Rev 2002
LightDrive User Guide
1
Thank you for purchasing the LightDrive 12 LED controller. The LightDrive is a
very powerful controller built onto a tiny footprint. This guide is meant to give you a good idea of the
LightDrive’s capabilities and limitations. After that, it’s up to you.
The LightDrive can be controlled several different ways. The user may choose between CANbus, TTL Serial,
and R/C PWM inputs. These methods offer different advantages:
R/C PWM
CAN
TTL Serial
Color Depth
‘3 bit’ –
8 Colors
Full 24bit
–
8bit x 12ch Full 24bit
–
8bit x 12ch
Update Rate
0.8Hz
–
1ch/100ms 10Hz
–
12ch/100ms
10Hz
–
12ch/100ms
Physical
2 R/C PWM Inputs
2-Wire CAN Input
TTL Serial Input
Signal
Format
0.5-2.5ms width
50/125/250Hz
1Mbit CAN
115.2kBaud 8N1 Serial
For detailed information on these protocols, see Appendix A. The LightDrive will switch automatically to the
proper protocol based on which signal it sees. If more than one is present, the LightDrive will choose a
protocol in the following order: Serial -> CAN -> PWM. Example code, including an API, is available for the
FRC RoboRIO controller in C++, Java, and LabView. Simply use the appropriate API for whichever control
method you want to use (PWM, CAN, Serial).
LightDrive 12
–
LED Controller
User Guide
Connection Diagram
R/C
P
W
M Outputs
- Connect to Any 2
C
A
N
Port
- Connect H and L
- Connect anywhere in
the chain with other
devices
Serial
Port
- Connect GND and TXD
- RXD Optional if feedback
is not needed
Choose One of These 3 Methods
