Popbloom Fixtures with a custom spectrum.

[FBAA]

As an electrical engineer I have looked at the popbloom fixtures and found that they put a lot of thought into the PCB design. Their spectrum needs to be adjusted for reefkeepers. Is this something someone would like. Custom wavelengths or tailored spectrum. I am running them for testing and it looks promising.

 

[AutumnReefs]

They are a copy and paste of the reef led design from red sea (but different colors)

 

[oreo54]

They are a copy and paste of the reef led design from red sea (but different colors)

Think they are referring to these:

Not these:

funny how they are called RS-90
i.e Red Sea..

 

[oreo54]

As an electrical engineer I have looked at the popbloom fixtures and found that they put a lot of thought into the PCB design. Their spectrum needs to be adjusted for reefkeepers. Is this something someone would like. Custom wavelengths or tailored spectrum. I am running them for testing and it looks promising.

Not to put this thread off track but I've dealt w/ PopBloom (formerly DSunY) and their old style had pretty crude circuit boards using linear drivers and from the looks of it hand made circuit boards.
Models like this:

Newest do have what looks to be a HUGE upgrade in this dept.

curious on your opinion esp. regarding driver IC's.
It's a hobby of mine.

i'll be MIGHTILY impressed if you are customizing these:

AHHH the gentle simmer of light..

 

[AutumnReefs]

Think they are referring to these:

Not these:

funny how they are called RS-90
i.e Red Sea..

Ah ok thanks

 

[FBAA]

Not to put this thread off track but I've dealt w/ PopBloom (formerly DSunY) and their old style had pretty crude circuit boards using linear drivers and from the looks of it hand made circuit boards.
Models like this:


Newest do have what looks to be a HUGE upgrade in this dept.

curious on your opinion esp. regarding driver IC's.
It's a hobby of mine.

i'll be MIGHTILY impressed if you are customizing these:



AHHH the gentle simmer of light..

Turing 30 is what I'm modifying. I use 4 of these over a 72 bowfront. I like to switch the spectrum to experiment with different types of growth.

 

[FBAA]

They are using linear AMC7140 drivers with the forward voltage for the string of LED's just under supply voltage keeping them fairly cool. Not as efficient as a Buck/Boost constant current driver but similar to drivers you find in a lot of light fixtures that come out of China. The fan controller is nice and it's quiet. I have to straighten out the leads on the LED's so the heat sink can go through the board and up against the thermal strips they have on the heatsink.

 

[Josh Will]

How you design your own Spectrum? More blue and UV? Any pictures about your modification of T30? Thanks

 

[FBAA]

I have the attenuation set in a spreadsheet using researched data. Currently testing for 3Meters depth in pure seawater. This is the current configuration. I am using 4 of these lights over a 4ft 72 gallon bowfront. That's 160LED's.

 

[chrisebarks]

Hello, I am trying to modify my popbloom light to use reef-pi for controls. Mine is an s40+ but when I look at the PCB it looks to have places where I can connect to and control it. Could you send me a closer picture of your connectors into the PCB?

 

[oreo54]

Hello, I am trying to modify my popbloom light to use reef-pi for controls. Mine is an s40+ but when I look at the PCB it looks to have places where I can connect to and control it. Could you send me a closer picture of your connectors into the PCB?

In my "simplistic" mind you just need to find the dim pin on those linear driver ic's. Oh and the data shhet should tell you what dimming protocol they can use.
U-1,2,3 possiby.
There may be a break point from the logic controller to the dim pin but you'd need to chase the board paths.

Anyways if that dim pin is disconnected from the logic and connected to the pwm pins of that ic it should work.
You may need to tie in the pi ground to the ic ground.

 

[chrisebarks]

So I was able to trace the C connection to a resister in series with a capacitor, to a 2ty bipolar transistor to another resistor and capacitor in series, and then finally to the Iset pin. I have measured voltage of C connection to ground and it increases from 0 through 5v as I turn up a single channel. I am just unsure whether I should use a constant voltage here or a PWM to make the control? A resistor and capacitor in series indicates to me that the iset is being controlled via pwm and being smoothed. what are your thoughts?

 

[ntence2]

Hello,
Any new updates on this? I have popbloom and would love to control them from my apex.
Btw I replaced all the blue with true 420mn for great illumination and color.