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Thread: 3Ft LED Lights Project

  1. #1
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    3Ft LED Lights Project

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    Folks, here's my build thread for my 3ft Braceless Tank to complement the "ADA-styled" DIY cabinet I made earlier.

    As is my practice, much work was put into reading up from others' experiences. In particular, "Reef Central" forum (DIY subforum) provided the main source of information specifically on the technical details. There seems to be a lot more work/experiments done in the Marine space than in the Freshwater/planted tank side, so a secondary purpose of this thread is to solicit inputs/comments from those who have experiences in this area! Do contribute!

    Without going into too much details around the "whys" of component selection & design, I'll share what I did and address specific points (around the whys) when it arises. Here goes:

    Design: The target was to build a similar light to my 3xT5HO (3x39W) light. Minimising costs is a secondary objective (I can always build a super-duper all bells and whistles light if this was not a factor! ) .


    - LEDs : the main "stars" of my build: CREE Xlamps.
    I started planning with XR-Es Q5 bin (max drive current @1000mA, 107lm@350mA) 6500k "Cool whites" and made the initial orders for 36 of these. Unfortunately, my order was (automatically) cancelled by the source 1.5mths later when they informed me these are out of stock! Wasted all that time! . Thankfully, I found another comparable source, and they offered the XP-Gs (R5) at just a slightly higher price! (max 1.5A, 139lm@350mA). Figured with the higher lumens output, I'll need less LEDs and finally settled on just 21pcs (see rationale later).

    - Power Supply: I wanted a more 'stable' supply given the high cost of the LEDs and decided upfront a Constant Current source is necessary. So there are a number of subparts to this:
    1. Constant Current LED Driver. A number of ways to do this, COTS (commercial off-the-shelves) drivers like buckpucks (see the other AQ posts for their builds), 'custom build' LED drivers, or DIY. I went DIY. Read through the MONSTER threads at RC on DIY LED builds. Specifically for the LED Driver, I followed Forumer "DMZM's" DIY LED Driver design here (be adviced - there are >1,700 posts and still counting!). To be fair, the details around this Driver itself warrants a separate thread, so I'll try to be concise and crisp.
    Power Supply to the current driver. Went with 24V design, and originally spec-ed 6.5A supply. Ordered via ebay and got my product, only to have it "burnt out" at the 1st thunderstorm/lighting!! Replaced with another Meanwell but at 2.1A.
    Power source for "PWM" dimmable control (5V) and Fans. The LED Driver had an option for "dimmer control" via a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal, and a "bias" control, so I needed another input for this. Details later.

    - HeatSinks and Fans/cooling: Went with simple "C" channel Aluminium bars and Comupter fans as I won't be running it max current and hence heat should not be a problem. (fingers crossed).

    - Housing for entire structure. (to be suspended "ADA style").

    .. to be continued ..

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    LEDs and Constand Current Driver:
    Was attempting to explain the entire thought process behind my selection of LEDs, quantities, Driver search etc etc, and it came out looking more like a thesis!!! - SO, I'm going to spare you the gory details and just jump into the build.

    LEDs:
    CREE XR-Es: Initially Ordered 36 CoolWhites (Q5 bin), with the intention to run it at 700mA (170lms). As mentioned earlier, the order was cancelled due to supply issues but I manage to source a better product - XP-G R5s, which at 700mA would provide >250lm! I can now use less LEDs since this product is much brighter (ended with 21 in final build) and save some $s, which was nice.
    Here's what they look like (reference to Sg 20cts - note the really small die!):


    Figured I need 60deg Optics as I intended to suspend them above the braceless tank, here's a snap for the family album.


    DIY Constant Current Driver:
    This took the longest time to decide as I wasn't prepared to pay for the COTS drivers. I found the ReefCentral DIY Driver build thread and settled with the Onsemi CAT4101 design. Here's the Application Circuit straight off the data sheet - very neat, simple and low component count design!


