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500 LED-Pixel RGB-Brick

by moekoe on September 26, 2016

Table of Contents

500 LED-Pixel RGB-Brick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: 500 LED-Pixel RGB-Brick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Get inspired! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 2: What you need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 3: Building the box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 4: The electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 5: The acrylic cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 6: Bring it together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Step 7: Software and controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 8: Build your own and enjoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

http://www.instructables.com/id/500-LED-Pixel-RGB-Brick/
 Author:moekoe
My name is Moritz and I'm a german electric engineering student. Crafting and creating as well as hacking things are my hobbies.

Intro: 500 LED-Pixel RGB-Brick

A while ago I build a 10x10 LED-Coffetable with some of these WS2812 LEDs, but even if it is possible to play the old-school game Snake with a smartphone connected
to it, I want something more special. So I decided to put a few more leds to it, arranged as a cube in order to get more possibilities creating animations as well as games
and here we are: the RGB-Brick.

I would like to thank the whole team of LED-STUDIEN who funded that project, but specially Dennis Jackstien as my contact person. Without their assistance I wouldn't
be able to build this charming LED-Cube.

Step 1: Get inspired!

Here are a few pictures and a small video with some of the capabilities of the Brick, including plenty of animations, a (work in progress) fire for heated atmosphere, a
music visualizer and the games Snake as well as Tetris.

http://www.instructables.com/id/500-LED-Pixel-RGB-Brick/
http://www.instructables.com/id/500-LED-Pixel-RGB-Brick/
http://www.instructables.com/id/500-LED-Pixel-RGB-Brick/
Step 2: What you need
Here is a list of all the materials you need, some of them are not necessary and others can be exchanged by your favorites:

1. 500 WS2812 LEDs 30px/m

2. 5V 30A power supply
3. Teensy 3.2
4. ESP8266 wifi-modul
5. some pieces of wood:
1. 1x: 27,2cm x 27,2cm x 1,0cm, for the lid
2. 2x: 29,6cm x 27,2cm x 1,0cm, for the large side panels
3. 2x: 25,2cm x 29,6cm x 1,0cm, for the small side panels
4. 1x: 34,0cm x 34,0cm x 1,9cm, for the bottom
5. 8x: 34,0cm x 4,6cm x 0,3cm, for the edges of the LED grid
6. 100x: 34,0cm x 3,3cm x 0,3cm, for the LED grid
6. some pieces of acrylic glass:
1. 1x: 34,0cm x 34,0cm x 0,3cm
2. 2x: 34,0cm x 36,3cm x 0,3cm
3. 2x: 34,6cm x 36,3cm x 0,3cm
4. 1x: 10,0cm x 7,5cm x 0,3cm (optional, for the terminal)
7. Teensy audioboard (optional)
8. Wires,voltage regulator, cable clamps, buzzer, button, temperature sensor (optional)
9. wood glue, acrylic glass glue, screws and other little things

If you want a terminal at the bottom of the cube (it's optional expect for the power jack):

1. 230V power jack

2. 230V switch
3. audio jack
4. USB extension cable

http://www.instructables.com/id/500-LED-Pixel-RGB-Brick/
Step 3: Building the box
First of all we are going to build the wood box including the LED grid. The dimensions of the cube are specified by the distance of the pixel on the LED strip. In this case
the pixel have a distance of 3,4cm, so the cube has to be 34 x 34 x 34cm. You will save a lot of time using this dimensions, because you need not to cut the strip after
every pixel and put it back together by a small cable.

All comes together with some wood glue. You have to work properly cause the acrylic case matches perfectly on top of the wood box. It is getting much easier with some
volunteers around you, or just use a frame tensioner like I did.

