Daytime running lights are not present on all cars, and the need for them makes motorists install DRLs on their own. According to GOST, daytime running lights should automatically turn on when the engine is turned on, and also turn off or reduce power by 50% when the main headlights are turned on. This condition is necessary for safe driving at night. It also excludes the possibility of driving a car without headlights on, which is prohibited by traffic rules. These functions in the DRL system are performed by the daytime running lights control unit.
DRL control unit In addition to all of the above, the presence of a DRL control unit allows you to save money and use more economical lamps or LED strips instead of energy-intensive low beam headlights. In our article, we will consider several options for installing a DRL control unit on your car, if this is not originally provided for by the design. In particular, we will talk about installing the purchased control unit and assembling the do-it-yourself running lights control relay.
Important: Remember that you are responsible for following all the procedures below. If you are not confident in your abilities, we strongly recommend that you contact a specialized service center to install DRLs in accordance with GOST.
Buying a ready-made DRL control relay
The use of such relays is the most convenient option for connecting DRLs in accordance with GOST. The relay provides the inclusion of navigation lights when the engine is started, as well as a decrease in their power by 30-50% when the main headlights are turned on. These relays are fused, making them safe to use and keep your headlights from being damaged by power surges. The device is sold already assembled, your task is only to connect it correctly.
DRL connection diagram via relay Making a control unit with your own hands
Of course, the second option is suitable for those who have experience in soldering and assembling microcircuits. Assembling a relay will cost you much less than buying a ready-made one. First, let's look at the algorithm of the homemade relay.
Action algorithm:
The control unit circuit receives power from the ignition on and begins to determine the operation of the engine by the activity of the pulses present on the ignition coil. If the pulses are present for more than 5 seconds (which corresponds to a running engine), the DRLs will turn on automatically. If there are no pulses within 5 seconds, the DRLs are turned off. Also, the running lights are automatically turned off when the main lighting is turned on.
Connecting the daytime running light unit:
- Power can be taken from any point in the electrical network where it is present after turning the ignition key;
- The pulses by which the circuit determines the operation of the engine, as a rule, are taken from the ignition coil;
- We take the signal for turning on the main lighting from any point at which a voltage of 12 volts appears from turning on the headlights;
- At the output, we connect any automotive relay that meets the following conditions: the current that the relay consumes should not exceed 200mA at a voltage of 12V and an output current of 30-40A;
- We throw a minus on the body of the car.
The advantage of this scheme is that in the absence of separately installed DRLs, we can connect them in parallel with the standard low beam control unit.
Do-it-yourself DRL relay The best option for assembling your block would be the PIC12F629 microprocessor. Relatively inexpensive and affordable, this device will become the basis of our relay. To program our controller, a special programmer is used, for example PICkit-2. The circuit of the block itself is not very complicated: a conventional linear stabilizer is used, at the inputs of which dividers are installed according to the incoming signal, secured by transistor switches. A field-effect transistor is installed at the output, connected to a conventional car transistor with a current of not more than 200mA.
Visually, the diagram looks like this:
We will not delve into the process of soldering the microcircuit itself in detail. The algorithm of actions is logical: we model the board in any program for designing circuits, create a wiring diagram, and, if necessary, design a 3D model.
We select the case
As a housing, a housing from any other automotive relay is ideal: it is desirable that the connector has 6 pins.
For safety, the board must be varnished. CRAMOLIN ISOTEMP is ideal, this silicone coating is designed specifically for insulating various boards. For those who like to play it safe, the board can be wrapped in heat shrink tubing.
When the preparation process is completed, you can insert the finished relay into the prepared housing. Most relays are snap-on, so you won't have a problem getting the entire assembly tight.
Greetings fellow citizens of Datagoria!
I want to tell you the story of my creation of DRL controllers (daytime running light controllers for a car). The traffic police, as always at the request of the workers, imposed on us the use of DRLs in cars, and we, law-abiding, began to joyfully follow the instructions. The first problems were not long in coming - we forget to turn off the DRL and we have discharged batteries, being late for work and kind words and thoughts about our dear traffic police
So it's time to do the DRL controller!
Gentlemen and ladies, auto drivers, fellow citizens!
We have new whale with modifications and on the factory printed circuit board:
Fly in!
I made the first DRL controller on a relay
My van had some very funny fog lights, they are plastic, white and use a marker light bulb! There was no sense from them - for alteration! Dimensional light bulbs were replaced by LED counterparts, this made it possible to neglect the current consumption. Further, the standard switching circuit was changed, since the availability of wires in my minibus is excellent. In an hour with a smoke break, the circuit was assembled and connected:
The size signal was taken directly from the backlight of the button. Bottom line: the correct operation of the DRL, turning off when the dimensions are turned on and the inability to forget to turn off the DRL. This scheme has been working for several years without any complaints from both mine and traffic police inspectors.
