On/Off functin for meanwell HLG style drivers using dimming and arduino

Gromax 3590B

Gromax 3590B

Active Member
Another thought......

It would be great to log powerusage of the lamps. Because the lamps use various power (dimmable), it would be great to see how much KWh/W each lamp uses. I need to implement a watt meter in each lamp and send the data to the control website. The website does the conversion from watt to watthour and makes nice charts.

No i am not going to show how to build a watt meter because as u said,
VegasWinner said:
as in science there are many ways to achieve the same result.
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CannaBruh

CannaBruh

Well-Known Member
If you want efficiency you need to know clock cycle per instruction, you don't get that with higher level languages unless you have all the underlying nuts and bolts already figured out (good complier or write assembly) I'm not preaching to anyone, only stating the obvious.

But since some are already feeling defensive, perhaps spend more time being astute in checking the pin-outs on discrete transistors of sketched circuits before signing off on them as safe and workable. I've already caught one near-catastrophe that had been signed off as good to go.
 
wietefras

wietefras

Well-Known Member
I taught programming at a university and we did teach students to program in assembly, but that was mostly so they would learn the technique and get a better understanding of the working of CPU's and needs for compilers.

In practice developers don't use assembly unless it's something very performance sensitive and repetitive. Logging data from a couple of sensors and switching on a relais here and there is not such an application.

Programming an Arduino (or whatever) in something like C is efficient enough. There really is no need to spend tons of time extra on programming the same thing in assembly. Certainly not for embedded applications like this where 99% of the task is straightforward code anyway. At best we would code some of that remaining 1% in assembly.

Performance of cheap and efficient devices like these also complete negate any need for the use of assembly. We would actually teach students not to waste time on simple optimizations since computers would double in speed every 18 months anyway. Not sure if that rule still applies, but CPU's still get faster quite quickly.

We would however urge students to consider the order of their algorithms. If an order-N algorithm is possible then use that instead of an order N-squared. Especially for large number of items. But then, neither of these apply to data loggers/grow room controllers.
 
Growmau5

Growmau5

Well-Known Member
Just touching back on a topic from the last couple pages. Part of this whole giveaway light build was to demonstrate some techniques that I haven't shown yet. Like the cobs on LDDs for the purpose of 0-100% dimming. I figured it might be interesting for people with small grow cabinets running 50 watts that don't mind running at 86-88% driver efficiency.
I don't know if I would ever do an all LDD cob build due to all the losses over an HLG
If I did, I would certainly use the HEP series Ac/DC
Cheers.
 
licoricetree

licoricetree

Well-Known Member
Growmau5 said:
Just touching back on a topic from the last couple pages. Part of this whole giveaway light build was to demonstrate some techniques that I haven't shown yet. Like the cobs on LDDs for the purpose of 0-100% dimming. I figured it might be interesting for people with small grow cabinets running 50 watts that don't mind running at 86-88% driver efficiency.
I don't know if I would ever do an all LDD cob build due to all the losses over an HLG
If I did, I would certainly use the HEP series Ac/DC
Cheers.
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Watched the new videos and interested in a parts list and info about setting up a storm-x to cobs?
 
V

VegasWinner

Well-Known Member
Growmau5 said:
Just touching back on a topic from the last couple pages. Part of this whole giveaway light build was to demonstrate some techniques that I haven't shown yet. Like the cobs on LDDs for the purpose of 0-100% dimming. I figured it might be interesting for people with small grow cabinets running 50 watts that don't mind running at 86-88% driver efficiency.
I don't know if I would ever do an all LDD cob build due to all the losses over an HLG
If I did, I would certainly use the HEP series Ac/DC
Cheers.
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at half the price a 85% efficiency is doable and cost effective. Like you said if the LDD driver blows just get another for what $5.
 
licoricetree

licoricetree

Well-Known Member
Growmau5 said:
I just googled it for ya. Coralux has some pretty descriptive resources on their website about how to wire & program the storm controllers.

http://coralux.net/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/downloadables/Storm-Controller-Manual.pdf
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TY that help i dont know how i missed the pdf my bad one question i have is that the ldd maxes out at 1000 so no matter what cob i hook it up to it will be driven at 1000ma. I believe i figured it out im adding pic to go over make sure im right on this one.

20170125_123154.jpg
 
wietefras

wietefras

Well-Known Member
VegasWinner said:
at half the price a 85% efficiency is doable and cost effective. Like you said if the LDD driver blows just get another for what $5.
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Half the price of what? The cobbled together array of stuff you presented as a "solution" is more expensive than using HLG drivers.
 
wietefras

wietefras

Well-Known Member
VegasWinner said:
Sharing is caring don't judge much more fun you can use transistors to dim just inverted:o
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Oooooh the signal is inverted ooooooh. So you invert it back in code? Or use two transistors?

50 years experience. Pffffffft. At what we will never know, but electronics it sure isn't.
 
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