Color Q&A

[Jangotat]

Those who know, please share. Those who don't leave intelligent questions.

Starters
1: A 16 position rotary switch coupled with a RGBA LED doesn't actually mix colors it cycles through different combinations of on/off for the for diodes. Think binary 1111=15 + off=16. Has anyone run across a device we could use that actually lets you program different mixes involving multiple diodes. (Like using different amounts of green and blue for different shades). I know of using three separate potentiometers, that's not what I'm talking about unless you found something really nice. All this without rewiring between colors.

2: Would anyone care to compare possibilities of RGB, RGBW, and RGBA systems for us?

Thankyou all, this will be a great thread!!

[pointoforigin]

Crystal Focus allows you to do that by enabling the RGB mode. You run one colour from the main LED out, and you use three of the accent LED pads combined with power extenders to run the other dies. I'm pretty sure that's how it works at least, without re-reading the manual.

Also, look up the Igniter on FX Sabers. It's in development at present, but that was one of the features mentioned.

[Jangotat]

Didn't Obi-Dar do a MR Maul conversion RGBA w/ petit croutons. The ones for Darth Kevin of FX-Sabers. They could color change without turning off, or inserting a kill key.
Could you give us a diagram on how you color changed without a kill key? Thankyou!!!

Help me Obi-Dar you're our only hope!

[pointoforigin]

He colour changed without a kill key by luck lol. He happened to turn it on at red, which meant that the board sensed the voltage of the red diode and then underdrove the green and blue ones. If he had turned it on on green and then changed it to red, he would have risked popping the red diode. If you read the entirety of that thread on FX you'll see everyone jumping up to say so as well.

Have a look here http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...th-FOC-and-PCL I ask many of the same questions.
Also look here http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...-Corbin-driver
and here http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...color-changing

Note in my thread there, Erv' himself states that you should always power off the board by inserting the kill key between colour changes. This not only protects the LED dies, but also the sensor in the PCL.

If you want to change colour on the fly without using the kill key, you would have to NOT USE the LED out of the PCL. You would have to treat the PCL like an economy board, and use a transistor setup to power the LED. This negates the blade effects that the PCL provides.

I THINK there is a way around that, from what I read of one of the Saber Contest sabers. But how exactly the person did it I don't know. It's pretty obvious who the smith is though lol. His was not an RGB setup, it was just a ridiculously powerful LED that the PCL couldn't handle on its own.

[Skottsaber]

Didn't Obi-Dar do a MR Maul conversion RGBA w/ petit croutons. The ones for Darth Kevin of FX-Sabers. They could color change without turning off, or inserting a kill key.
Could you give us a diagram on how you color changed without a kill key? Thankyou!!!

Help me Obi-Dar you're our only hope!

It was Do-Clo. And he doesn't have access to Petit Crouton unlocked for a reason.
NEVER change your LED with the board powered up, let alone the blades on.

Those PC-L's are going to die at some point, if not his LED.

[Jangotat]

Re-pointoforigin

Makototsai?

[pointoforigin]

What about him? His LED string RGB blades run off a custom driver that he developed for that purpose. I'm not sure he's ever used a PC-L.

[Obi-Dar Ke-Gnomie]

Yeah sorry, that wasn't me. I did a color changer, but it used the driver from a color changing flashlight. It was kind of cool for about five minutes, but unfortunately, it wasn't very bright.

[Greevar]

Yeah sorry, that wasn't me. I did a color changer, but it used the driver from a color changing flashlight. It was kind of cool for about five minutes, but unfortunately, it wasn't very bright.

The technique or the LED?