
#define REDPIN   5
#define GREENPIN 6
#define BLUEPIN  3

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Hopefully you can use this with the PWM driver you setup.

[Edit: Oops, I was a bit slow in getting my reply posted. Daniel already post it above.]

Juergen_Bruegl · October 4, 2018, 7:14am

With common Anode (+) the example might work in ‘reverse’: 0 is full brightness and 255 is off.
For some recommendations on the driving circuit side I should know what µC you are using (3.3V or 5V?) Are you using 3 dedicated PWM pins for each LED or do you consider to drive the LEDs in parallel. How many LEDs?