    The RC thread even had PCB schematics and fab files to make them, so it was really a breeze to get these done. Here is the Bill-of-Materials for a single PCB with 3 such drivers. (more details about these drivers in the circuitry portion)


    Took the plunge and ordered all the components. It came very quickly and here they are, all out ready for assembly!


    Was very rusty initially, but got the hang of it after some practice. The SMT parts weren't as bad as I thought- just needed a steady hand and the good 'ol solderwick for mistakes! Here are 2 PCBs ready for action (3 + 2 driver circuits):


    Decided I only needed 1 PCB (3 drivers @700mA) for 21 LEDs (7 each string).

    Fwd Voltage @700mA = ~3.3V
    Max number of LEDs per string with 24V (input voltage) = 24V / 3.3V = 7 LEDs.

    So I can string up in multiples of 7 instead of 6 with XR-Es (which partly explains how I started with 36 initially..). Was toying bet 28 and 21 LEDs, decided to go with the lower just to see how it works. I can always add the strings later (given the high cost of LEDs).

    Heatsinks and LED Mounting:
    Took a gamble and figured the LEDs would not require too much cooling (heatsinks/fan) since I'm running it only at 700mA (max is 1.5A) , and used 1.75" "C Channel" aluminium bars for the heatsink+mounting. My tank is only 45cm wide, so I planned for 3 rows with 8 LEDs on the front on back rows leaving 5 LEDs for the centre row. Rationale was to get the LEDs closer to the 2 ends/sides (with 8 in a row) and directly on top of the fore+backgrounds to cover my HC and Red-leaved plants (Arcuatas, Indicas) respectively. Here's how the wiring will be:


    I wasn't going to use a Chiller for my tank, and wanted to mount the cooling fans on the same fixture as the light. It worked out well that the Fans also helped to secure the LED mountings as well as (potentially?) provide some airflow around the fixture to cool the LEDs if needed.(fingers crossed)

    This is what I did:


    I didn't want to permanently secure the LEDs onto the heatsink in case I needed to make changes, so I drilled holes to secure with M3 nuts+bolts with plastic washers just to make sure the bolt is not in contact with the LED pads.
    Don't forget the Thermal paste!

    The LEDs didn't come with pre-thinned pads on the star PCBs, and the solder didn't adhere to it quite so well. Coupled with the thermal paste/heatsinking, the soldering of the LEDs was a tad more difficult and the finish not quite as nice. Sorry no pictures - "paiseh" (Singlish for embarassed ). Here's the finished product (from far) heh heh.


    Next up, the complete wiring for the test firing!...
    Last edited by neverwalkalone; 7th Jul 2011 at 12:41.

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    woot nice~ keep the photos and journal coming in~
    CRS - CRazy about Shrimps
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    You can't explain it simply, you don't understand it (well enough )..." - Albert Einstein

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    hi, nice project bro... if it work,i bet it will..can i ask you do for me i pay hahha... by the way good luck bro

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    Thanks for the comments guys.

    @rascal - eh... the light has already been completed and "in service" for a while now - just only finding the time now to post this!
    You can fast fwd to take a peek at my ADA cabinet thread for a peek at the full shot (lights, tank + cabinet).

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    Electricals:

    Components:
    - 1 x Rocker Switch (240V AC mains)
    - 24V 6.5A Regulated Power Supply (this was purchased off ebay, but "blew up" within the 1st hour of testing/use during a lightning/thunderstorm. . Replaced it subsequently with a Meanwell (better brand) but only at 2.2A
    - 12V 1A AC/DC adaptor. 12Vs for the 2xComputer fans (@350mA) and input to 5V regulator
    - 3 x CAT4101 circuits (with current set at 700mA) on single PCB
    - DIY LM7805 5V regulator - 5Vs for the CAT4101 "bias" Vin signal and for the time being - as "PWM" (dimmer) signal.

    This is how it is wired up:


    With everything wired, and checked for shorts - all clear - TEST RUN !

