I've just finished writing the software for a DRL controller. Although the combined handguard/DRLs I have direct the beam downwards to the ground to eliminate dazzling, it is only that way because I had to mount them that way, they are really very bright at night, too bright for direct forward facing applications.
By law, DRL's are supposed to dim to 50% when the headlight is on (an interpretation of the idea that they should be 50% at night), but as my TDM has it's headlight permanently on then in daytime 50% brightness DRL's won't be as effective. Any DRL located near to an indicator must also extinguish when it's own side's turn indicator comes on. I think these 'laws' are mainly directives, and also construction and use regulations for cars only, but they make good sense are good as a starting point.
My DRL controller extinguishes the DRL on the side which has an active indicator lamp. It also has a light sensor which automatically dims the DRLs at night, and has an input from the horn which, when triggered, flashes the DRL's rapidly ( you can often hear a horn in traffic but how do you know which vehicle gave the warning ? This is an optional feature)
There is a single pushbutton control which cycles operation through 4 modes. A single LED on the control box blinks the mode 'number' (The indicator LED also dims in response to ambient light levels, to prevent blinding the rider at night)
Mode 0 - all off
Mode 1 - automatic dimming with glimmering effect to enhance visibility. the depth of glimmering reduces as the ambient light reduces
mode 2 - DRL's fixed at 50% brightness (no dimming or glimmering)
Mode 3 - DRLs at 100% brightness
Mode 4 - High visibilty. a more obvious glimmering. A lead rider in a convoy may use this if they don't have hazard lights.
There's also an output to switch on a fog lamp (can be either LED or tungsten), which will also be flashed during very heavy braking as a 'rear end guard'
The glimmering effect is not just a flashing on-off effect. the brightness is switched subtly between two different levels, and is applied to each DRL in opposition, so it creates a movement from side to side. The night time glimmering switches between 55%-40%.
Next job is to finish building the circuit, fit it to my bike and then test it out and get some opinions.
A later addition is hopefully going to be motion detection, so that rapid changes in direction can cause a deeper glimmering effect, and also so that the glimmering can be disabled when the bike is stationary, so as not to cause annoyance when stopped.
At some point I would like to then look to getting some opinions, and I might even attempt to market it.
Watch this space !
Edited by fixitsan, 04 November 2017 - 04:20 pm.