Who can help me create a light that flickers at specific frequencies (40-50Hz)?

I’m looking for someone who could help design or build a light that can flicker at controlled frequencies around 40-50Hz for medical purposes.

Does anyone know who I could contact for this? Ideally, it would be adjustable across a few set frequencies.

So, you mean 40 to 50 times a second? That’s faster than what’s visible to the eye.

Shae said:
So, you mean 40 to 50 times a second? That’s faster than what’s visible to the eye.

Yes, it’s meant for a medical purpose, so it works similarly to binaural beats, just in a visual form.

@Nico
How intense should the flicker be? Like full on-off at 40Hz, or just varying light levels? If you need a precise strobe effect, a basic circuit with a function generator could work to create that frequency. I’d probably go for a setup that uses a 555 timer or a more specific LED driver for a stable flicker.

@Shawn
On-off would be best, but slight dimming is okay too. Looking for a strobe at 40Hz, ideally even with slight variations at 47 and 49Hz for testing purposes.

Nico said:
@Shawn
On-off would be best, but slight dimming is okay too. Looking for a strobe at 40Hz, ideally even with slight variations at 47 and 49Hz for testing purposes.

Are you trying to stimulate something in the eye-brain pathway or using it for another purpose?

For a simple setup, I’d use a function generator with an LED and N-MOSFET circuit for on-off control at your desired frequency. If this is something you’re planning to replicate for a medical setting, I’d recommend a proper LED driver with adjustable frequency. Have you considered using an Arduino for this?

@Shawn
Yes, it’s meant to stimulate the eye-brain connection. My goal is to get a basic version working, then maybe scale it up for broader use. I’ve heard about oscilloscopes for measuring, but not sure about controlling flicker. My friend suggested using an Arduino, so I’ll show him your idea!

@Nico
Perfect! Your friend is on the right track. With an Arduino, you can easily program the desired frequency and drive an LED to flicker at the precise rate you need. Let him know he can use a low-side N-FET for the setup, and if using a high-power LED, make sure the power source is adequate.

Just a heads-up: flickering at these frequencies can be dangerous for individuals predisposed to seizures. IEEE guidelines recommend keeping modulation below 5% at frequencies under 90Hz for safety.

If you’re running an LED off an AC power supply, it’ll flicker automatically at your mains frequency—60Hz in the US or 50Hz in some other regions.

Maybe try posting in the lightingdesign forum as well.