Lamp step control

[AnalogKid]

I have an idea, and the question is Does someone already make a product to do this?

Garage ceiling light is bright enough for most things, but sometimes I'd like a lot more. I don't want to run a new line to a second wall switch, or have a pull string. And, I've got a basement full of parts.

The idea is to have a controller sitting on the switched AC to the existing light. If it sees an AC dropout of less than 1 second, it enables a TRIAC or SSR to power a second light downstream.

Turn on switch - original light
Quickly turn switch off and on again - both lights
Turn switch off and on slowly - original light

Off is off - the original light goes off when flicking the switch to enable the second light. The controller has enough energy storage to keep its logic alive for one second. If power is off longer than that, it comes up reset (second light is off).

Add a 4017 and some jumpers, and the same technique could run up to 9 lights in a string.

The 4017 part probably is too complex for a commercial product, but I would think a single stage controller would be pretty handy, particularly in spaces like a garage or basement. I've got the circuit worked out; my question is if something already does this?

Thanks.

ak

 

[Harald Kapp]

This principle is built-in into some special LED bulbs (e.g. this one).
There you have one single lamp with different brightness settings. They use a small microcontroller which I think is state of the art. But a 'discrete' solution should be possible, too.
The microcontroller should make it rather easy to filter the incoming 'signal' to avoid random lights on/off scenarios e.g. when mains is distorted by the use of power tools in your garage. You could even add a visual feedback, e.g. an LED blinking for an interval during which the microcontroller is ready to receive the second pulse from the switch to turn on the second lighting fixture - before it turns off completely.

 

[Bluejets]

Most of the cheaper PIR sensors for security lighting have a switching sequence similar to what you describe although it may not suit your needs and would have to be hacked.
Sequence there is power on and unit goes to auto ( which is a timer mode)
power off and on again within 1 second and unit switches to manual mode ( hard on- no timer)

 

[AnalogKid]

This principle is built-in into some special LED bulbs (e.g. this one).
There you have one single lamp with different brightness settings. They use a small microcontroller which I think is state of the art. But a 'discrete' solution should be possible, too.

That is exactly the kind of trick I tried to describe, a very coarse PWM-to-power level control (simple on-off control in my case). I thought about putting everything into a 98-cent PIC, but I've got all of these parts... and the standard 4-foot fixtures. Better (and cheaper) to use them than a land fill.

Like the bulb, love the shape. Great find! Thanks.

ak

 

[Harald Kapp]

Keep us informed about your progress. This might be a topic for the projects forum section.