Making smooth foot illumination

Making smooth foot illumination

Hello all! I have made one of the old wishes) I got a free 5 meters RGB strip with the controller and remote control, and decided that the lightning to be! And most importantly, that everything was right – with soft lighting and soft fading. I have an idea – look variants of realization in the Internet, found a lot of connection diagrams, but it will suit us only with the control minus.

Circuit diagram of the soft ignition with control minus (in Layout I made a compact printed circuit and connected it all)

Circuit board in Layout Printed circuit board Then I cut ribbon: 3 sections at the front, 2 sections for rear passengers.

RGB лента с защитным силиконовым покрытием В качестве проводки использовал провод от хорошего USB удлинителя. Ленту сделал модульной с USB соединением ленты спереди и ленты сзади, на случай перегорания секции светодиодов или простого отключения подсветки ног задних пассажиров. Соединение последовательное : контролер розжига > контролер ленты > лента 3 секции > лента 3 секции > соединение передней и задней ленты по USB > лента 2 секции > The tape has 2 sections.

I had to cut off extra length of wire… For the frame I took a standard 1 cm wide cable channel and glued the tapes, fixing the cable and tape connections with cable ties.

my indispensable clothespins))) To select the ignition time and attenuation of the tape, you can experiment with the resistance and capacitance of the capacitor.

And then begins the most troublesome thing – installation. Remove the protective shield on the right side of the front passenger’s feet. We are looking for the thick black wire – total minus, black and blue – control minus and orange and blue – direct plus.

Let’s make a kolhozim) We check if the tape works and start laying the tape. Fasten the front one to the strut under the glove box and under the steering column…

… and throw the end into the central tunnel in the area of cupholders. Backlighting for rear passengers, many mount directly to the air duct, but I figured that there will all kick it and attached it to the bottom of the front seats, putting the wiring in the holes under the carpeting where the wiring for the airbags.

To get there you need acrobatic skills)))) It looks quite good thought how to make available infrared receiver, to leave the opportunity to change the color backlighting and came up with) The strip controller itself hiding under the right air duct.

Ideas come out of the blue. And the IR receiver will be attached to some wiring with a simple clamp as shown in the photo.

Intrigue… Well, then we put the glove compartment in place and… Voila!

Just PERFECT) Thanks for listening, everyone! See you in the future…

How to install and connect the footlight in the car

Additional illumination is quite a popular option for tuning. And you can do it yourself, using a standard set of tools and available consumables.

Backlighting is mainly made for aesthetic reasons. But there is also a share of practicality. The only question is exactly how the system will be implemented.

To implement the idea with your own hands, you will need basic skills in working with electricity. If you follow the instructions and recommendations, your car will sparkle with new colors very soon. And in the literal sense of the word.

Illumination variants

Motorists somewhat differently perceive the concept of footlights in the car.

Basically we are talking about these options:

• Switching on the car backlight when the door is opened. That is, the system is mounted at the bottom of the door, and the light is directed to the ground. The practicality of this solution is minimal. Although some car manufacturers from the factory put such a light, displaying the logo of the car brand.
• Light in the legs. There is no need to open or close the door. The light is directed to the pedal assembly area. It looks spectacular. So, you can see what’s going on underneath your feet. It helps a beginner to orient better in a dark time of a day in pedals.

Objectively the second variant is more practical and preferable than illumination at opening a car door. But nobody at all prevents from making so that at direct opening of doors the pavement illumination is switched on, displaying there a logo of the automobile company or any other image. And here leg illumination is not only visually spectacular, but also practical in certain situations.

The system of lighting is implemented in different ways. You can choose a different color, to provide even a color-music effect. But in motion it will certainly be distracting. Therefore, it is more correct to make the necessary backlighting so that it helped during travel and simplified the change of position of the feet on the pedals.

What is required for work

To make your own car illumination in the legs, you will need to pre-prepare a certain set of tools and some consumables.

To implement the most simple, but at the same time original project, it is enough to assemble a set consisting of:

• light source;
• wire about 5 meters long;
• shrink tubing;
• glue;
• pliers;
• soldering iron;
• screwdriver;
• sharp knife, etc.

That is, you need a standard set of tools.

It is possible to make the task a little more difficult, but to make the glow more versatile. To do this, you additionally use a controller to adjust brightness, a remote control, as well as a switch. This will allow you to adjust the parameters, turn on the backlight as needed and at the brightness that suits you.

As for the source of light, the foot illumination installed in the car interior can be made of 2 types of tapes:

1. Neon tapes. They look very effective, beautiful and expensive. The light is objectively more pleasant. But for most motorists this is not a fundamental difference. Neon ribbons are much more expensive. To install them, you will need to use the ignition unit. And this involves interference in the electrical system of the vehicle.
2. LED strips. The most practical and versatile option. There are no difficulties with installation. The tapes themselves are affordable, available in a wide range of colors.