    Ouch - that's bright! Success!

    Now for the housing - I wanted a simple clean look and toyed with using either Acrylic or Sheet Metal for the enclosure. Both required quite a bit more work on top of being slightly more costly (especially the acrylic). Had a "brain wave" moment and figured I can use similar "C Channel" Aluminium bars bent into a rectangle and it should work! Found 3" ones and after bending, it looks like this:


    Placing the LEDs and mounting below, the power circuitry sits on top of it, supported on an aluminium perforated sheet for airflow. It looks like this:


    Let's see if it still works:
    YES!
    Last edited by neverwalkalone; 9th Jul 2011 at 00:48.

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    well done, very nice craftsmanship bro!

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    Nice job neverwalkalone. After your DIY cabinet build, this light set is awesome. Do give us a cost breakdown on how much it took you to make this from scratch.
    Fish.. Simply Irresistable
    Back to Killies... slowly.

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    haha.. i just seen your sent up!!! loving it!!! hmm how much in total you spend?? im interested to used led lights for my 4ft tank..

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    I guess the interest on the cost of this DIY is always foremost on the minds of all keen in making their own! Will round up all the receipts and list the damage...

    Just to finish up the project: (pardon the larger images - some are pix from the internet (standard parts) and I didn't resize them.

    Enclosure suspension:
    I used "Eye-bolts" like these at 4 ends of the enclosure to hold the stainless steel cables suspension.


    Originally bought these curtain hangers (Model "DEKA") from IKEA to suspend the lights:

    But the steel cable was too thick to cut without the proper tools; settled for "7x7" (7 finer wires twisted into a single strand) as advised by brother Adrian (blue33) who helped me with many of my queries. I like the DEKA wall fittings and used those together with these crimps (from the Fishing supplies store) to hold/secure the wires.

    Here's the final product suspended above the tank (dry start used for HCs )


    I didn't take the time to figure out how to take good pictures with my camera to capture the lights with and without Optics, hopefully you can see the difference in these 2 pictures - the "spillage" outside the tank/on the ground without lenses is definitely larger without lenses; light suspected ~7inches above the tank.
    .

    This photo is taken with the 60deg Optics fitted, the camera compensating for the higher light intensity so it seems less bright but it is actually brighter. Point to note is that the edges does seem a little "dimmer" than without lenses due to the focusing of the LED beam.


    Next up - costs breakdown, electronic features and improvements considerations.
    Last edited by neverwalkalone; 11th Jul 2011 at 15:14.

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    Oops - just spotted a typo above - "suspected" should be "suspended" - ie "Fixture is suspended ~7inches above tank".

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

    OK, here are the costs breakdown (some from memory as I didn't collect receipts for all purchases)

    Components: (compts from SimLim Tower unless stated)

    - CREE XP-G R5s + 60deg Optics: @U$5.07 + U$1.49 ea (I bought 22 sets - 1 extra in case of damage); total plus shipping (ledgroupbuy.com) = S$219.65
    - Meanwell 24V P.S. 2.2A = S$35 (not counting the burnt 6A Power Supply from eBay S$33 )
    - 12V 1A Adaptor = $10
    - PCBs for Current Dvr (SEEED Studio: set of min 10PCBs - only used 1 for this light. Plan to use another for my 1.5ft nano): S$30.42 (now I have 9PCBs left over)
    - Components for Current Driver (Element14.com ordered enough for 9 dvrs): Total S$56.09 ~ $6.23 (for 1 dvr)
    - DIY LM7805 circuit ~ $5
    - 70mm Computer Fans 12V 350mA x 2 @$4 = S$8
    - 1.75" "C channel" Aluminium bar (LED Heatsink/Mounting - TeckCheong Alum PteLtd) = S$13 for 20' - only used 8'
    - 3" "C channel" Aluminium bar (Light housing - TeckCheong) = $17.10 for 20' - only used 7'
    - 7x7 (up to 20kg) Steel fishing line (Beach road fishing equipmt shop)= $13 for 20m. Only used 2m
    - Steel Crimps (bag of 100) (do)= $6. Only used 10.
    - Eye bolts 4 x S$2ea (YongSeng Screws) = $8.
    - Stainless Steel bars for hanging light + holders (see post on cabinet) cab - $36
    - MISC: Screws, plastic washers, thermal paste, 20AWG, 13A power cord+plug, 5mm standoffs (secure PCBs to support), perforated aluminium sheet ~ S$30