But now, I bought a second car for the family. Large, comfortable and ... terribly inconvenient in terms of laying new wiring. As I said, in fact, I'm a lazy person, I'm too lazy to disassemble the dashboard, drag wires into a dense corrugation, and then collect it all back!
No, quit! We need another solution!
I decided to assemble the controller for a friend, but because. the design was supposed to be almost free (thank you, I will never forget!), the microcontroller is fat! And why, because there is a simpler solution - a comparator!
The whole circuit was attached directly to the battery wire using a plastic clamp. The minus of the scheme is the lack of a DRL damping function when the headlight is turned on (too lazy to introduce).
And then it began ... A friend boasted of the device to his friend. I received several more proposals for the manufacture of controllers. What did car enthusiasts like? Ease of installation and the fact that you do not need to drag wires into the cabin, everything is located in the engine compartment!
As a result, the design was simplified by another 2 resistors, which had a beneficial effect on my lazy ego. Instead of adjusting the reference voltage, I introduced a direct adjustment of the measured voltage:
Excluded fragment. Our magazine exists on donations from readers. The full version of this article is only available
Setting of both options is reduced to setting the threshold of the circuit operation by the trimmer when the generator is running, i.e. when the voltage in the on-board network is higher than 13.5 V
Decor the design has not changed, everything is assembled very quickly, the work is reliable even with our Yakut frosts.
I assembled this version of the device, like the previous ones, on my knee in 10 minutes. I used a Chinese mock-up board, filled the finished structure with hot-melt adhesive and ennobled it with heat shrink.
Files:
PCB drawing option. ▼ 🕗 08/03/14 ⚖️ 6.05 Kb ⇣ 133 Hello reader! My name is Igor, I'm 45, I'm a Siberian and an avid amateur electronics engineer. I came up with, created and maintain this wonderful site since 2006.For more than 10 years, our magazine exists only at my expense.
Good! The freebie is over. If you want files and useful articles - help me!
Review-review of the Chinese LED Daytime Running Lights control unit - LED DRL controller.
Daytime running lights should be turned on when the car is moving (for example, when the engine is turned on), but at night they should be turned off (for example, when headlights are turned on) or their brightness should be reduced to the level of the parking lights so as not to blind oncoming traffic. On the Internet, you can find many options for self-powered connection of DRLs to implement such an algorithm for the operation of lights, from the simplest, using the car's standard electrics, to the very pretentious, using electronic circuits with integrated logic. In any case, with such a connection, intervention in the electrician of the machine is required, and this is far from always useful and safe.
It is much easier to connect DRLs through a ready-made control unit (controller) - they can also be found on the Internet without much difficulty: there are options for working with incandescent high beam headlights, there are just for working with LED DRL. There are also controllers for working with combined DRLs with turn indicators, the cost is about 8…10 c.u. in our country or in China, but there is - purely for DRL without frills: on AliExpress for just 3.5 c.u. It is about such a controller that our review will be.
Unboxing and first impressions
After shipment by the seller, the controller from China arrived after as much as 40 days, as it should be for products of this type and size, in a regular parcel package with a “pimple”. The control unit did not cause any special impressions and emotions: a sealed plastic box the size of a matchbox, wires for connection, a fuse on the power wire - that's all well done and well done.
Connection
Connecting the controller is elementary even for an average person who is not very versed in technology. We connect the output wires "OUT" to the DRLs themselves, the input wires "IN" to the power supply of the on-board network, for example, to the battery: red - to "plus", black to "minus". The yellow wire is used to control the brightness of the DRL - we connect it to the "plus" from the dipped beam. That's all: no shamanism with jumpers and switches, etc. - for everything about everything - 10 minutes with smoke breaks.
We check in action
The principle of operation of the controller is as simple as the corner of a house. If the on-board voltage is higher 13V(when the engine is running), the controller turns on the DRL, if the voltage drops below, it turns off the DRL with a delay of about 15 seconds. A small delay, apparently, was made so that the DRLs would not blink for no reason if your engine suddenly stalled when starting off or the voltage “dipped” for a short time. In reality, the duration of the pause to turn off the DRL after turning off the ignition can vary from a few seconds to a minute, depending on how quickly you reduce the voltage of the on-board network when you turn off the engine. If your DRL turns on / off somehow differently, this is an occasion to show the car to an auto electrician.
