Double Rainbow RGB LED strip controller for Ardweeny

ONCE upon a time, there was a little event called the "Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show", and the fine costume designers (Angela Dale of Fabricadabra) at the show walked into Solarbotics and said "We need RGB strip lights, and they must blink, and be small, and run multiple strips - can you help us?"

So the geeks at Solarbotics went into a huddle, discussed options, ate a cookie, and came back and said "Why yes, we think we have a solution for you". And amongst the cookie crumbs and whiteboard diagrams, the "Double Rainbow" RGB LED strip light controller was created!

Features

• Drives two RGB strips, up to 5A constant current
• Ardweeny backpack (Ardweeny not included)
• Common-Anode RGB strip compatible (Vcc, plus RGB lines)
• IRFZ44E FETs Derated to ~20A@5Vgs (1 for each of the Ardweeny PWM lines)
• Accommodates 0.1" pin headers (included) and 0.137" screw-terminal header (optional)
• 5A-rated power switch (use bypass wiring to utilize a larger current capacity)
• GVS-style (Gnd/Vcc/Signal) breakout headers for remaining I/O
• Interrupt header for remote switch for light program pausing/disabling
• BLINKM-compatible I2C header
• 4pin Serial header for serial compatible accessories
• Through-hole solder-it-yourself kit
• Open-Source Hardware Compliant - see the schematics & design documents for yourself under the documentation tab!

Our RGB strips are rated to draw 3.25A per 5 meter reel at 12VDC (producing FULL white) and we designed this board to be able to run 2 (60 LEDs/meter) 5 meter reels. Due a bit of a voltage drop on the MOSFETs the overall current draw is less than the normal 6.5A so you can easily drive 5 meters (~10') per side. If you’d like to run 2 reels constantly at full white (or run longer strips) we’d suggest to bypass the power switch & try not to snuggle up to the FETs! The PCB temperature can reach ~52°C (in a room of 22°C ambient) so it also will get a little warm, not too hot but great for night-time costumes! We also carry this power supply that may help you on your way to creating your own bright and colorful double rainbow.

Please Note: Arduino-compatible Ardweeny module is not included but available here!