Practical PIC Projects

 

 

 Serial Controlled
RGB LED PWM Driver
12F6xx based PWM
controller for  RGB LEDs

 


Description

If you want to build your own multiple RGB LED display that you can control from either a PC or a dedicated controller then this project will let you do just that.

The project on this page came about when while I was developing a more complex intelligent driver. During that work I put together a simple Red/Green/Blue Pulse Width Modulation LED driver that has a serial interface.  The RGB values to control the LED brightness are sent to the PWM driver over this serial interface.  

With both the original and revised versions of the RGB PWM driver there was one big shortcoming when you want to have several drivers working together.  Even when they're running the same sequence, the small differences in the frequency of the internal RC oscillator cause some to run the sequence slightly faster, others slower.  The result, well sometimes it's quite effective, but mostly it just looks awful.

With the controller / driver presented here it is possible to connect multiple drivers to the same serial cable, all attached units then appear to operate synchronously since they're all receiving the same control data.  The PCB for the RGB PWM Driver has been designed so that it can be used with both the serial control firmware on this page, or the standalone firmware here

The serial data can be sent from the serial COM port of a PC or using a small dedicated controller that I've put together. The Controller code is based on the standalone RGB driver code described elsewhere on this website.  The controller uses the same format for the sequence data as the standalone RGB driver so any SequenceData.inc files you have for the standalone driver can be used with the Serial RGB Controller.

The pictures below show an RGB Driver placed inside a 6" opal glass light fitting.  I bought this from a DIY store for £4.99 (see here).  When the LED driver is fitted in the base it illuminates the whole globe.  Because most 5mm LEDs have quite a narrow viewing angle you tend to got 'hot spots' in the top but overall it's very effective and makes for great mood lighting.   (In case it isn't obvious you do not connect the light fitting to the mains electricity supply when used with the RGB Driver!!!)

 

Also check this mood light by Pete Rus which is based on the Standalone PIC controller
http://www.instructables.com/id/E5A6O59KDPEUSZO1BK/?ALLSTEPS


How it works

Back to the RGB LED Driver.  Depending on which firmware you program into the PIC this PCB and hardware can operate as either a serial controlled driver or a stand-alone driver (see here). 

Version Firmware  
PC Controlled ssrgbdrv.zip
Serial RGB Controller ssrgbdrv.zip
Stand Alone RGB Code rgbsa_inet.zip

Serial Data Format

Serial Data is sent to the RGB PWM Driver using a standard 2400bps asynchronous serial data stream (like you get from the COM port of a PC).  The serial frame format is 1 start bit, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit.   RS232 devices, including the PC COM port, always generate a start bit so when you look at the serial port parameters in Windows you won't see it as an option.  Use 8N1 for the COM port settings.

 The RGB values for the PWM driver are sent in a five frame packet.

  • The first frame must always contain the value 0x81 (129 decimal)
  • The next three frames contain the 8-bit Red, Green and Blue data for the PWM driver. 
  • The last frame is the checksum.  It should contain the 2's compliment of the sum of the previous four frames, modulo 256. 
    The code snippet below shows the checksum computation in PIC assembler.

movlw     0x81
addfw     RedPWM, W
addfw     GreenPWM, W
addfw     BluePWM, W
sublw     0x00
movwf    
chksum

The Serial RGB Controller will take care of all this for you. However, if you write an application to generate the data from a PC the application itself will need to take care of this.

Controlling from a PC

During development of the Driver I put together a couple of short Perl scripts for testing purposes. The first one takes user entered RGB values and sends them through the PC serial port to the driver.  The second one sends a continuous stream of RGB data to the driver that generates a 'wave' effect.  (Both scripts are hard coded to use COM1)

At this point I need to make it clear I am not supporting the Perl scripts.  The ability to send data to the Driver from a PC is a bonus.  If you don't know Perl or have no previous programming experience you will probably be unable to make use of them.
PLEASE DO NOT e-mail me asking for help with these scripts
I don't like having to say that, but PIC programming I do for fun; Perl I do not. 

The scripts are written for ActivePerl and require the module Win32::SerialPort. 

Some Perl resources - if you want to learn Perl.

If you write some code for the PC to control the driver boards and you're prepared to share it, let me know and I'll be happy to link to it from here.


Addressable version of the Serial controlled RGB PWM driver  (added January 2011)

IMPORTANT: Please be absolutely clear about this: it's available, it's free, it does work and has been tested but I will not support it, modify it, or help you implement any application with it. Please don't email me asking for any support - really.