The voltage drop across the controller with DRLs on was only 0.23V- this is only 1.5% of the total power consumed by the lights.
To control the brightness, the yellow wire was connected to the low beam power of the left headlight. When the dipped beam is turned on, the total power supplied to my DRLs is reduced by almost 3 times, although visually from a distance of several meters this is not felt much. Even at 1 watt per headlight, DRLs are much brighter than parking lights.
When working with the yellow wire connected, there is a strange “jamb” in the behavior of the controller: if the lights are turned off (the engine is turned off) before applying to the yellow wire “+12”, after applying “+12” to it, for example, turn on the headlights, the lights turn on at full power . If you start the engine, the lights will go down as they should.
Here is such a tautology. But nevertheless, written, according to syntactic, spelling and semantic rules, has the right to life. Author's Note: A controller is an electronics control device; microcontroller - a miniature part of the controller based on an integrated circuit.
If your car is not equipped with regular daytime running lights, and the use of headlights is too wasteful for you, the Traffic Rules of the Russian Federation allow fog lights to be used to mark the vehicle during daylight hours.
But this option is rational only if the power of the bulbs in the fog lights is less than the power of the bulbs in the main headlights. If this is not the case, then the installation of DRL cannot be avoided. In general, at the moment, the installation of DRLs on a vehicle in operation is not mandatory, but by 2016, all vehicles must be equipped with daytime running lights.
As a result, the conclusion suggests itself - to unambiguously install DRL.
To do this, you can use the services of a specialized auto center, or you can independently perform this not very complicated operation. Of course, a lot depends on the car (the laboriousness of removing the dashboard and bumper) and on the origin of the DRL kit itself (factory production or homemade). It should be recalled that self-installed running lights must comply with the requirements of GOST R 41.48-2004 (UNECE Regulations No. 48 and No. 87) or clause 1.3.29 of Appendix No. 5 to the "Technical Regulations for the Safety of Wheeled Vehicles".
DRL controller based on relay
Most cars have stock factory fog lights. But not all drivers use them. The reasons are different: there is no need, the headlights are too voracious or simply inefficient. Here they can be converted into running lights. Light bulbs, of course, will have to be changed to LED-analogues (light-emitting diode). This will give good savings. energy and, importantly, will allow neglecting the consumed current when calculating the electrical mnemonic circuit.
Next, you will need to change the regular switching scheme. This is where you will need (with a high degree of probability) the removal of the dashboard and bumper. According to the reviews of the workers, this is done in a little over an hour. After gaining access to the onboard wiring, we switch everything as follows:
It is important to ensure the correct operation of the running lights: they should turn on when the ignition key is turned to the position that ensures the operation of the engine, and turn off when the dipped / main beam of the main headlights or parking lights (dimensions) is turned on. To do this, the size signal can be taken directly from the backlight of the button. So you will never forget to turn off the DRL. This scheme has been tested by many car owners and has no complaints.
But what to do if in the car access to the wiring inside the cabin is extremely difficult or even impossible? For a lazy car enthusiast with an uninquisitive mind, this will be a real obstacle. We need another solution. Consider the following option.
Variant on ATmega8
DRL lamps can be purchased separately, without a control module, at a reasonable price. There are already holes in the bumper (from fog lights), if not, cut it out. The entire installation consists in fixing the fixtures with four self-tapping screws. It's up to the controller. In the proposed version, consider the use of the "good old" ATmega8, an 8-bit Atmel microcontroller.
By the way, with its help it is also possible to implement additional functions, for example, an indication of the operation of the PZD, which tends to turn off when the car is running. The algorithm of the circuit on the ATmega8 is as follows: if the car is turned off, the battery voltage is less than 13.5 V, if it is turned on, it is charging, and the voltage is higher than 13.5 V.
Running lights turn on automatically .. From the connections 2 wires to the battery and 2 wires to the DRL. With careful installation, DRLs of the middle price category will fit very harmoniously into the exterior of the car.
There is another option for assembling a DRL control controller based on a comparator.
DRL controller circuit on the LM358 comparator
In this circuit, the comparator is implemented on the basis of a low-power two-channel operational amplifier LM358. The circuit turns out to be very cheap, besides, there is no need for a voltage regulator, the unipolar power supply of the LM358 is designed for 3 - 30 V, again, savings. The circuit diagram is below, everything is simple and clear there.
The setting of this controller is reduced to setting the threshold for the operation of the circuit by the trimmer when the generator is running, i.e. when the voltage in the on-board network is higher than 13.5 V.
Everything is assembled very quickly, works reliably even in severe frost.
