For those who have used or are planning on using our Express (1-2 business day) shipping option to the United States: In recent years, Purolator, the Canadian shipping company who handles the Express shipments, had all parcels destined for the United States delivered by Airborne Express. This past year, Airborne Express was purchased by DHL. […]
Project: APA102-2020 MicroNova Custom LE...
Solar botics
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.
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.
MORE POSTS
More PICAXE Goodness
Boy oh boy, it's been a busy week for PICAXE stuff. We actually got a big ol' shipment in late last week, which included the new 40X2 chips. And by now we've receiveded everything, including even more X2 chips. But this time they're of the 28-pin variety. (Don't worry, the 28X1's haven't gone the way […]
Solarbotics at RoboMaxx, Robothon
We're making the trip out to Robomaxx in Grants Pass, Oregon October 11-12. Gonna be there? Hunt down the dude in the cowboy hat wearing the "Solarbotics" Shirt. That'll be me. Maybe I'll have samples of our gearmotors burning a hole in my pocket. If it isn't me, tell him to give back my hat […]
New Product: Synapse & ESP
Synapse 220 Modules RF220SU SNAP Engine, 2 Mbps 2.4 GHz CAD40.43/USD29.95 WiFi is good, but the SNAP Engine Model RF220SU is an IEEE 802.15.4, low-power, very robust solution for embedded wireless control and monitoring networks. With auto-mesh networking (try that WiFi...). 2Mbps on the 2.4GHz spectrum and RP-SMA or U.FL selectable antenna. Synapse RF220UF1 CAD40.43/USD29.95 […]
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.