WiFi controlled Christmas light window decoration

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1

Merry Christmas everybody! Every year I do a new project to brighten up our home, this year it's this light up window frame effect. You can see it in action here: WiFi controllable Christmas window lights - YouTube

I have a full tutorial on my site. Using ESP8266 dev board and WS2812 LED strip. No soldering required! WiFi controlled Christmas Light Window Decoration - Circus Scientist

Also a simpler one with Arduino Uno (same LED Strip) which I did last year: Christmas Window Light Decoration with Arduino and WS2812 LED Strip - Circus Scientist - some keyboard control is included in the code (USB Serial).

Let me know what you think!

2

+1

I have the same ESP12e board but I think that I will use a Wemos D1 mini with the WS2812 shield

3

@zoomx are you doing the project then? Let me know if it is clear enough to follow.

I usually like to use the d1 mini as well, but didn't feel like soldering this time.

4

I just compiled the sketch without any errors. I gzipped many files in data in order to try to put them in a ESP-01 but they are big! I found a ESP-01 WS2812 shield and not the wemos shield that I have around.

Maybe I will use a prototype shield.

5

I never tried it on the ESP-01, if I was soldering stuff that's my go-to option, but this project is rather large. By the way, if you are using a shield, is it externally powered? I have limited the brightness in code, you might want to increase it a bit (you can still turn it down in the web app)

just look for this line in esp8266-fastled-webserver.ino:

uint8_t brightnessMap[brightnessCount] = { 1, 3, 6, 12, 25 };

I left the original full brighness option commented below, so you can just swap it in.

6

I believe that it has external power but I have to check it. I believe that I will use some dupont wires to connect the mini shield to a NodeMCU or a Wemos D! mini, avoinding any soldering.
The shield is this one

800×800 61.5 KB

I had to solder the cable in photo to the cable used for these LED strips. I have to find more time anyway.

7

Wow! that is a nice looking ESP-01 shield thing. Looks like power in with a voltage regulator for the ESP-01. Probably runs on 5v. What I really need is the one for APA102 strip! Might just buy some of these though I still have loads of WS2811