Anyone doing Advanced LED accent lighting in their F150 (Arduino/ESP8266/ESP32)?

[FrankThompson]

Ok, so I"m just thinking out loud here (well, I've been pondering on this for the better part of a 3 or 4 days)

I really like the F150leds.com fender lights. My only problem is that, like the ambient lights in the truck, they are static colors (you have to choose at purchase). Iasked if they had considered an RGB version and they said it was not in their plans.

So I'm thinking of creating my own. I know there is some companies like Type S Auto that have their own little "hubs" and app to control it and I may go that route, but they are limited to 4 "hubs" and I think I might end up with more than 4 zones if I decide to enhance the interior as well.

So I'm curious if anyone sone something similar with theirs?

My thinking is to:

Use RGBW Strips that are individually addressible
use a controller board like an Arduino or esp8266 (or esp32)
Perhaps use a program like WLED or custom write something.

The advanced part I think woudl be to tie into things like the brake lights, turn signals, etc to offer up custom/animations and colors based on those "events"

I.e. I think that having Red fender vent lights would be cool, but the legality of that here in FL is iffy (not sure if it would be illegal since it's not really front facing). However, I could have a "mode" that I could have it red. Normal I could have it white and turn to flashing Amber when turn signals on. Even better, to the aforementioned add making them red when I brake and flashing red when braking with turn signal.

Possibilities could be endless and that's just the fender vent lights. I'm thinking even things as simple as hood lights, interior lights, running board lights, etc.

Has anyone considered this? Or am I just being too ambitous? I would just stick to off the shelf RBG controllabe, but I really like the idea of at least the side fender vent lights having some advanced functionality.

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[FrankThompson]

Interesting video on using Arduino and FastLED to accomplish this to some degree. Looks more than possible:

 

[Kanuck]

Sounds interesting.... The problem I see is where would you get the different signals from? Without having seen an electrical drawing of the truck, suspect that a lot of the signals are from different modules that are on a data buss. Would mean running wires from all over the truck, messy.

 

[FrankThompson]

That is one of my concerns. I know that the Putco Blade bars get signals from the tail lights. So that is an option for brake, reverse and turn signal. I could put the "brain" in the cab behind the back seats to limit cable runs (about equidistant from the front and back of the truck)

If I wanted to do door open/close, running board, etc. I think I would have to get creative.

I think I'm gonna buy some parts and just mock it up (not in the truck). That video mentions optocouplers which I like because it completely isolates the control module from the signal voltages. I'm thinking I can just use some cheap push buttons for now.

To start in the truck I'm going to just start with the vent badge lights and add the option to select a color via a phone app or webpage. I'll look into expanding into things like the lights later. Baby steps I think is the best approach here.

I also want to add a hood light/switch which I can tie into it without worrying about monitoring other system signals.

 

[JohnMcClane]

Made any progress on this?

 

[FrankThompson]

Made any progress on this?

Not yet. I'm currently just trying to add back in the features in the cab that Ford removed (LEDs and the HVAC control with the temps in the dials).

 

[JohnMcClane]

Not yet. I'm currently just trying to add back in the features in the cab that Ford removed (LEDs and the HVAC control with the temps in the dials).

Fair enough, I am still waiting on my truck. I’m doing the restoration and done enough reading/watching to know it will take me several hours for that, I’m also considering being forward thinking in regards to a trailer camera, gonna have everything apart anyway…

 

[Ajzride]

Have not done this on my truck (nor do I plan to), but I have Arduino controlled LEDs permanently installed in the eves of the house that I use for accent/Holiday lighting that I use FASTLED for. I also have an Arduino controlling most of the functions on my FFR 818 kit car that I'm building. On that one the Arduino has a CANBUS shield that picks up all of the signals off the can bus and uses it to drive my digital gauge cluster and trigger outputs for lights, door poppers, etc. The tricky part about Arudinos in cars is that they operator on 5V instead of 12V. I tried to make everything ground triggered, but it turns out 12V grounds and 5V grounds can't mix any better than 12V+ and 5V+ can. So you need optical isolators of voltage dividers built into your circuit to let the Arduino trigger 12V items. Let me know if you would like any more information.

 

[FrankThompson]

Have not done this on my truck (nor do I plan to), but I have Arduino controlled LEDs permanently installed in the eves of the house that I use for accent/Holiday lighting that I use FASTLED for. I also have an Arduino controlling most of the functions on my FFR 818 kit car that I'm building. On that one the Arduino has a CANBUS shield that picks up all of the signals off the can bus and uses it to drive my digital gauge cluster and trigger outputs for lights, door poppers, etc. The tricky part about Arudinos in cars is that they operator on 5V instead of 12V. I tried to make everything ground triggered, but it turns out 12V grounds and 5V grounds can't mix any better than 12V+ and 5V+ can. So you need optical isolators of voltage dividers built into your circuit to let the Arduino trigger 12V items. Let me know if you would like any more information.

Awesome information. I'll take you up on that when I get to it.

And yeah I had read about optical isolators and planned to use those. The canbus hat sounds interesting.

 

[Overboost]

I'd be interested in the fender lights just to switch between white (running lamp/lamp on) and amber (turn signals). Basically, use the switchback style circuit to flip between the two modes.

 

[McGuyver]

Have not done this on my truck (nor do I plan to), but I have Arduino controlled LEDs permanently installed in the eves of the house that I use for accent/Holiday lighting that I use FASTLED for. I also have an Arduino controlling most of the functions on my FFR 818 kit car that I'm building. On that one the Arduino has a CANBUS shield that picks up all of the signals off the can bus and uses it to drive my digital gauge cluster and trigger outputs for lights, door poppers, etc. The tricky part about Arudinos in cars is that they operator on 5V instead of 12V. I tried to make everything ground triggered, but it turns out 12V grounds and 5V grounds can't mix any better than 12V+ and 5V+ can. So you need optical isolators of voltage dividers built into your circuit to let the Arduino trigger 12V items. Let me know if you would like any more information.

Nice, I am building a FFR ‘35 Truck!

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