Since the
Hydra project is essentially a do-it-all reef controller with lots of functionality onboard AND lots of expandability, it seems like there's a gap in the DIY LED/controller communities. Many people want to JUST control LEDs. Maybe one or two other simple processes, but mostly control LEDs. Currently it seems that there's no simple way to do this for people who aren't super-experienced in the electronics hobby. IMHO there shouldn't be this type of knowledge requirement to do this sort of thing.
Right now, these people have the following choices:
1) Build totally from scratch. Seems overwhelming for most people.
2) Follow the Hydra or another purpose-designed reef controller. This is usually overkill if you just want LED control, AND too complicated.
3) Get an off the shelf Arduino (Duemilanove or compatible), add some minimal other functions (LCD, RTC, etc.). This is more expensive than it should be and a bit of a waste of capacity. I've walked a few people through this and it makes me cringe that they're spending $20 on an RTC from sparkfun, and $30 on a Duemilanove, and $20 on an LCD, etc. You should be able to build the entire thing (parts cost) for the price of a Duemilanove!
So, I set out to design a purpose-built LED controller, based on the Arduino platform. It's an all-in-one package. You won't need anything else, in most cases. It will control most (all?) popular LED drivers, including buckpucks and Meanwell ELNs (both types.)
Right now, the design is finished and PCBs and parts are ordered for the prototypes. The PCBs are on the slow boat from China so it'll be a month or more before I have a working prototype, but once I do, my intent is to use a very small subset of the software we put together for the Hydra, such that people can just upload it and go - no need to even LOOK at the code. Basic LED functions (when they come on, go off, fading, etc) will be controllable through a few buttons and a small LCD.
The hardware includes:
1) An ATMega processor (you could use the 168 or 328, the requirements are minimal).
2) basic "Arduino" hardware (crystal, caps, etc.)
3) Onboard 16x2 LCD
4) 4 buttons for input/configuration
5) an RTC so it keeps the time
6) onboard 5v and 10v sources
7) convenient pin headers for connecting different types of drivers (5v or 10v)
8) FTDI header for reprogramming (which shouldn't be required for regular use)
9) an I2C header, because it's a convenient way to expand functionality if people want to go crazy
Other people have done similar projects, and I say this with complete respect for those efforts, but they all strike me as too complicated, too expensive, etc. From the perspective of just controlling LEDs, I'd even make that judgement of our own efforts here on the Hydra project. Meanwhile, this device is JUST meant to be a simple, easy to assemble and easy to use PWM controller for LED drivers.
Stay tuned!