This article details how to control light emitting\ndiodes (LEDs) using an ordinary desktop computer. By\ncombining digitally addressable LEDs with an off-the-shelf\nmicrocontroller (Arduino), multiple LEDs can be controlled\nindependently and with a high degree of temporal, chromatic,\nand luminance precision. The proposed solution is\nsafe (can be powered by a 5-V battery), tested (has been\nused in published research), inexpensive (âË?¼ $60 + $2 per\nLED), highly interoperable (can be controlled by any type of\ncomputer/operating system via a USB or Bluetooth connection),\nrequires no prior knowledge of electrical engineering\n(components simply require plugging together), and uses\nwidely available components for which established help\nforums already exist. Matlab code is provided, including\na ââ?¬Ë?minimal working exampleââ?¬â?¢ of use suitable for use by\nbeginners. Properties of the recommended LEDs are also\ncharacterized, including their response time, luminance profile,\nand color gamut. Based on these, it is shown that the\nLEDs are highly stable in terms of both luminance and\nchromaticity, and do not suffer from issues of warm-up,\nchromatic shift, and slow response times associated with\ntraditional CRT and LCD monitor technology.
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