Oh this time of year back again. I mean the time when I wear 4 layers instead of 8, which in Canadaland is called "summer". The icicles become somewhat warmer and Canadians wear shorter shorts than usual. Acrylic Skeleton Clock "Acrylic" and "skeleton" in one sentence? That should be interesting... (Via Dangerous Prototypes) Speed Reading […]
APA102-2020 MicroNova Custom LED Choker
Solarbotics Ltd
February 23, 2018
I created this choker as a project to demonstrate the new MicroNova APA102-2020 LED strips.
Photo by Yeti, edited by Batgirl
These addressable LEDs are extremely small, less than 1/4 the size of a standard 5050 LED.
This project was built using engineering sample standard MicroNova 99 LED / meter strips . The MicroNova strips we are selling have 198/meter - twice the density!
Reason for a Choker necklace:
Hats have been done, shoes have been done, pendants have been done. This is something new for a Valentine’s dance costume, so I decided to go with a choker design. I also wanted something that was interactive, something that would add another layer of WOW to just lighting.
The Build:
I used a Wemos D1 Mini development board along with a boost-converting battery shield for the Wemos D1.
The battery shield was a particularly good choice here because the MicroNova LEDs should be supplied a solid 5VDC. This board boosts the battery voltage to 5V, and then the Wemos D1 Mini bucks it down to 3V3 for it's own operation.
A mini SPDT Slide switch toggles the power from the battery shield to the D1. This allows charging the battery using the battery shield USB connector while not powering the D1.
Epoxy locks the switch and wires in place.
The battery used is a conveniently handy older 450mAh Lithium Polymer. Depending on the lighting mode, this battery can power the necklace for a couple of hours.
I used elastic thread to attach the LED strip and components to the necklace. A heavy duty needle was all that was needed to punch through the (imitation) leather belt. Because the thread was elastic and tied under tension, it held the MicroNova strip well in place.
Operation:
When the choker powers up, it creates a WiFi Access Point called "HeartBurnChoker1".
Once I connected to this WiFi, I opened a browser and went to 192.168.4.1. The control interface is simple, but effective. The D1 Mini has more than ample power and speed to effectively drive these LEDs. The MicroNova features separate clock & data lines, so even relatively slow I/O (like Raspberry Pi) can still make it work.
Video of the Collar in Action
MORE POSTS
New Wheels
Remember those bad-boy wheels you saw on Strongbad? Well, they're now available! But be warned - we don't have the sleeve to fix the 2mm shaft to 1/8" hole diameter gap, so you'll have to improvise something yourself. Otherwise, your robot will have a bit of a lope to its roll!
The Solarbotics GraviTrack Marble Machin...
Our GraviTrack Marble Machine Kit is our newest addition to the Marble-Drop mechanism family. Elegant, swooping hands pass marbles to each other to the top of a sweeping multi-level track, available in either solar or battery configuration! Approximately twice as wide as our spiral Solar or Battery Marble machine kits, the GraviTrack is still desk-top […]
Back on Track
Hey everyone, while parts of Calgary are still in recovery, things are now back to normal on our end. We're processing and shipping out on schedule, and unless you're in a flood-affected area you'll be receiving your order on time. Thanks for your patience!
Solarbotics has been operating for more than 25 years, bringing electronics know-how and supplies to both the electronics professional and hobbyist. We'll be happy to help you too!
Solarbotics, Ltd. is not responsible for misprints or errors on product prices or information. For more information, please see our Terms and Conditions.
Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information. This item was manufactured prior to August 31, 2018.