Arduino Lighting Controller Design

 Things to do...

• interface RC light control and RC light RX
• increase power to RF24
• find some switches

Troubleshooting

Steps to improve transmission errors.

• Reduce data rate to 250KBPS.
• CRC length 8.
• increase number of retries
• 100uF capacitors across RF24 board power inputs.

Software libraries

The TX arduino is using JChristensen's button library. TX and RX use the RF24 library.


Button
https://github.com/JChristensen/Button
https://github.com/JChristensen/Button/blob/master/README.md

RF24
https://github.com/nRF24/RF24
http://tmrh20.github.io/RF24/

Wireless tutorial
http://howtomechatronics.com/tutorials/arduino/arduino-wireless-communication-nrf24l01-tutorial/

Serial tutorial
https://iotguider.in/arduino/serial-communication-between-arduino/

Attempt to cast a hard body from a lexan the body shell

The original body Proline '85 Hilux lexan body. I was never 100% satisfied with it so it became destined for sacrifice...

Cast of the body shell in plaster. Literally just filled with plaster. Note that removing the cast destroyed the bed.

Set fenders into the plaster.

Grill template. Plaster was added here to increase the width at the front

 

Once the grill was cut a silicon mold was taken from the plaster. The mold should have been extended further past the edge of the body subsequently its difficult to cast. The silicon mold is supported by a two part fibreglass jacket

First cast in fibre glass with a coat of primer

A polyurethane slush cast (no glass fibre)

The bodies need a lot of finishing and don't have the definition of detail that you'd expect from a commercial hard body but at least I have a few to play with. They are also a bit heavy.

Metalwork

The roof rack and roll bars are made of 6mm brass tube. The bed is made from styrene.

Arduino Lighting Controller notes

Some notes about the lighting controller as I build it...









Using a Sanwa MX-V only seems to offer a HI/LOW aux channel. This will suffice for headlights and the brake and reverse lights can be automated with an Arduino. Control of the directional signal lights and independent control of spotlights will need more channels via the Arduino.


The Sanwa manual includes a brief notes on setting up CH3 high/lo end points;
http://www.racing-cars.com/images/pdf/MX-V_manual.pdf

A search for 'Arduino RC light controller reveals Open source light project. The schematics and code look pretty comprehensive.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1539753-Open-Source-Lights-Arduino-based-RC-Light-Controller

There are other guides for decoding RC receivers with an Arduino.
https://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/348
https://ryanboland.com/blog/reading-rc-receiver-values/

Rather than trying to squeeze more functionality out of the existing channels in an array of street fighter style control sequences why not use an another transmitter. I was looking at using low power RF tranmitter modules but then I noticed the winch controller remotes. Looks like a key fob style IR remote to me. 





There are a plenty of tutorials for turning on/off LEDs with a universal remote.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=firefox-b-ab&dcr=0&ei=MnB5Wp3iLKGVgAaCia74Bg&q=arduino+infrared+remote+LED&oq=arduino+infrared+remote+LED

Hit #1 looks as good as any other... and simpler than the low powered RF tutorials I have looked at.
http://www.electroschematics.com/9522/arduino-control-leds-ir-remote/



On to the prototype....

Arduino Nano clone  £3.28

 


Infrared Remote Control Module Transmitter Receiver Kit £2.40