An Overview Of The RGB LED Controller
While RGB LEDs require a lot of extra overhead to get unique colors to output, they offer us as designers an extremely unique ability to display any color that we want through a single LED. This is a powerful capability, especially since we've only had single color LEDs for so long, it's about time LEDs got this cool new modification. The control of the LEDs was not significantly difficult, but it does demand enough additional processor instructions that we must be careful while designing to use them.
What To Do Now
RGB LEDs really are just cool. A few novel practical uses, but overall these RGB LED's are purely for fun. Many people have used them in the popular POV Clocks, and they look awesome. Other uses are for adding to enviornmental lighting. The dynamic changes available through the RGB LED means they can go well with TV's to add some dynamic enviornmental lighting.
Conclusion
This article's stated goals were reached and so everything here was successful. The RGB LED controller worked like a dream, but like anything there is so much room for improvement it's crazy. If you got through this article and have the project working, try controlling two of these RGB LED's at the same time, or how about 5? You'll see that the challenge gets harder and harder with more of these complex but cool LEDs.
If you have any further questions, I implore you...don't be shy, take a look at the forums or ask a question there. I check them out regularly and love getting comments & questions.
While RGB LEDs require a lot of extra overhead to get unique colors to output, they offer us as designers an extremely unique ability to display any color that we want through a single LED. This is a powerful capability, especially since we've only had single color LEDs for so long, it's about time LEDs got this cool new modification. The control of the LEDs was not significantly difficult, but it does demand enough additional processor instructions that we must be careful while designing to use them.
What To Do Now
RGB LEDs really are just cool. A few novel practical uses, but overall these RGB LED's are purely for fun. Many people have used them in the popular POV Clocks, and they look awesome. Other uses are for adding to enviornmental lighting. The dynamic changes available through the RGB LED means they can go well with TV's to add some dynamic enviornmental lighting.
Conclusion
This article's stated goals were reached and so everything here was successful. The RGB LED controller worked like a dream, but like anything there is so much room for improvement it's crazy. If you got through this article and have the project working, try controlling two of these RGB LED's at the same time, or how about 5? You'll see that the challenge gets harder and harder with more of these complex but cool LEDs.
If you have any further questions, I implore you...don't be shy, take a look at the forums or ask a question there. I check them out regularly and love getting comments & questions.