puddle lighting?

Hi everyone my first post obviously been following this forum for a while and need a little help with a circuit project design.

i have 4 puddle lamps underneath my car that i want to come on with my interior light at unlock but when you open a door they all turn of expect for the doors that are open and when you get in and shut the door they don't all come back on even know the interior light has a delay and fade but if no doors are opened they all just fade out with the interior light does.(there all still powered from that circuit).

i have -ve door switches

i have thought about just four relays to individually switch the lights and maybe a latching relay from the dome light which gets unlatched when a door is open but if no door is opened then it would stay latched infinatley until a door is opened to counter act that i thought of a time delay relay in series to unlatch it in the event no door is opened.

hope someone can help.

Car is 2010 ford ranger australian version

use your domelight wire as your input to a relay that turns on all your puddle lamps as long as domelight is on they will be on.

Yeah I thought of that but it won't fade out I noone opens a door and how will I incorporate the other features I want

So you want each switch individually controlling each light.

Then each light to fade out independently?
If so, I'm still looking for an old fader based on a 2N3055 transistor.... Not sure if that may require diode to be inserted, but I expect not.

I only want them to fade out if no door I opened since for that portion of the circuit it will be getting power directly from dome light but if a door is opened that circuit is disconnected and an individual relay supplys power to each light depending on which door is opened they only time the lights get power from dome is if I unlock and not go near car.

Each door triggering its own puddle is easy enough - a diode between each switch and the dome.

And "unlock" to trigger each dome also easy - a diode from the unlock to each puddle. (I'm assuming the unlock is earthing ie, -ve; what they call ground hereon.)      


But if the puddles are dimming with the dome, they won't come back on until the dome "undims" - ie, they need a different hot supply (+12V).

If so, if powered from their own +12V, all but the puddle dimming is okay. IE - they all stay on whilst unlock is active, else whenever their door is open.
And they turn off immediately their switch (or the unlock) opens (deactivates).


Considerations include how long the unlock stays active? (IE - grounded.) Until a door closes?
And whether the dome stays on after unlocking but no door opened - or does the car auto relock after a delay (hence turning off the dome?)

this is the relay schematic that will switch the puddle lights on independently from door switches (D1) comes from dome light schematic which ill upload soon

this is the relay schematic that will switch the puddle lights on independently from door switches (D1) comes from dome light schematic which ill upload soon

I think your starting to understand my confusing mess I have done some further investigating and I am going to use the unlock signal from keyless entry as it grounds momentarily for unlock I was going to use indicator flash but that gives me problems when driving.

The car has a very basic system single-ve pile unlock +ve lock I'd doesn't have any dome features STD just door open light on closed light off I have added a kit which does the dome delay and fade and rapid fade if ignition is on.

I use the -ve pulse from the unlock to trigger the delay circuit obviously like opening a for for a split second.

From the diagram you can see I have the individual switching figured out just forgot the diodes to isolate each switch. I have made a circuit that uses 5 relays to connect all four lights to dome circuit at unlock and resets after 30 secs hence no door opened after unlock and also resets if any door is opened wich then uses individual relays to independantly turn on light untill another unlock pulse is recieved they are powered from a constant 12v source.

My real question is can you help me with a circuit that doesn't use all relays it so bulky

ad no it doesn't auto lock after time very basic for brand new car. Thnks dory for long post

Yeah - watch those L O N G posts - it gives Aussies a bad name.
(That's a LOL - see MY replies!!! Though I do give Aussie forums "a bad name" for other reasons (which is why I don't go near them!).

I don't see the need for the relays, but I'll re-read & re-check....
And I'll leave my diagram till later....

I think if you want what I think you want, you'll require a dimmer for each puddle. That's for a real cool "all on with unlock & fading if unopened when unlock unlatches, but remains or turns on if its door is opened, and fades out when closed".
That will still use the door switches but is otherwise independent of the dome light/s.

And congrats - I am not considering this bling as I normally would - this has practical & IMO desirable functionality combined with good HFE (human behavior) attributes.

However I reserve the right to be wrong in the latter and preceding paragraph-blocks!


Also IMO this is one of those projects that should use PICs etc. Though if dimmers aren't expensive, cost- & complexity-wise, discrete (non-PIC or uPC) may still be more attractive.
How much did your dimmer circuit cost?
And does it per chance use PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) aka "digital switching" or chopping to dim rather than analog means (as in varying the current/voltage into a transistor to vary its gain & hence dim)?