The DRL controller is a device used to control the operation of the daytime running lights. With this device, a more stable and optimal operation of the optics is ensured, which allows you to optimize the functionality of the power grid as a whole. You can learn more about how to build such a device at home from this article.
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DIY options
If you decide to build a daytime running light controller in your car, then first we suggest that you familiarize yourself with several options for manufacturing the device.
Photo gallery "Schemes for manufacturing"
- Relay-based DRL controller. Many vehicles have regular fog lights, but not all motorists use them. The reason may be the absence of the need for operation, the high voltage consumption of the optics, or its inefficiency. As an option, fogs, if necessary, can be converted into daytime running lights, only the light sources will need to be replaced with diode ones. It will also be necessary to slightly change the standard connection scheme, most likely, in this case it will be necessary to dismantle the bumper and control panel.
When you can access the on-board network, the connection procedure is carried out according to the diagram above. In this case, you need to ensure the correct operation of the optics - that is, the running lights should automatically turn on when the engine starts and turn off when you turn on the dimensions or the high or low beam. To ensure this, the signal from the parking lights can be taken from the backlight of the button, thanks to which you will not forget about deactivating the DRL. - Using the ATmega8 board. This option is more preferable if the machine has difficult access to the wiring. The daytime running lights themselves are purchased separately, you do not need a control unit. Do-it-yourself DRL needs to be installed in the bumper, for this, make the appropriate holes and fix the optics. After completing these steps, you will only have to work with the controller itself.
It should be noted that this board also allows you to implement other, no less useful functions, for example, indicating the operation of the engine heater. In this case, the functioning algorithm will be as follows - when the vehicle is not started, the voltage on the battery will be less than 13.5 volts. Accordingly, when the engine is started, the battery will be recharged, which means that the voltage will be more than 13.5 volts. The DRLs themselves will be activated automatically. To make the connection, two wires must be connected to the battery, and two to the optics itself.
Instructions for the manufacture of the DRL regulator
Consider the process of manufacturing a regulator for DRL at home in accordance with the diagram above.
The logic of the functioning of this device is as follows - the unit activates the daytime running lights only in this case:
- if the power unit of the car is started;
- if the side lights and the high and low beams are switched off.
Actually, these conditions are mandatory and meet all the requirements for the operation of daytime running lights. When you turn on either low beam in the dark, the controller will automatically turn off the running lights.
To make a block in accordance with the scheme, you will need the following elements:
- two bipolar transistors, marked on the diagram as VT1 and VT6;
- three rectifier diode elements, marked as VD1, VD2, VD3;
- two 1 kΩ resistor components R1 and R2;
- you will also need two 5.1 kOhm resistors - labeled as R3 and R4;
- one resistor element per 10 kOhm - R5;
- one 15 amp fuse and one 10 amp relay, marked as K1 in the diagram.
All these spare parts can be purchased at any radio market, in the appropriate store or ordered on the Internet. Problems with the search for the constituent elements of the circuit should not arise. The process of manufacturing the device itself should not cause problems - you just need to connect all the elements on the board in the way shown in the diagram. The connection procedure is carried out by soldering. If you do not know how to solder, then it is better to contact a qualified electrician - any specialist with experience can solder such a regulator without any problems.
When soldering, be careful not to damage the components of the controller, as this may lead to its further inoperability. All parts must be securely soldered, since vibrations can occur when the car is moving, and they, in turn, have a destructive effect on any moving elements. Especially when it comes to electronics.
After the device is done, it must be connected correctly:
- DDM - must be connected to a motor fluid pressure controller or a parking brake;
- the +12 volt output must be connected to a generator device or an ignition switch, in particular, you need to connect it to a contact where voltage appears when the engine is running;
- dimensions - as you might guess, in this case we are talking about the positive contact of the parking lights, the specific connection point does not matter;
- GND is the mass or body of the vehicle;
- DRL - daytime running lights themselves with halogen or diode light sources (the author of the connection video is Vitaly Novakov).
As for setting up the manufactured controller, this process consists in diagnosing the operation algorithm as a result of applying simulation pulses to it. When 12-volt voltage is applied to the side lights input, the relay should automatically turn off. It will also turn off if the oil pressure controller input is shorted to ground.
Issue price
If for some reason you do not want to make a controller at home, then you can always buy it on the market or order it on the Internet. The cost may differ depending on the store, and the difference in price can be up to 40%. On average, the cost of a DRL controller today ranges from 650 to 1000 rubles.
Video "Overview of the DRL controller purchased in China"
The video below shows a detailed overview of the Chinese daytime running lights controller (the author of the video is Sergey Stanevich).