The edges of the grid and the grid itself are made of high density fiberboard (HDF). Using a table saw is the best choice because you have to cut even more than 100
pieces of them. You can find the dimensions in the picture above. The grid needs a small gap (about 0,3cm) every 3,4cm in order to get the x and y ledges together.
Once you are done, you can put the edges to the cube and fix them with a lot of wood glue. It's a bit difficult, especially because they should have an angle nearly about
45 degrees. Before you can attach the grid to the cube you have to add the LED strips.

http://www.instructables.com/id/500-LED-Pixel-RGB-Brick/
Step 4: The electronics
The LED strips on the side go once around the cube, therefore cut 10 strips with the length of 40 pixel. For the LEDs on top of the cube cut 10 strips with the length of 10
pixel. Be careful to align the strips correctly by regarding to the arrow on them. Once you remove the glue strip off the cube it will never hold like the first time.

The power supplies are fixed with some screws on the sides of the interior. The power cables from the LEDs are getting into the box by some small holes near every LED
strip.

The controller consists of a Teensy 3.2, an ESP8266 and the Teensy audio board, which is not required to run the cube. The DHT11 was just for checking the
temperature inside the cube but after multiple tests about a few hours I can say that you can leave it out.

On the terminal you can find the power jack as well as the power switch (when I realized that this isn't the best place for a switch it was too late). The USB jack is for
programming the Teensy. The audio-in goes to the Teensy audio board for acting the LEDs to the music. All this comes together on a small peace of aryl glass holding by
two aluminum profiles. Just found this in the garage, you can use whatever you want because its covered by the bottom wood panel and does not contribute to the look of
the cube.

Be aware that one LED uses 60mA, in total that's 30A! Be careful when you hook them up! You have to verify all your circuits before you connect them to the power
supply!

http://www.instructables.com/id/500-LED-Pixel-RGB-Brick/
Step 5: The acrylic cover
More difficult than the wood box due to the smaller thickness, but with enough time and good ideas for keeping the cube together while the glue gets hard you will get this
together. I'm surprised about the strength of this acrylic glue (Acrifix), so I think you don't have to worry about a broken case.

http://www.instructables.com/id/500-LED-Pixel-RGB-Brick/
Step 6: Bring it together
After you completed all the steps before it's time to bring all parts together. When you didn't merge the LED grid yet, then now it's time to do so. I do not glue the grid to
the cube because there is no need for it and in case of a broken LED you can exchange it with no problems, however you need to have more than two hands to hold the
five grids to the cube and put it in the acrylic cover. Last but not least you can screw the bottom wood panel to the cube. The cover is fixed to the bottom wood panel by
eight very small screws.

http://www.instructables.com/id/500-LED-Pixel-RGB-Brick/
Step 7: Software and controls
The sketch on the Teensy is based on the FastLED library which includes several basic animations. Adding the RGBLEDS library package to your sketch brings powerful
matrix algebra for displaying text and 'sprites' with plenty of example sketches as well. If you want to play Tetris as well then refer to the instructable from jollifactory, even
if it uses only a bicolor matrix.

The smartphone app is based on NetIO by David Eickhoff which has a very good documentation. With the NetIO-UI-Designer you can create your own user interface with
buttons, sliders, labels and much more. You can choose the protocol for the outgoing messages in the designer. In my case I took the simplest one - UDP. The messages
are send to the ESP8266 by my home network and the Teensy will evaluate the content and handle the specified command. You can use the attached file to get started
to create your own interface or just use an app of your choice.

File Downloads

RGB-Brick.json (8 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'RGB-Brick.json']

http://www.instructables.com/id/500-LED-Pixel-RGB-Brick/
 Step 8: Build your own and enjoy
Now it's time to get the parts and build your own Brick. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

For more videos you can check my Youtube-Channel as well as the channel of LED-STUDIEN. It's still a work in progress so there will be more material in the future.

German instructions can be found here in a couple of days.

Thanks for reading and have fun playing Tetris or other nice games on your own Brick!

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Comments
1 comments Add Comment

Swansong says: Sep 30, 2016. 7:26 AM REPLY

This would be a lot of fun, I love Tetris :) Great instructable!

http://www.instructables.com/id/500-LED-Pixel-RGB-Brick/