    Total spent : >S$470!! Wow! Had a feeling that I've overspent, but didn't realise it was so much. Do note that I have many parts/material left over (eg PCBs and components to build 8 more Current drivers), Aluminium bars, screws, steel cables etc etc).

    The complete light fixture probably cost ~S$300 if I remove these "extras", the bulk being the LEDs and Power Supply (duh). Still much higher than a "normal" 3xT5HO light that I replaced, but I have lots of 'headroom'; ie:

    Electronic Features:

    Flexibility of changing the drive current (ie brighter):
    Although the PCB is only meant to include a single (SMT) resistor that sets the drive current (for my case, at 700mA), this can be changed to reach 1A (note the XP-Gs can go up to 1.5A!) This is headroom for me, although I need to be careful about thermal/heat from the LEDs with a higher current given my simple heatsink/mounting design (Note also my need to change the Meanwell 24V 2.2A Supply as well to provide the higher drive current). In my current setup, I suspect the (lack of even) spreading of the light is possibly of a problem for me given the different growth/behaviour of the plants. I encountered severe Algae bloom in the initial stages, and also insane growth for both Blyxa Japonicas and Rotala sp Green/the excessive pearling leads me to think I have more light than previously at the same CO2 levels! Anyway, the point is that this circuit can be easily modified to change this drive current if required.

    PWM Dimmer control:
    The CAT 4101 has a "PWM" input that can reduce (pulse) the output of the LEDs (so it looks dimmer).
    There are obviously many ways to do this; I found some very good threads/posts on this in ReefCentral forums specifically on using:
    an "Arduino" controller.
    This is a very versatile device and can be used to create many different effects of the light. There are even sample programs on RC that covers mimicking 'clouds' and dawn/dusk behaviour!
    Just for the fun of it, I purchased an Arduino UNO controller but have yet to try this out.
    a 555 (or other) Timer controls.
    Any electronics student will be familiar with this, and the circuitry is simple and relatively cheap. The components with a simple (potentiometer-controlled) 555-timer circuit for this purpose cost me ~S$5 .

    Power Efficiency:
    What I like about the CAT4101 design is that it can be made very efficient; ie with the input voltage set to a minimum - just slightly above the total forward voltage of the LED string it is driving, there is minimum heat loss in this device and efficiency can be in the 90%+! I manage to adjust the 24V supply to this level that ensures the CAT4101s are just warm to the touch, resulting in low/little power wastage.

    Enhancements:

    LEDs:
    I am investigating the placement, Optics and intensity of the 21 LEDs and it's effects on the plants. I have come across some recent (Feb2011) LED builds on mixing different Whites - Neutrals and Warm for a larger White spectrum. Will keep an eye on this to see if can/should change mine for better plant growth. Initial response from my plants are still inconclusive - some are growing very fast (as mentioned above), others are not (my petite Nanas are browning! - perhaps too strong light as they are directl below the majority of the LEDs and given these are 'low light' plants.... Need to experiment if the Lights are the critical path or it may be the Fert regime/CO2 etc

    Bells-&-Whistles:
    With the Arduino controller, I can add dawn/dusk dimming functions to improve on the aesthetics. Not sure what the impact on the plants will be, but I guess the Fishes will enjoy that! ha ha ha!

    I hope my sharing will encourage more of you to experiment and also share your experiences!
    Last edited by neverwalkalone; 11th Jul 2011 at 23:37.

