• 6-Channel Reef LED Working-in-Progress

    Li Wei • 04/17/2025 at 15:39 • 0 comments

    I'm so excited to share my latest work: a 65W open-source WiFi-controlled LED aquarium light prototype for reef tanks, powered by my ESP32-C3 based LED controller.

    Beautiful, isn't it?

    Here is the enclosure:

    The white aluminum PCB is the main power board, which includes six sets of LED constant-current driver circuits, a simple current detection circuit, and the LED chips themselves. This part is flexible and can be arranged in any layout. The aluminum PCB design shown in the sample picture hasn’t been open-sourced yet. I’ll open-source it once testing and fixes are complete, I don’t want anyone making the world better before I do :)

    I chose a dual-chip packaged 5W model. The current prototype has a constant-current drive set to 1.2A per channel, with an actual power output of up to 64W. For the next iteration, I plan to reduce the current a bit to better extend the LED lifespan. 

    The number and wavelengths of the LEDs are as follows:

    • 1 x red, 620-630nm
    • 1 x green, 520~530nm
    • 1 x purple, 410~420nm
    • 3 x cold white 10000k
    • 3 x royal blue 440nm~450nm
    • 1 x UV 390nm
    • 3 × blue, 465nm~475nm

    I use LED chips from a Chinese manufacturer, which I’ve been buying from for years for DIY projects. I have DIY creations that have been running stably for over 5 years.

    I use the most advanced common-anode constant-current driver to avoid the thermal runaway and burnout issues that most hobbyists face with constant-voltage drivers. Combined with a fuse, software-controlled temperature fan, and real-time current detection, I can confidently say this is one of the most advanced and safest in the world.

    The acrylic panel for this light hasn’t arrived yet. Once it does, I’ll upload more pictures of the product’s appearance.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

  • Buce LED PWM controller fan driver load test

    Li Wei • 03/13/2025 at 07:39 • 0 comments

    So today, I conducted a long-duration (over two hours) fan driver circuit load test for my Buce module.

    This is a load test of the fan driver circuit continuously outputting 100mA of current. As seen, the inductor heated up to 59.1°C (with an ambient temperature of 21°C and a supply voltage of 30V).

    This is a load test of the fan driver circuit continuously outputting 400mA of current. As seen, the inductor heated up to 81.9°C.

    Finally, with a 500mA load current test, the inductor heated up to 87.4°C.

    Even though the test results show that the Buce module's circuit pretty much meets the specs, it's interesting that the heat source isn't the tiny SOT-23-6 Buck regulator you'd expect, but the inductor. 

    You might think 87°C is bad for the circuit, but for a fan driver, it rarely runs at full power for long. Even if the circuit can handle it, your ears probably can't stand the fan noise. 

    Of course, there's still room for improvement in heat dissipation, so the next version will have a better PCB layout for better cooling and use a better inductor without changing the size.

  • Working on the carrier/driver board for my LED controller

    Li Wei • 02/28/2025 at 04:33 • 0 comments

    I just sent the design of the carrier/driver board to the PCB fab.

  • Just designed a 6-channel version

    Li Wei • 02/02/2025 at 03:17 • 0 comments

    You want a moon light channel? Now you got it. 

    As usual, all design source files are in github.com/oldrev/borneo