Introduction ============ Here's the blog post that started it all: http://www.deepdarc.com/2010/11/27/hacking-christmas-lights/ This library makes it easy to replace the controller in these lights with an Arduino, and to run much better light programs. It's pretty easy to make new programs, too! Requirements ============ - Arduino 1.0 SDK. This code is not compatible with pre-1.0 Arduino. - Any of the following: an Arduino or Arduino-compatible, a Teensy with Teensyduino or else flashed with an Arduino Leonardo bootloader. Also a plain Atmel ATMega of some sort, if you know what you're doing. - At least one working strand of GE G-35 Color Effects Christmas lights that you are willing to slice up and solder back together again. Installation ============ Find your Arduino IDE's libraries directory. Then unzip the project archive into it. It should end up looking like this: [Your Arduino documents directory]/ libraries/ G35Arduino/ G35.h (etc.) Then restart your Arduino IDE and you should see G35Arduino among the libraries. Upload the BasicExample sketch to your Arduino. You should see the pin-13 LED flicker. Chop off the stock controller on your lights, being careful to note the function of the three leads from the first light (from left to right looking at the first light pointing upward, they're V+, DATA, and GND). Put V+ on the Arduino 5V pin, GND on the GND pin, and DATA on pin 13, and your lights should come back to life! I've been happily running two strands on my house directly off the Arduino (i.e., not using the stock power transformer) with an old USB power supply rated 5V/1A from a Kodak Zi8. Your mileage may vary. Contributing ============ Source-code contributions are welcome. If you think you might contribute improvements back to the project, git clone into libraries/ instead of unzipping, and to avoid going insane, check the "external editor" option in the Arduino IDE and use a text editor directly on the library source. We try to follow Google's C++ coding standards: 2 spaces, no tabs, 80 columns, and follow the existing naming/capitalization conventions in the code. Credits ======= - Paul Martis: http://www.digitalmisery.com - Robert Quattlebaum: http://www.deepdarc.com/2010/11/27/hacking-christmas-lights - Scott Harris: http://scottrharris.blogspot.com/2010/12/controlling-ge-color-effects-lights.html - Mike Tsao: http://github.com/sowbug