The project on this webpage is a based on code I wrote for an addressable RGB controller, it's just a cut down version.  At the time I wrote it I didn't have any supporting software to send data to the addressable modules, for that reason I didn't make the addressable code available.  I still don't have any code other than that I used for my own application.  I actually went on to develop the the Serial Addressable RGB PWM LED/Servo Driver which was much better, if a bit more complex.

However over the last four years I've been contacted by email on many occasions asking for an addressable version of this project and I've let people have the code I'm now making available here on request.

The packet format is described in detail in the PDF file download: Packet format

The source code for the addressable version of the Serial controlled RGB PWM driver can be download from here


Operation

There are two parts to this project.
  • Serial RGB Controller

Sends RGB data to the drivers over a serial interface.

  • Serial RGB LED PWM Driver

Drives RGB LEDs using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) at an intensity controlled by the most recent serial data packet received by the driver.

The data can be provided by the Serial RGB Controller or from the COM port (RS232 interface) of a PC.

 

Serial RGB Controller

  • When the Serial RGB Controller is first powered on after programming, it should start running the first RGB sequence found. If you're using the original sequences supplied with the code it will run a sequence of red-fade out, green-fade out, blue-fade out repeatedly.
     
  • Press the SW1 sequence select switch to step through all available sequences. When the last sequence has been reached it will go back to the first available sequence.  Each time the SW1 switch is pressed the RGB LED PWM values are set back to 0 (LEDs off)
     
  • About 10 seconds after the SW1 sequence switch is last pressed the currently selected sequence number is saved to non-volatile EEPROM memory.  When the Serial Controller is next powered on, the saved sequence number is read back and will automatically start running.

Serial RGB LED PWM Driver

  • Operation of the Driver is very straightforward.  You send it correctly formatted and checksum'd packets through its serial interface.  It will then drive the RGB LEDs with those values until it receives another packet.
     
  • If you're driving it from a PC, avoid sending a continuous stream of packets back-to-back when the RGB values have not changed; it serves no useful purpose and causes the LED's to vary slightly in brightness due to the demands on the software in processing the serial data stream. 
     
  • After power-up the LED's are turned off and will remain off until it receives valid RGB data over the serial interface

Code, Construction & PCBs

Serial RGB Controller Serial RGB LED PWM Driver

Note: These photo's show the original PCB layout under construction.  I've since done a second revision to the PCB which is provided in the files above.

Starting with the bare PCB

Install the smallest components first.
Then install the switch and IC socket.
Finally install the terminal block and the MOSFET.

 

 

The PCB can be used with both the Stand-alone firmware and the Serial Controlled Driver firmware. 

  • If you build the serial controlled version (described on this page) you can omit switch SW1 as shown in the picture below left.

  • If you build the stand-alone version you can omit Q1, R1 & R2 as shown in the picture above right.
  • The Red Green & Blue LED's are not specified because I expect you will source these yourself depending on what you want / have / can afford etc.  Therefore you will also need to calculate the correct series current limiting resistor required to use with the specific LEDs used.
    LED Resistor calculator
     
  • Jumper J1 is not used on the Serial RGB LED PWM Driver - leave it open.
     
  • Capacitor C3 is specified as optional. I've never used it and I've never had any issues.  If you check the datasheet for the 78L05 it is recommended if the power supply is more then 75mm (3") from the regulator so I've made provision for it on the PCB.
     
  • Construction tip:
    When you solder the LED's to the PCB, only solder one lead of each LED.  Once all the LED's are fitted, you can move the LEDs around to get them all neatly aligned.  Once you have them aligned, solder the remaining lead on each LED.  If you try moving them once both leads are soldered you risk ripping the copper off the PCB.
 
 ESD and MOSFETs 

 Please read this


If you've constructed electronic circuits before and got away without using good ESD (anti-static)practice, then be warned, you won't now.  Both the controller and driver use MOSFETs.  When you're constructing the circuit you MUST use ESD  precautions during unpacking, handling, assembly and soldering otherwise I pretty much guarantee you will destroy one or more of the MOSFETS.  If you're not using an ESD Soldering Iron make sure you ground the tip before soldering each MOSFET.

The maximum gate voltage on the 2N7000 and MOSFETs in general is typically +/- 20volts, exceed this in use, or through ESD and it will fail.  A short document on ESD and MOSFETs can be found here

I'd also recommend that you buy a few extra 2N7000's, they're not expensive and if you destroy one and you've got a spare it won't ruin your day.


