Before you roast me too hard, I already know my electronics acumen is abysmal. But it's a subject I really want to start learning, so I will accept ridicule if that is how it must be. I build Halloween props for my store and sometimes side gigs. I've always wanted to make a more realistic lightning effect. I have decided Arduino is how I will achieve this. I don't know if any of my wiring is correct, but this should give you an idea for what I am looking for- 4 separate LED strips with enough wire to set them 2-5 feet apart. I am only worried about getting it wired correctly first. Then I'll ask about adding an mp3 player, speakers, and finally, coding. But I have to do this one thing at a time for my pea brain to keep up. Appreciate any help/guidance you can give.
Hi @dumbguy. Cool project!
The resistor should be on the data line:
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neopixel-uberguide/basic-connections
Today’s NeoPixels are fairly robust, but if you have early ones or some “WS2812-compatible” parts, it’s advisable to add a 300–500 Ohm resistor between the microcontroller’s output pin and the NeoPixel input.
In your diagram, you have the resistor on the power line.
You should also verify the pins on your LED strip. It is common for the middle pin to be the data pin. The misplacement of the resistor makes me question whether the middle pin on your strip is truly the +5V pin.
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Suggest you power the strips individually.
This will keep IR drop to a minimum.
Data line is daisy chained as shown. -
Forget about that ridicule stuff, we try our best to understand what is being asked for, and expect users to respond to questions and to ask for clarification on things they don’t understand.
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Remember you can always ignore those posts that you feel offended by.
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80pixels * .06A = 4.8A, probably okay.
Thank you. I will make sure to confirm the data line and that I use the resistor there when I build the project!
Thanks for the response! So, can you give me a picture of how I would wire this using your suggestion?
Thanks! I'll check this out!
You seem to suggest using addressable RGB strips, often called "neopixel" or WS2812 strips.
These can produce animated patterns and colours, but for lightning effects I'm not sure you need anything more than white and switching the whole strip on/off.
So another option could be single colour white non-addressable strips. These often run at 12V and may be less expensive and more convenient for you. However, with this type of strip you would need a MOSFET driver module like this one:
Definitely something I will consider. Thank you! Would you be able to show me how I would wire this?
I would be able to do that, yes.
Much appreciated!
Post your updated wiring diagram.
- Make sure the 5v and GND wires are properly connected to the USB connector.
Confirm connections are neatly soldered and insulated with heat shrink.
Thanks everyone for the input! Once all of my parts come in I'll start wiring it up. In the meantime, the MP3 module I'm using has 4 pins (VCC, GND, RX, TX). Do I just run those to the corresponding UNO pins? The module has a headphone jack onboard, so I assume I can plug any computer speakers with the same jack in? I don't know if this helps, but it says "Serial MP3 Player V1.3.2" and "HW-311" on the module.