DC Home Lighting

Added the video for the quarterfinals. Didn't have time for any retakes or significant editing so I'm glad “studio quality” was not a requirement.

GitHub repository with the Eagle schematics and board files is at:

https://github.com/Engimusing/emus_hackadayprize

Wrote the problem statement section which describes the problem I am trying to solve with the project. By switching our homes to DC will save significant energy when used with on-site solar panels.

July-August 2015:

• Completed the layouts of the circuit boards
• Ordered the boards from Oshpark
• Received the boards

Next step - build the boards and start testing

June-July 2015 - Completed schematics for:

• A DC LED light bulb PCB with 6 CREE MX3 LEDs and dimming control
• A control board to connect to four DC LED light bulbs to go in the panel
• A simple 6 LED board
• A control board to connect to four of the simple LED boards with dimming on the control board
• A single channel controller meant to have the simple 6-LED board mounted to it. This will allow for a smaller package than the single board DC LED light bulb

For now we are concentrating on the electrical aspects of the project so we are not concerned yet with the mechanical form factors.

May 2015:

• Came up with the idea to design a system for LED home lighting using DC power directly from solar cells.
• Started designing schematics for the typical home that uses a daisy-chained topology
• Designed a system for a star topology also since this is what my house has