Firmware and PICs

The firmware for both the controller and driver will run on the following PICs. You will need to assemble the code to produce the correct HEX file for the processor you are using. 

  • 12F629
  • 12F675
  • 12F683

The Serial RGB Controller code is made up of a single .ASM file named rgbsync_ctrl.asm and several .INC files.  All these files should be placed in a single directory and the rgbsync_ctrl.asm file loaded into MPLAB and then assembled to generate the programmer ready .HEX file.  The SequenceData.inc file contains the RGB, Fade and Hold data for the sequences.  You will probably want to edit this file, put your own sequence data in it, then reassemble rgbsync_ctrl.asm to include your own sequence data.

Because the serial bit rate is generated using the PICs internal RC oscillator it is imperative that for PIC12F629 and 675 chips, the OSCCAL value located at the top of program memory is correct and present.    If you accidentally erase the OSCCAL value use this circuit and code to recover it.


Troubleshooting

On the Serial RGB Controller , TP1 outputs the bit rate clock which should be a nominal 2.4Khz. If you have a 'scope or frequency meter to hand you can verify this. 

On the Serial RGB Controller the signal on GPIO4 (pin 3) of the PIC should idle at 5V and swing between 0v and 5v when transmitting data.

If the signal on GPIO4 (pin 3) is correct then before connecting the Controller TxD output to the Driver RxD input, check the signal at the drain of the MOSFET Q1 ( TxD connector) on the Controller to make sure the signal there is going between 0v and 11.4V. 

If the TxD output is okay, connect the Controller to the Driver and then check the signal on the RxD input of the Driver to make sure the signal is present.

On the Serial RGB Driver, check that there is serial data being received on GPIO5 (pin 2) of the PIC (using an Oscilloscope).  This signal should idle at logic 1 (5volts) and swing between 0v and 5v when data is being received.

If this is not the case for either the Controller or the Driver, and particularly if the signal is present but not swinging between 0v and 5v, you've probably got a failed MOSFET.

All the 'faults'  I've had during development have been down to failed MOSFETs,


Connecting Up

The following diagrams illustrate, schematically how to connect the controller and drivers together.

  • Serial RGB Controller and drivers using a common PSU (PDF)
  • Serial RGB Controller and drivers using individual PSUs (PDF)
  • Connecting drivers to a PC serial COM interface (PDF)

The serial interface on the controller and driver boards is deliberately simple by design. It is adequate for connecting multiple drivers over a short distance.  You need to decide whether the basic serial interface circuit is adequate for you particular application, and if necessary modify the serial interface circuit to meet your specific requirements.   If you're going to connect a number of drivers over an extended distance to the serial interface of a PC or the Serial RGB Controller  I'd suggest looking at a solution based on the RS-485 standard.  Driver IC's such as the ST485CN are cheap enough and would be a a good basis to start from.


Power Supplies

The controller and drivers need a regulated 12Volt DC Power Supply. Do not use unregulated DC supplies - these only deliver the rated output voltage under full load.  You could see as much as 17V at the output of an unregulated 12V supply under partial load. This will damage the LEDs.

A PSU like the one under part number  85-2902 from Rapid Online - Rapid Electronics Ltd. is ideal and should run the controller and up to ten RGB LED PWM drivers, depending the specific LEDs used of course.

 


Format of the Sequence Data

The data used by the Serial RGB Controller for the RGB sequences is held in the file 'sequenceData.inc'  You can edit this file to add, remove or change the data provided.  You must ensure that it follows the format described.  In particular pay attention to the 'end of sequence' and 'end of all data' markers and also ensure that each line of sequence data contains five comma separated entries. (see screen dump below)

In the screen dump above note the 'end_of_sequence' markers circled in red and the 'end_of_all_data' marker circled in purple.

You must have at least one sequence present up to a maximum of 256 individual sequences, although you're likely to run out of available memory on the PIC before you reach this limit.

  1. Each line of data starts with a 'dt' (data table) assembler directive.

  2. All data is specified using decimal values.

  3. Each data value must be separated by a comma

  4. The sequence data on each line has five fields:

    1. Fade Rate: speed the colours fade from the current values to the new values. Each step occurs at an interval of 5ms x Fade Rate.

      • Fade Rate value of 0 indicates the RGB values will be updated immediately without fading.

