Controller options need to be selected at the bottom of this page. The options you need to select is the lighting pattern that the stair lights perform when lighting the stairwell, if the controller should be assembled and tested and if you would like the power supply included.
Overview
This is a Stair Lighting Controller board and all components that are needed to assemble it. These parts will need to be soldered onto the board before use. Please note that the controller does not come with any LED Stair Lights these will have to be purchased individually depending on the number of stairs you have. The kit can power any 5 volt 20mA stair lights, each of the 10 outputs can power up to two of this type of stair light.
This kit includes parts that will produce an invisible infrared beam. One beam is installed at the top of the stairs and one is installed at the bottom. This way the controller can determine how the stairwell was entered so it can display the correct lighting sequence.
To assemble and install this kit, internet access is needed since the stair lighting assembly and installation manual will not be sent with it. It is available online only. The picture above is of the Stair Lighting Controller and IR Beams after the kit has been assembled. This is also what you will receive if you choose the Assembled and Tested option below. This option is for people who would like to mount and wire the controller as soon as it arrives.
We understand that this controller is not perfect for all situations, if this controller does not fit your needs you might want to have a look at the Reactive Lighting Stair Lighting Systems which have more lighting options and controller features.
Video Demonstration
The video below shows the stair lighting controller with the "lights turn on one at a time" controller. This customer selected custom 5mm blue LEDs instead of the typical 10mm white LED Stair Lights. The first half of the video shows the sequence after the lower beam was broken, no one walked up the stairs though so you can see the full effect of the stair lighting. The second half of the video demonstrates the top beam being broken and the stair lights illuminating the stairwell from above.
Kit Includes:
Component
Type
Quantity
PIC Microcontroller
Pre-programmed 16F628 chip.
1
Chip Socket
18 pin
1
Circuit Board
Board for all components to be mounted on.
1
Terminal Block
24 positions
1
Fuse Holder
Solder in Fuse Clips
2
Fuse
1A
1
Diode
1N4401
1
12V Filter Capacitor
1000uF
1
5V Filter Capacitor
470uF
1
12V Decouple Capacitor
.33uF
1
5V Decouple Capacitor
.01uF
1
5V Regulator
LM7805
1
PNP Transistor
2N4403
11
10K Ohm Resistors
1/4W
11
220 Ohm Resistors
1/4W
3
100 Ohm Resistors
1/4W
2
Power On LED
Green LED
1
Heatsink
1.45” tall heatsink
2
Nut and Bolts
To assemble heatsink and regulator
2
Infrared Beam Transmit Unit
IR LED, two 7.5 ohm resistors 1/4 watt (wired in series to keep width small), small heat shrink to protect against shorting, red heat shrink to cover resistors and 10 inches of wire to make leads from.
2
Infrared Beam Detector Unit
IR Detector, one 47K ohm resistors 1/4 watt, small heat shrink to protect against shorting, blue heat shrink to cover resistors and 10 inches of wire to make leads from.
2
Beam Wire Crimps
Wire connectors to connect the send and receive portions of the beam to the wire running to the control unit.
10
Beam Bezels
Bezels that allow the beams to be installed with a finished look on any flat surface. The black bezels can be painted if a different color is desired.
4
Mounting Screws
Screws to mount control board.
4
Standoffs
Standoffs to keep control board away from mounting surface.
One Stair Light for each stair you have, these are sold separately so that you only need to buy what you need.
Controller Type
There are three types of controllers, please select the style you would like in the Controller Type selection box below.
Lights ramp on together - This option has the lights go from off to full bright smoothly in a short time. The turn on operation is the same if the lights are activated from the top or bottom of the stairs. After the selected amount of time the lights will turn off one at a time in the direction the person entered the stairwell.
Lights turn on one at a time - This option and will turn on lights one step at a time in the direction of the person is entering the stairwell. Please note that for this operation to function smoothly you will need to have between 10 and 20 steps connected to the system. If you have less than 10 steps there will be a delayed lighting reaction in one direction. The time for each step to turn on is approximately 0.42 seconds which means that all the stair lights will be turned on in 4.2 seconds. After the selected amount of time the lights will turn off one at a time in the direction the person entered the stairwell.
Lights turn on one at a time - Fast - This option and will turn on lights one step at a time in the direction of the person is entering the stairwell. Please note that for this operation to function smoothly you will need to have between 10 and 20 steps connected to the system. If you have less than 10 steps there will be a delayed lighting reaction in one direction. The time for each step to turn on is approximately 0.21 seconds which means that all the stair lights will be turned on in 2.1 seconds. After the selected amount of time the lights will turn off one at a time in the direction the person entered the stairwell.
Here are some close up pictures of a few components
Colored heat shrink is used for the transmit and receive beam detectors. This allows you to tell them apart. The tinted units on the bottom are for the transmitters and the clear units on the top are for the receivers (they will also be identified in the kit). The 10 white items are the crimp connectors, this will allow for quick and easy connections. Also shown are the required resistors and module boards for easy assembly. When everything is put together is will look just like the first picture of this product page. The only items that are not shown in above is the mounting stand-offs and the mounting screws.
Stair Lighting Controller Power Supply
The power supply needed for the controller is a class 2 plug in power supply with an output voltage of between 9 and 12 volts DC with a current of 500mA (0.5A) or greater. This power supply has a North American plug style but it is a universal supply that can accept an input voltage of 100 to 240 VAC at 50 or 60 Hz. If your plug style is not the same as the North American standard you can purchase a plug adapter to convert the plug to work with your system.
The power supply also comes with a barrel power adapter to terminal block connector. This is helpful since the controller accepts the power on two of the terminals, the connector also has positive and negative polarity marked for easy identification.
If you would prefer to supply your own power supply you can choose that option at the bottom of the page.
Stair Lighting Controller Assembly and Testing
The Stair Lighting Controller is a kit but many people want an system that arrives ready to install. In the options at the bottom of the page you can select if the controller is shipped in kit form or completely assembled. Assembly can be performed by anyone with some basic electronic assembly skills, the stair lighting controller manual has all of the needed information to take you through the kit assembly process step by step.
The pictures below show you what you will get with this option. The board is fully assembled and tested, the beams are also fully assembled and ready to install.