My cheap dimmer was merely a $2 2N3055 transistor with a few R's & C's. It's good, but being analog can get quite hot whilst dimming (over ~10 seconds).
And there is no guarantee that 4 such dimmers would be matched in dimming rate. (Hey man - being totally kool excludes mismatched dimming rates!)   

But I'll have to re-read, search & find before I can offer more.



[PS & FTR, I recently purchased 2 Arduino Duemilanoves after deciding (1) they are cheaper & (2) [for me] easier or much less complicated & (3) far less restricted than PICs and a popular PIC assembly I was considering - ie, ~$35 each - and available locally.]

Lol on the long post my iPhone almost went into cardiac arrest try to load your one.

As far as the dome delay it Is on the jaycar website I think it just uses a cap which just discharges over Time which is also adjustable with trimpot and a transistor to rapid off if 12v is sensed at ignition It uses the negative side of the switch only to run. Obviously if ignition is on and door open and shuts the light will cone on and off like originaly before circuit.

This is being designed so all areas of the car light up at unlock like dome light so and hazzards ie. Water rocks midgets etc. Can be seen while on approach then when u get in an out only doors that have been opened previously will light preserving other doors the part I am having most trouble with is...

Latching to dome circuit at unlock all external and internal lights on and resetting after internal goes out if no one goes near car obviously both happens at lock.

Disconnecting above circuit and resetting it until another -ve unlock pulse is recieved providing independant lighs trigered by doors also independant of dome because that will be staying on an fading out a per usual.

I forgot to mention that it is by no means bling becuae the lights are all white

OMG! Now I know why those color-blind toughies punched the crap out of me - they couldn't see the colors and when I shouted "... ... bling ...!" I didn't realise white was ok!
I'm just glad as heck it was them and not their boyfriends! Phew - my bad. I should crawl back and apologise.... (Why do Aussies shoot things? 'Ave ya seen their girlfriends?)

Jaycar - the $19.95 KC5392? Hmmm - wonder what the 6-pin chip is - a PWM for a heatsunk FET? Nah - probably just an opto-coupler to handle + or - switching, and it's just a transistor....

Later....

I now have to resort to using my computer to post the sarcasm meter on my phone just blew my phone up. Lol:)

I'll scan the info sheets that came with the kit if you want it all also be found on silicon chip but costs money for the issue

LOL! I have May and July 2004!!!

Just like someone wanting an OBDII reader circuit - February 2010 - I think I have every other month!

And yes, you'll learn - short posts & me.... not on!

hey oldspark

have you found any circuits i could use

Thanks

Not sure if that's a trick question....

But yes - as just posted in interior light dimming to off (page 2 - July 12, 2010 at 2:37 PM), the following from "Simple Projects from Electronics Today" page 85 (Published 1975):

The circuit:


And its birdsnest layout:


See interior light dimming to off for more details....

Oldspark I'm having trouble with my interior delay not working properly unless it gets 12v from the -ve side of the light which would require me to have a filament bulb but I have led festoon and it's output is about 10v do you think I could put a diode after the + input to the fet going to the caps and run a hot 12v source after the diode because it's only sending the light to ground or would that stop the cap discharging and the circuit would never work

thanks

No... (if I understand right)

The dimmer circuit requires a filament bulb to be in series with it and the supply. (IE - +12V thru bulb thru dimmer to GND; or +12V thru dimmer thru bulb to GND.)

In either case, the switch that controls the bulb is connected across the dimmer. (IE - the switch shorts the dimmer.)


A LED does not provide enough current for the dimmer to work. (A LED is ~20mA verses a over 250mA for >3W bulb(s).)

You might be able to substitute a 5W 47Ohm or larger resistor for the bulb, but the LED (in parallel with the 5W resistor) probably won't dim properly. (IMO LEDs require current manipulation to dim properly.)

A diode will NOT work because if it conducts, it is close enough to a short circuit and something will blow (fuse, diode or dimmer).
The circuit DEPENDS on the resistance of the bulb to limit the current whilst providing enough for dimmer circuit operation.


LOL - If only I produced those voltage-ramped PWM dimmers - a dime a dozen and applicable universally (LEDs, lamps, AC, DC).

So i couldnt wire like above even if i cut the link between the fet and cap

Nope. C1 etc never discharges.

well that ends that