M1 Microprocessor Based Brake Light Flasher Schematics Needed - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: alext
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2017, 08:40:31 pm
content: heydoes anybody own a flasher like thishttp://www.3rdbrakeflasher.com/brake-light-flasher-c-65/universal-brake-light-flasherstrober-m1-model-p-181.htmlhere?ordering it from the usa is not an option for me since it will be almost 40 usd with shipping so im wondering if someone here knows the controller type / schematics / or can recommend me a similar product? all i can found everwhere is a cheap chinese flasher

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2017, 09:18:53 pm
content: That has to be the most useless contraption ever. The only thing it will do is annoy people behind you. Seems to be priced right to keep it away from the market.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2017, 03:30:18 pm
content: WTF? Is that even legal for road use?

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2017, 03:42:21 pm
content: I cannot speak about Germany but here in the US it is legal, however there are rules for its use. It can only flash so many times per activation and such. The purpose is to quickly flash the lights with you jump on the brakes in an emergency situation to alert the following driver. Unfortunately the producers of Top Gear discovered this and began using it for visual effect and there you have it. Everybody with a cut up honda civic wants one. Just keep searching until you find one in a country will lower shipping costs. Otherwise just buy it. You can't make it reliable for the price you can just buy that one for. Factor in your own time.

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2017, 04:32:41 pm
content: Quote from: CJay on March 27, 2017, 03:30:18 pmIt's legal under certain circumstances and was originally introduced by BMW and Mercedes.Only if speed is above 60 km/h and an emergency situation is recognized may it be activated. The emergency is usually activation of the ABS system, sometimes also ESP or other safety systems.This means involvement of the body control electronics, and inno wayjust "flashing because it looks cool".

author: alext
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2017, 05:20:08 pm
content: would you mind stop offing the thread?this is an electronics forum.noone cares how useless it is in your opinion or how legal / illegal it is

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2017, 06:21:06 pm
content: No problem.The schematic is an 8-pin MCU and a power MOSFET. Take it from there.

author: devin23b
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 27, 2017, 06:28:45 pm
content: Try AliExpress. Here one that is super cheap:https://www.aliexpress.com/item/GS-100A-12-24V-Flash-Strobe-Controller-Flasher-Module-for-LED-Flashing-Back-Rear-Brake-Stop/32780184055.html?spm=2114.40010708.4.2.icF5NH

author: alext
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2017, 06:46:18 pm
content: thanks but the cheap one has a fixed pattern,i need the programmable version

author: senso
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2017, 06:52:25 pm
content: Grab one of the "Arduino" Attiny45 boards, slap a mosfet, program it, done.I doubt a bit that Top Gear used those things, even more in such expensive cars, they wouldn't be cutting stock wire harness's, the flashing effect you usually see is because the cars have led lights that are PWM at stupid low frequencies and what you get is the beat frequency between the lights PWM and the camera framerate..

author: alext
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2017, 07:01:39 pm
content: well,i dont have an arduino + as i see these attiny chips are 3 and 5v based,does native 12v version exist from these?

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2017, 07:19:14 pm
content: Quote from: alext on March 27, 2017, 05:20:08 pmYeah, my apologies, I'd suggest a microcontroller, a switching element, a few months worth of reading to learn how to design electronics and program properly but possibly an attitude management course first.Oh and possibly a lawyer if they turn out to not be legal where you live.

author: KMoffett
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2017, 01:07:56 am
content: Here is one I made many years ago. Adjustable flash rate and flash period. That "DIM" resistor was a conceptual add that I didn't do.Ken

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 06, 2017, 02:09:36 am
content: Quote from: calexanian on March 27, 2017, 03:42:21 pmTop Gear aren't using them... it's just that many cars (especially high end ones) these days use LED tail lights. To make the lights dim for the running light, they PWM the LED's and blink them hundreds of times per second. Most people can't detect the flashing effect of stationary object much about 60Hz, but cameras can. Top gear would be filmed at 60Hz or higher with varying shutter speeds, so sometimes when a frame is captured on their camera, the taillight is on in that moment, and sometimes it's off in that moment - and sometimes it transitions mid-way through the frame (so it looks dim). To the viewer, this appears as a flickering, glittering, random pulsing, or stuttering type of effect depending on the PWM frequency and duty cycle of that particular LED tail light in combination with the frame rate and shutter speed being used for that shot.Tangentially related complaint - I have always objected to the ridiculously low PWM frequency some car manufacturers use on their tail lights. BMW and Mercedes do a good job. But Cadillac is the WORST. When I drive behind one at night, it really distracts me because I can't stop my brain wanting to focus on the light I am seeing flicker/jitter. You may notice that if you look from side to side (like looking left/right coming to an intersection at night) and the car in front of you uses LED tail lights and only the running light is active, that you will see a series of imprints of the tail light on your retina as your eyeball causes the PWM light to leave blasts of light across it as your eye moves. This is incredibly distracting and it's worse the lower the PWM frequency. Car manufacturers really need to keep the PWM frequency up in the 500Hz to (even better) 1kHz range or higher. It's much more important when you're dealing with moving objects because people's eyes are moving and scanning the area and a PWM'ed LED light in their field of view as their eyes pass over will be super distracting.Shame on Cadillac and whatever shithead engineer designed their taillights. But I've seen it on other cars too - a few Hondas and others. Most of the OEM's don't do their own tail light design anyway, so it's probably one of the big guys who do almost all the headlight and taillight design for the OEM's anyway that is doing this and seem to think low PWM frequencies are acceptable in automotive applications.

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 06, 2017, 02:21:25 am
content: Quote from: alext on March 26, 2017, 08:40:31 pmYou're nuts if you think you can save money by making your own. That's like wanting to save money on buying a car by making one. You can never ever save money on something that you see available for purchase that is made in volume by making it yourself in quantity of one. Ever.The parts you will need in low quantities plus shipping for them will cost you $10-15. Then you will need whatever programmer is required for the microcontroller you have chosen, which will cost you at least $5-10 even if you buy a cheap junk Chinese programmer. Then spend a few months learning how to use and program the microcontroller. If you manage to do that and build your circuit without blowing up your programmer and your microcontroller, you'd be the first person I think to ever achieve that. And then you have to build your circuit and figure out a way to protect it - some kind of housing or such.There's no way you can make a one-off of this for $40. The only reason to do so would be as a fun project to learn electronics. Anything else is a colossal waste of time and resources for zero return.

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2017, 02:44:04 am
content: You overstate it. The hardware for this is trivial and the programming nearly so. I could do it for under $10 as a one-off. Not including the value of my own time and knowledge, of course. Doesn't mean the OP could, or he wouldn't be asking these questions.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 10, 2017, 07:16:28 pm
content: Quote from: Nusa on April 06, 2017, 02:44:04 amThat and if you want to build something like this, you're probably not going to use the programmer once and then throw it away. You'll learn how to program microcontrollers and then think of all sorts of stuff you want to build. This seems like a good beginner microcontroller project, although I would stress that you should test it extensively before attempting to use it on the road.