Hello all,
Recently I have been working on making a 113 Bi-color LED cube that I managed to get all of the newly bought parts for a total cost of $61.89 USD... TOTAL!!!!
(most@ eBay.com)
But now that I've dug myself into this project, (less than 4% done soldering and bending leads) I've realized that stuff like THIS
(which seems to be a ripoff compared to my project's cost) is probably what a number of, what I believe is/was called "yabb newbies" on this fourm,
are buying on that link's KIT tab...
Not saying Sparkfun.com is in anyway at all bad, just that perhaps their choice on the overall cost of the "LED Cube 3x3x3" was, not very well researched...
Anyway, the reason I made this post was so that I could get some input to either the $60 "113Duo-Kube" (see notes @ bottom pls) being in the exhibition part of this forum, or in an "INSTRUCTABLE", or both...
If you could please vote for 1 of the choices in the above POLL
"113Duo-Kube" < this might be the logo of this project so please don't use
I've realized that stuff like THIS(which seems to be a ripoff compared to my project's cost) is probably what a number of, what I believe is/was called "yabb newbies" on this fourm, are buying on that link's KIT tab...
I've seen LED cubes for £100+, pre-built. If people want a challenge, some fun, and a cool project for a low price, you can make an LED cube. Otherwise, you can spend lots of money on something that you havbe not built, and get much less satisfaction. If more people knew about the arduino and how to use it, I'm sure there would be a lot of happier people. An arduino tutorial might be good for getting people interested.
An LED cube project can be a very rewarding and challenging project. Don't underestimate the amount of labor one will require, esp for the larger cube sizes. I scratch built and programmed a 5x5x5 blue led cube and found it quite challenging. Recommend diffused leds for best visual effect.
retrolefty:
An LED cube project can be a very rewarding and challenging project. Don't underestimate the amount of labor one will require, esp for the larger cube sizes. I scratch built and programmed a 5x5x5 blue led cube and found it quite challenging. Recommend diffused leds for best visual effect.
Lefty
That is exactly what I am doing at the minute! I was planning on having it finished about a month ago, but I forgot to buy some bits. After I bought them, I realised that I was missing more bits. I am waiting for some wire to connect everything up, so it should not be long until it is finished. Then again, I said that a month ago...
I also wrote my program from scratch, as I wanted a challenge. Sadly, I think I have all the bit orders wrong for the first half of the program. (I am using shift registers to control it from an atmega328, so I need all the bits to be in the correct order, otherwise it will not show any pattern). All my progress so far is in the news section of my website.
retrolefty:
An LED cube project can be a very rewarding and challenging project. Don't underestimate the amount of labor one will require, esp for the larger cube sizes. I scratch built and programmed a 5x5x5 blue led cube and found it quite challenging. Recommend diffused leds for best visual effect.
Lefty
That is exactly what I am doing at the minute! I was planning on having it finished about a month ago, but I forgot to buy some bits. After I bought them, I realised that I was missing more bits. I am waiting for some wire to connect everything up, so it should not be long until it is finished. Then again, I said that a month ago...
I also wrote my program from scratch, as I wanted a challenge. Sadly, I think I have all the bit orders wrong for the first half of the program. (I am using shift registers to control it from an atmega328, so I need all the bits to be in the correct order, otherwise it will not show any pattern). All my progress so far is in the news section of my website.
Onions.
Onions:
retrolefty:
An LED cube project can be a very rewarding and challenging project. Don't underestimate the amount of labor one will require, esp for the larger cube sizes. I scratch built and programmed a 5x5x5 blue led cube and found it quite challenging. Recommend diffused leds for best visual effect.
Lefty
That is exactly what I am doing at the minute! I was planning on having it finished about a month ago, but I forgot to buy some bits. After I bought them, I realised that I was missing more bits. I am waiting for some wire to connect everything up, so it should not be long until it is finished. Then again, I said that a month ago...
I also wrote my program from scratch, as I wanted a challenge. Sadly, I think I have all the bit orders wrong for the first half of the program. (I am using shift registers to control it from an atmega328, so I need all the bits to be in the correct order, otherwise it will not show any pattern). All my progress so far is in the news section of my website.
