About this project
The idea was to build a dimmer pack with the following capabilities:- use of phase controlled modulation technology
- 20 dimmable channels with 128 dimm steps for consumer loads up to 200W per channel
- 4 channels for on/off states only
- USB1.1 controlled
- 19 inch rack mountable
- as low-cost as possible
The primary occasion to do all this was because such a device was needed
by "Die Zauberbühne",
a one-man puppet theater.
Due to absence of existing solutions, there was also the need for
writing control software that runs on Linux. The result:
GlowControl, a small GTK+2 based application that could easily be extended to be used with
other hardware like for example DMX-512.
This page describes the project, giving out as much information as I can,
releasing schematics and board layouts
under the terms of Open Content Licence.
Source code for the the microprocessor is released under the
GNU public licence. If you're missing any essential information, feel free to
contact me.
Hoping to inspire anyone out there, enjoy the material.
Warning! Use this information at your own risk! I give absolutely no guarantee at all
about safety and functionality.
There might even be national laws in your country that prohibit you from
plugging in such a device, so please handle with care.