AAElectronics' YULC Is an All-In-One Smart Lighting Controller with USB Power Delivery
Negotiating the power it needs for two LED strips drawing up to a combined 100W, this all-in-one board makes smart lighting easy.
Italian electronics firm AAElectronics has developed an all-in-one WLED- and ESPHome-compatible LED controller — designed to be powered over a USB Type-C connection capable of negotiating up to 100W over USB Power Delivery (PD).
"YULC is the perfect dual-channel mate for powering lighting at 5, 12 or 24V," AAElectronics explains of the open-hardware board. "Thanks to the built-in buck regulator, from a maximum of 24V ensures safe 5V or 12V to your output, taking advantage of the Power Delivery (PD) 3.0 protocol up to 100W. On the back of the board there is a powerful [Espressif] ESP32-S3, directly programmable from the USB-C that allows you to manage even more complex effects and to run heavy tasks."
The YULC board, brought to our attention by CNX Software, is at its heart something very traditional: a lighting controller based on the WLED firmware, boasting ESPHome compatibility for integration into Home Assistant and other compatible home automation systems. Where most rival controllers require a separate power supply for the LEDs themselves, though, YULC — "Yes, a USB-C LED Controller" — includes USB Power Deliver negotiation for up to 100W, fed into an on-board buck converter.
For those who prefer a traditional fixed-voltage power supply, the YULC includes a barrel-jack input supporting supplies up to 24V. In either case, the power is fed to two independent LED channels — both of which have a dedicated level shifter. "You won't need any external level shifter," AAElectronics promises, "neither sacrificing a pixel to boost the data voltage."
With up to 100W of power flowing through the board, though, things can get toasty — which is why AAElectronics' design includes heatsink and an a fan, a regulator with integrated over-temperature protection, and a blade fuse one each output to protect against overload. This is can be rated to 20A, to allow for the full 100W, or lower-value fuses can be installed to protect smaller or less power-hungry strips — and the Espressif ESP32-S3 includes the ability to monitor the fuse and report if it has blown.
The YULC board is available to order on AAElectronics' Tindie store at $35, including 15A fuse, a set of heatsinks, 5V fan, and M2 screws for a 3D-printable enclosure and fan mount. Schematics, bill of material, and KiCad project files for the YULC are provided on AAElectronics' website under the Strongly Reciprocal version of the CERN Open Hardware License.