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    Quote Originally Posted by rascal View Post
    haha.. i just seen your sent up!!! loving it!!! hmm how much in total you spend?? im interested to used led lights for my 4ft tank..
    Brother rascal - you may want to consider the pros and cons of using LEDs for your 4ft tank - if it's primarily for Shrimps, it may not be worthwhile to wire/use these LEDs (3W CREEs) given the high costs. My interest is to use these for planted tanks, hence the intensity, "whiteness" (colour temp) and placement/use of Optics (PAR impact) are considerations. If it's just LEDs (light) for Shrimps, it may be easier just to get those LED tubes (T8 or now even in T5s?) for lighting purposes.

    This is IMHO only. Be happy to discuss this...

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    cool project, where did you fabricate small quantity of your PCB from?
    -Robert
    Aquascaping is a marriage between Art and Farming
    My Blog: http://aquatic-art.blogspot.com/

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    Thanks Robert.

    For the PCBs, I used SEEEDStudio. They basically cater to the Hobbyists (esp for Arduino community) selling all kinds of controllers and parts. They have changed their webpage since I last ordered, and I noticed that it's even cheaper now to fabricate the PCB prototypes - half of what I paid!

    On the left frame - select "Services" and choose "Fusion PCB Service" on the options displayed. You get to choose the size/complexity (eg number of layers etc etc) of the PCB you want. Min quantity is 10PCBs. They accept the gerber files in "Eagle" format, which is great. Just noticed they have also launched their "Propagate" service, for PCB fab and assembly even - if you want/need higher quantities as well as assembly services.

    Let me know if you need assistance with them. I have had a great customer experience with them - fast and efficient service, not to mention "cheap" for what I needed!

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    is there a planted journal for this set-up ?

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    eh... yes, was planning to start a thread on the tank.. hope to get round to it very soon.

    I was trying to determine if it was actually the LED lighting that was affecting the plants (growth). Had to conduct a few experiements to confirm this and not the Fert-dosing and/or CO2 affecting the plants.

    Will share some of it (hopefully) soon. Thanks for the support!

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    Quote Originally Posted by neverwalkalone View Post
    Brother rascal - you may want to consider the pros and cons of using LEDs for your 4ft tank - if it's primarily for Shrimps, it may not be worthwhile to wire/use these LEDs (3W CREEs) given the high costs. My interest is to use these for planted tanks, hence the intensity, "whiteness" (colour temp) and placement/use of Optics (PAR impact) are considerations. If it's just LEDs (light) for Shrimps, it may be easier just to get those LED tubes (T8 or now even in T5s?) for lighting purposes.

    This is IMHO only. Be happy to discuss this...
    HMM, ok, thanks.. but i want to used LED because its save electric cost and yours look awesome man!! hahha.. but for shrimp, i willing to spent on it:

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    Wah.... Now you're really an expert in DIY liao. Must learn from you.

    MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! TIME TO LAY BACK AND RELAX!
    A Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step

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    Re: 3Ft LED Lights Project

    Quote Originally Posted by rascal View Post
    HMM, ok, thanks.. but i want to used LED because its save electric cost and yours look awesome man!! hahha.. but for shrimp, i willing to spent on it:
    Thanks brother Rascal - yes - i do agree that power savings is a strong plus point - not just on the operation of the lights, but also in minimal heat transfer to the tank; so if you're running a chiller (you probably will for CRS), it will have some impact. Unfortunately, the high cost of the LEDs is still preventing this from becoming 'mainstream'; although the prices have declined steadily/perfomance have gone up. Over the long run, I think it may prove to be more efficient; assuming it will last >5yrs (or even ~10yrs) - no bulb/tube changes, lower/little heat transfer to the tank water etc etc.

    Quote Originally Posted by blue33
    Wah.... Now you're really an expert in DIY liao. Must learn from you.
    You're too kind Adrian - I have much to learn from you the master shifu of DIY!

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