Ambient Lighting
 

Ok, I started this project because I'm easily bored and like to learn new things.
Project: Add Ambient lighting to my wife's GT/CS
Ford MyColor kit $271
20 Led strip and controller kit. $60 Wire and connectors say $40.

I'm posting this in the development stage because, as it is embarrassing to have someone point out something you've done wrong, it dose make for a better end product.

Here's what I have so far:
U Channel and Carpet Trim plate 4337478212 From Home Depot.
The U channel LED's are for the rear foot wells and arm rest box.
Controller Kit and LED string, From:
http://www.pcboard.ca/kits/led_rainb...view_small.jpg

http://www.eastcoaststangs.com/phpBB...ile.php?id=284http://www.eastcoaststangs.com/phpBB...ile.php?id=285http://www.eastcoaststangs.com/phpBB...ile.php?id=286http://www.eastcoaststangs.com/phpBB...ile.php?id=287http://www.eastcoaststangs.com/phpBB...ile.php?id=288http://www.eastcoaststangs.com/phpBB...ile.php?id=292http://www.eastcoaststangs.com/phpBB...ile.php?id=290http://www.eastcoaststangs.com/phpBB...ile.php?id=291

:nice: Good job for the DIY project.

The Rainbow controller is not very useful in it's "as bought" configuration. It's auto fades and blinks but it doesn't do what we need it to do. I has access to a PIC programmer and intend to write my own control program. Here's what I'm thinking.
The 7 MyColor Colors.
1) One button click to change color. Hold to dim. When you hold it the LED will dim to a minimum brightness then start to brighten to 100% when you let go it will hold.
2) When a door is opened LED's 100% white. When door closed fade to selected color or off.
I have zero experience programming PIC's so the above may take awhile, buts thats the fun of it.

These controllers will also work for LED sill plates. The wife's car is named OZMA after the princess of OZ. So when you open the door the sill plate will fade up to ruby red flash red and white then fade bright to dim emerald green....
That's of course if it doesn't look like crap when I'm done... Some times things that look good in my head.... really uhmmmm... not so much...

cool info, keep us posted. I drove an Acura tsx this weekend, ambient lights come down from overhead console , i installed mine in the foot wells and center console , but after seeing theirs shine down in the cool blue , i started thinking i could better.keep us posted.

The sill plates came today they are common negative and the controller is common positive.
Begin head scratching....

Edit:
End Head scratching .....
http://www.bagotronix.com/polarity_converter.pdf
Thank you, Ivan Baggett

Bug wired one up and it works!
(Bug wiring: No circuit board, just solder the components together. When you're done it looks like a bug)

http://eastcoaststangs.com//Images/BugWire.jpg

Oh that's sweet. You should sell kits to make it easy for us simple minded folk. :)

Well the sill plates are a distraction while I wait for some connectors to arrive for the LED strips.

Quicktime video of the sill plate LED's:
http://eastcoaststangs.com//phpBB2/Videos/OZMA.m4v

As far a kits once I'm done with the mod and programing. I'll see if the guy at pcboard will let me upload the code and he can sell the PIC with the program already on it, but it won't drive sill plates unless you build your own Polarity Converter......

How does the Ford Ambient lighting work? Is it 7 colors or can you fade to anything you want? How are the colors set?

http://eastcoaststangs.com//Images/BreadBoard.jpghttp://eastcoaststangs.com//Images/Boardback.jpghttp://eastcoaststangs.com//Images/SillPlates.jpg
http://eastcoaststangs.com//phpBB2/Videos/OZMA.m4v

I made a modification to my dome lamps where I installed blue LED's by drilling an extra small hole in the actual dome lamp reflectors and pushing the LED's through so they shine through the lenses like the regular dome lamps. I even modified the dome lamp switch wiring so that when I open the door or unlock it, the dome lamps shine the blue LED's. If I press the maplight buttons, the dome lamps light up exclusively white only when I need them to see read.

Now the only thing I wish I could do is find LED strips and single LED's that light up in that new icy blue-green like the 2010+ models do. I was able to mix My Color to that icy blue-green and I like the break from the regular blue.

Well the Sill Plates are done. When you open the door they run through a programed sequence of colors.
Rainbow kit. 17
20' 24AWG 4 Solid Conductor Intercom Wire 7.69
Polarity Converter ~ 6.00 <-- Custom build no PCB board.
+ Custom sill plates.
I added some DB 9 connectors I had on hand.
Controller lives in the right hand foot well passenger side wire length 3' 3" Driver side 10'.

I'll try to get the topic back on track now, but I'm still waiting for UPS to show up. My package has been "Out for Delivery" for two days.......

As far a overhead lights I can drive LEDs up there but I don't think I'd like driving around at night with an overhead light on..

I have mine wired so they only come on with the dome lights when I unlock or open the door. I have them wired in such a way that when I press the overhead buttons the white map lights come on for reading while the blue LED's extinguish. I would not like overhead lighting at night either. Anyway, I like having the interior bathed in the blue LED lighting from overhead when I open or unlock the door. The chrome reflectors and the diffused lens already in the map light housing do an amazing job of spreading the directional blue LED light. They of course time out and extinguish as normal during the locking function or turning the key to start. The regular white light is on demand if I need it.

Oh I see, That sounds nice... I'll give it a look.
What I've been doing is hooking one of the LED sets up to a 9v battery and moving it around to see if I like it. Supper easy to test ideas that way....

We actually have these Kits that are ready to install. We have the kits that stay at one color or we have 7 color LED set ups. We also have LED strips that have controllers attached. The LED strips actually have a faded mode that goes through all the colors. I can post a video of how it works. but if you are intrested in getting an interior kit either PM me or check out the link to find out more info.

http://www.hidguy.net/index.php?main...roducts_id=280

I'm planning something similar for my lighted sill plates. I bought my controller from here:
http://bigclive.com/knob.htm

Has a knob for setting the color and switching modes. I'll do a write-up once I've got it all done.

I saw that controller too. It looks like it has the same PIC chip "12F683" being a control freak I bought the one with the source code provided so I could hack it.
It looks like the your controller is common positive. My sill plates were common negative so I had to build that converter circuit, you might have to do the same.

I bought common cathode 4 pin RGB LEDs off eBay... I've wired it up for testing, all works OK.

I have all the wiring done and hardware installed. Threw in inside the arm rest box for good measure. Front and rear foot wells, cup holder, Arm rest box. I'm forever taking parts on and off so I have lots of connectors. You could do it as one run and save the cost of the connectors. I'll post pics of the install.

Next is the software and PIC programming of how I want the system to behave.
This is my first attempt at PIC controllers so we'll see......

hmmm.. Well this mod is in and done, and I'm very happy with it...BUT
I would not do it this way again. I used the controller I did because the manufacture said he would burn custom chips at time of sale if anyone wanted to do this... hummm not happening.
If you are looking to do something like this i would suggest looking in the ardunio micro controller and RGB pixel lights.