      • Fade Rate value must not be set to 255 except to indicate end of sequence. (see e. below)
         

    2. Hold Time: after fade completes, delay before moving to next line of data. Interval is 50mS x Hold Time

      • Hold Time value of 255 following a Fade Rate of 255 indicates end_of_all_sequence data.
         

    3. Red, Green and Blue PWM values. 0 = 0% (LED off) through to  255 = 100% (LED fully on)

      Typically changes in LED brightness are more noticeable between 0 and 128 than from 128 to 255.
       

  5. End of the current sequence data is indicated by the Fade Rate field being set to '255'.  When the application encounters this it restarts the sequence from the beginning.

  6. At the end of all available sequence data both the Fade Rate and Hold Time fields must be set to '255'

After editing sequenceData.inc the file should be saved and the rgbsync_ctrl.asm reassembled. The resulting rgbsync_ctrl.hex file can them be programmed into the PIC.


Note about Fading

In the previous versions of the code when the LEDs faded from one colour to another all three LEDs faded at the same rate, as in fig 2.  Neither method is right or wrong, but the behaviour of the fade in fig 1. is generally how you'd expect it to work.   Making the controller behave like fig 2. is easy to code, making it behave as in fig 1. needed a bit more thought :-)  Anyway, I've given it some thought and rewritten the code to work as in fig 1.

fig 1.

fig 2.

 


Saving the Internal Oscillator calibration instruction.

For details on the internal oscillator calibration word, download the Microchip datasheet for the 12F629 / 675 and read section 9.2 and in particular sub-section 9.2.5.1

This only applies to the 12F629 & 12F675.  The 12F683 uses a different method for calibration

See my tip to make sure you will never lose the OSCCAL setting

If you have erased the OSCCAL setting, use this circuit and code to recover it


FAQ:

  • Oscillator Calibration Instruction
    I've had a number of enquiries from people who can't get the code to work and it has transpired that they / their programmer has erased the OSCAL value. Without the calibration RETLW instruction the code crashes so you must ensure that it is present or the code will not run.


  • How can I recalibrate the internal oscillator on a 12F629 or 12F675?

    I've written an application that will enable you to recalibrate a 12F6xx PIC
    See details and download code here


  • Editing, adding changing the RGB sequence data.

    All the sequence data is now held in the sequenceData.inc file so it is really easy to add your own sequences.  The application works out how many sequences are present, where they start and finish and takes care of page boundary crossing. All you have to do is put the correctly formatted data into the file, save it then reassemble.

    Please take your time when editing the sequenceData.inc file since errors are likely to cause the RGB Driver to do unexpected things or crash.

    If you see an 'Warning [220]' error during assembly like that shown below, you've added more sequence data than the PIC has available memory.


    Clean: Deleting intermediary and output files.
    Clean: Done.
    Executing: "C:\Program Files\Microchip\MPASM Suite\MPAsmWin.exe" /q /p12F675 "rgbsync_ctrl.asm" /l"rgbsync_ctrl.lst" /e"rgbsync-ctrl.err"
    Warning[220] C:\CODE\RGBSA-INET.ASM 158 : Address exceeds maximum range for this processor.


    If you see an Error [112] message during assembly check for missing comma separators in the sequenceData.inc file

    Clean: Deleting intermediary and output files.
    Clean: Done.
    Executing: "C:\Program Files\Microchip\MPASM Suite\MPAsmWin.exe" /q /p12F675 "rgbsync_ctrl.asm" /l"rgbsync_ctrl.lst" /e"rgbsync_ctrl.err"
    Error[112] C:\CODE\SEQUENCEDATA.INC 56 : Missing operator


  • Errors caused by limitations of MPASM

    While MPLAB IDE is a Windows application, the MPASM assembler has its roots in the DOS era and this can cause a number of peculiar errors when you come to 'quickbuild' the source code.


    Error[173] .... Source file path exceeds 62 characters

    Windows is happy with a long file path but MPASM doesn't like anything over 62 characters so MPLAB IDE will let you create, edit and save to a path like this but MPASM won't assemble the file.
    C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\SOMEUSER\PICPROJECTS\ALONGDIRECTORYPATH\SSRGBCTL\RGBSYNC_CTRL.ASM

    Error[151] ..... : Operand contains unresolvable labels or is too complex

    This strange error is caused by the '.' in
    PIC.CODE in the file path shown below:

    C:\PIC.CODE\SSRGBCTL\RGBSYNC_INT.INC

    Take the '.' out like this "C:\PICCODE\SSRGBCTL\RGBSYNC_INT.INC" and the code will assemble just fine.


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