Choosing a light source, you should decide in advance where exactly the backlight will be located. Some install it only in the driver’s feet. Others prefer to provide illumination on the driver’s and front passenger’s side for balance. And there are even those who like to illuminate the whole interior, affecting also the space in the legs of the rear passengers.

It depends on this, exactly how many ribbons you will need to buy.

Installation procedure

Before you engage in the installation of diode footlights in the car with your own hands, it is necessary to choose a place for the convenient and correct placement of the lighting strip.

To do this, you can potentially use the following areas:

• The perimeter at the bottom of the front seat;
• under the dashboard of the car;
• under the glove box (glove compartment), etc.

Here you should depend on your own imagination and design features of your particular car.

Backlighting according to the rules and for comfort reasons should be directed strictly to the floor.

Some motorists do not take this into account and mount the strip on the side, on the floor covering itself. But in this case, the light can interfere, blind your eyes, etc. Remember, this is illumination of the feet, and therefore it should be located in the cabin so as to illuminate this particular area, but not to direct a stream of light into the eyes.

Self-installation of LED footlights in your car is not difficult. It is necessary to perform the following procedures:

• Clearly define the places where the strip will be located;
• Cut the LED strip into the required lengths;
• to the edges of the tape soldered wire;
• then the strip is tested by connecting it to the power supply;
• if the light turns on, you can continue working;
• insulate the soldering place using heat shrink tubing;
• to make the tube fit well in its place, it should be warmed up with a soldering iron or simply a lighter;
• having finished with the insulation, the prepared tape is installed in the selected points in the cabin;
• double-sided adhesive tape, glue or silicone ties are suitable for fixing;
• By analogy, the tape is installed in all parts of the cabin, where it should be done.

LED strip can be cut only in certain places, where the corresponding marks are provided.

Objectively the most questions arise about how to properly perform the connection.

Connecting

There are several suitable options on how to make the illumination in your car yourself to provide the original glow in the legs.

Each motorist will decide for himself how he will be more convenient and easier to connect the LED footlight in the car. But there are three main options:

• To the lighting of the salon itself;
• through the cigarette lighter;
• from the lights.

The choice depends on what format the driver wants to see the backlight. After all, each scheme provides its own version of when and how the glow will be activated.

Through interior lighting

Some motorists prefer to install foot illumination in their cars by connecting to the main interior lighting system of the vehicle.

This method of connection provides that the light will always be on when you open the doors, or when you turn on the car interior lighting.

If you connect the LED lights for the foot area in the car through the cabin lighting, then the light source will need to connect according to this algorithm:

• Remove the cabin light;
• Connect the wires, observing polarity;
• to the white wire is usually a plus;
• to the red wire goes the minus;
• the wires are hidden under the interior trim;
• It is most convenient to run them directly along the side pillar;
• Next, connect the wires installed LED strips with each other;
• connect them to the power supply;
• check the system for proper operation;
• if everything works, make a quality insulation;
• put the plafond back in its place.

If you additionally install a controller, the light will gradually dim rather than abruptly turn off.

If you’re not sure of the polarity of the wiring, use a tester or multimeter. This will tell you where the plus and minus are. Still, the wires may differ in color, depending on the car.

This is how you can connect to a functioning interior light, but it is not the only option.

Through the cigarette lighter

You can also activate the LED strip from the cigarette lighter, which is done quite often.

By connecting the strip to the cigarette lighter, the light will turn on when you open the doors.

Not a bad option, because most drivers don’t need the backlight while driving. They use it for comfortable boarding and disembarking from the car.

The connection itself is performed according to the following algorithm:

• The plus of the LED strip is connected to the cigarette lighter;
• the minus should be connected to the door limit switch;
• the tape wire is led out along with the other wires, connecting into a single bundle;
• All contacts are insulated, fixed with a cable tie if necessary.

How exactly to bring out and hide the wires depends on the specific car and the ideas of the motorist.

Through the lights

If you connect from the lights, then the backlight will function constantly, in parallel with the work of the lights. That is, this is the most relevant option for many, since the system will be turned on at night when traveling.

You can connect the plus from any light bulb. For example, glove box or dashboard. The minus goes to the body.

If you connect the minus to the door limit switch, then the backlight will turn on if the door is open and the lights are on.

Here each motorist decides for himself how and in what situations he needs the work of the LED strip in the legs. Therefore, you can choose a variety of options for connection.

Installing the tape in the legs, you can achieve an original appearance of the interior, as well as get a share of practicality from this solution. Choosing a suitable option for the work, it remains only to implement a scheme. And it can be done independently, without having a wealth of experience and special profile education.