I don't think you need to necessarily do a tutorial on how to do a 11x11x11 LED cube, the basic mechanics is the same as a 555 and that would be much more tackleable by a newb
Valalvax:
I don't think you need to necessarily do a tutorial on how to do a 11x11x11 LED cube, the basic mechanics is the same as a 555 and that would be much more tackleable by a newb
Very true! When I built myfirst LED cube, I really wanted to know how to connect up the LEDs, not about the driving circuits or software. I only found a tiny amount of information about this on the internet. Maybe if you explain how (and why) they are usually set up, and also do a tutorial, more people would find it useful. The size does not really matter, only a bigger cube is harder than a small one, so you could consider adding a couple of tutorials on building different sized cubes.
After my attiny2313-3x3x3 cube I'm interested too.
My interest wouldn't be hard-, but software.
Building the hardware of a cube takes lots of time, but that isn't a problem. Efficiently programming it, making the most possible with the least amount of lines of coding is much more what interests me.
I do like the idea of an cube with an odd number^3 of leds, having one Led exactly in the middle seems aesthetically more pleasing to me as having to light 4. 11^3 is quite large, 5^3, 7^3 or even 9^3 would also be OK for me.
Personally I wouldn't mind a single-colour version since I've been dumpster-diving at my previous job, everything that didn't pass the final test was thrown away, I probably could make an 15^3 cube and won't need to buy a shift-register in 3 lifetimes ;-).
I found this link LED Cube Matrix Driver and already soldered 5 layers of LEDs.
But I can`t find a similar project that is based for Arduino uno. Can any one point me in right direction.
That sound like fun to make. I am also interrested to make a 3^3 version. ( need 27 leds ) A 11^3 is for me a "bit" $$$. For an 11^3 = 1331 Leds !!! at let say 0.25 each = $332.75 ( sorry that I use USA/CAN $ here) Way to much $$$$ How can you get 1331 led's ? Did you get them for free ? At a penny each 0.01 * 1331 = $13.31. Did you get the Led's a penny each ?
The make it will fun for me, figure out to make a cube using led's, specially using RGB ( 4 pins to worry about ) , the programing will be "interresting" and "challenging". I guess I have to design/program it using some programming "techniques".
I found this link http://picprojects.org.uk/projects/lc/ and already soldered 5 layers of LEDs.
But I can`t find a similar project that is based for Arduino uno. Can any one point me in right direction.
Thank you.
I based my 5x5x5 cube on that project link, at least for the hardware side. Here is where I posted my results:
I normally don't mess with projects like this. Blinking LEDs don't actually do anything; I prefer projects that move things, monitor things or measure things. However, THOSE LED CUBES ARE FREAKING AWESOME.
I have got to have one of those. I can't imagine how the heck an 11 x 11 x 11 in multiple colors could be done physically. That would take a patience that I just don't think I have. But it is so cool!
When you finish this thing I want a picture; actually several pictures. Close ups, whole thing, running, running with the light off.
Yeah, multicolor would be a challenge - that's like controlling a 33x33x33 cubte!
The big ones I have seen have all been pattern generated from a PC, with the arduino controlling the LEDs.
I check your old post, I copy you code into the IDE, save it. I will study the code to see how you do it. I assuming you use shift register to display the cube. Right ?
I check your old post, I copy you code into the IDE, save it. I will study the code to see how you do it. I assuming you use shift register to display the cube. Right ?
Correct. However different from the PIC schematic, I wired the 25 led columns to the most significant 25 bit of the 32 bit shift register ( 2 16 bit registers wired in series) rather then the least significant 25 bits of the register, so I shift out a complete 32 bit long variable for each 'level' update. I had did that in case in the future I wanted to take advantage of those extra 7 output bits, perhaps to drive a 5 digit seven segment display.
PS: whatever leds you decide on be sure to use the diffused varity, as the brighter clear leds have a narrower 'field of view' and won't look nearly as good in a cube application. You can sand leds to diffuse them but that's a lot of sandpaper and elbow grease, better to just buy the right ones to begin. E-bay Asian sellers have killer good prices on bulk leds.
I am more interrest to build RGB 3 X 3 X 3 ( a possiblility ) . A bit easier to solder than a 11 X 11 X 11. and cheaper. The cube will look cool , specially display/show the cube in the living room as a decorative show piece, just like my 1/25 scale model kits <-- one of my hobbies.
Thank retrolefty for your tips. About your program, I will study it and use some of the programing techniques in my projects. ( you own version of shiftOut().
( sorry that I use USA/CAN $ here) Way to much $$$$ How can you get 1331 led's ? Did you get them for free ? At a penny each 0.01 * 1331 = $13.31. Did you get the Led's a penny each ?