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I don't know, it could be the complete and soul chilling silence that management's giving a few of my projects. That can add a whole lot of time.
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Meh.
For QA, you book everything before you receive the spec as "exploratory spikes", and reduce the "spec based" dev time by the amount the spec comes later on the ground of "synergies with previous development".
For billing, you can also squeeze the pre-spec hours into the post-spec interval.
The you start to whip out some code the night before deadline anyway.
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Stop your bitching, we are about to put an app into production and they have not finalised the policy the app is designed to support. Expect some changes indeed.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
RAH
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So, something seasonable. As you do this time of year, I'm sorting out the Christmas lights and I find a string of 100 LEDs with a broken transformer/controller. I wonder if I can rig a new controller with customisable flash patterns etc. using something like an Arduino or Raspberry Pi. The old set-up ran at 24V / 2500 mA, and a cursory glance shows the controllers might not be up to the job directly.
Yes, the cost of such a project will be far more than the cost of a new set of lights (11 NZD!), but what the heck.
Anyone have any experience with said kit? Or other suggestions?
Cheers
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This might give you a few ideas: http://arduinodiy.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/using-mosfets-with-ttl-levels/[^]
Using MOSFETs means you provide a "normal" TTL signal, and the mosfet switches on/off the higher voltage/current circuit. They're pretty cheap (but it's gonna cost more than the lights did!  ) - remember to look for 24V & 2.5A switching, and check the heat dissipation - it should be trivial, but you may need a chunk of ally as a heatsink.
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It also depends on how the LEDs are wired up. You may only get to flash the entire string at once, not individually address each LED.
But, it's a start anyway. Good Luck!
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The string has three wires (guessing L, L N) and the original controller had modes like:
1. Combination / 2. In Waves / 3. Sequential / 4. SLO-GLO / 5. Chasing/Flashing / 6. Slow Fade / 7. Twinkle/Flashing / 8. Steady On
I think half the LEDs will be in parallel on one L, the other half in parallel on the other L with a shared N.
It's times like this I wish I had a Labpack like we used to use in physics class...
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You can get an integrated circuit chip that you toss an integer into and it activates x amount of outputs (depending on the binary representation of the integer). I dont recall the part number though. I think you can get them with up to 64 outputs so you'd have to use two of them.
If you're interested I can get the part number of the ones we use.
However, like Dave said, I'd imagine that the LED's are wired in parallel and not individually addressable.
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Be careful! That is probably a TTL level driver, so it isn't going to be too happy with 24V on it's outputs!
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Good point. You're exactly right. The 24V part slipped my mind. We use 5V LED's so I guess, in my mind, I associated "LED" with "5V". Could set up a bank of switching circuits but that may be a lot of trouble for Christmas lights.
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A relay board [^] can be activated using a Arduino, RaPi or any other type processor.
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Clickity[^]
---------------------------------
Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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yup, love it 
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"Contents of zodiacal list overlooking bear."(8)
Good luck
---------------------------------
Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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Callisto - was transformed into a bear
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We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP
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For the last couple of days, my ring has been itching and there's an awful rash. It has got so bad I've had to change finger.
speramus in juniperus
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Why don't you just listen to the Wizard and give this ring to a hobbit who will destroy it for you?
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Oh no! At times of stress I'm always playing with my ring.
speramus in juniperus
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Nagy Vilmos wrote: I'm always playing with my ring.
Probably why it itches then?
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More likely because I never take it off.
speramus in juniperus
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really ! What's Gin for then ?
Thanks,
Milind
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You have to quit the curry.
Politicians are always realistically manoeuvering for the next election. They are obsolete as fundamental problem-solvers.
Buckminster Fuller
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