4x4x4 interactive LED-cube with Arduino

To explain my 4x4x4 interactive LED-cube published before, a bit more clear, I will try to make my first step by step instructable.

This 4x4x4 cube is interactive by using the top four corner LEDs both as LEDs and as sensors that will react on light. Depending on what LED gets the least light, the cube will run a different show.

Step 1 You will need:

TOOLS
soldering iron
pliers
small screwdriver
some drillbits
drill
solder
piece of wood
pencil
ruler
computer with Arduino software
USB-cable
snips
sharpie
breadboard (optional)

PARTS
64 led's
4 resistors that go with the LED's (yes just 4)
1 Photocube
1 Arduino
some wire
some small COAX wire (isolated wire)
16 headerpins

Comments

[gibsoncrazed14]

I'm brand new with arduino and i was curious to how you would upload the code on to it? any help will be appreciated. Also great work.
- Thanks

[kenyer]

Hi,
That is really easy. You just need to download the free software from www.arduino.cc (for windows, mac or linux) and you can write your code in this program and push "play" to send it trough a USB-cable to your Arduino.

[gibsoncrazed14]

Thank you so much. i know this was a simple question but like i said i'm brand new with arduino
-Thanks

[cvenko]

Question...
If i want to remove "sensors" LEDs and make normal LED cube, what would i have to change? Would it work if i just solder 4 corner LEDs like the others are and then solder them to third layer as the rest are? And then i do little reprograming?
BTW i already build first 3 layers and it works like a charm...:D

Thanks

[kenyer]

Hi Cvenko,

Yes if you just solder the corners in like the rest, you will have a "normal" 4x4x4 LED-cube.
Will you show the result?

Peter

[cvenko]

waw... Thanks for quick reply...

For now only layers 1 and 2 are working correctly... the 3 and 4 are behaving wierd... I will need to check if soldering was done correctly... But tomorrow;)

I will show result when the project is finished...

Thanks again

[argentinoloco87]

hey. i am trying to finish the first layer, but i cant seem to get the wiring right to go to the arduino. is there any way you could post a picture?
thanks

[ch2s]

Hi Kenyer,
Can you explain why the void setup - PinMode have to set to INPUT?? Thanks :)

[kenyer]

That is a need trick. Normally the pin is HIGH or LOW, but when it is set on INPUT it is neither. It just goes along with whatever it gets.

[ch2s]

If the extra LED is a sensor then why can the sensor itself blinking ? is it possible ?

[kenyer]

When the LED is blinking it is temporarily not a sensor. The pin switches between input and output. At the same time sensor and LED is not possible. (as far as I know)

[ch2s]

I already construct and program the first layer..but..I don know why the led light go vertically down from left to right...where yours is horizontally from left to right....is it I construct wrong?

[kenyer]

Aren't your wires just the other way around in your Arduino?

[ch2s]

HI, i just want to confirm again ...the anode pin (long) to breadboard , cathode (short ) with resistor ..anode connect to 4 to 7, cathode connect from 0 to 3 right ?:)...but i saw ur picture ur resistor's wire connect to 4 to 7 ?

[ch2s]

i construct the cathode to 0 till 3 , the anode to 4 till 7 ...i think i construct it wrongly because i make the cathode pin to upper right ..and the anode pin lower left ....is it ok ?

[10$man]

Ok, I have done the first two layers succesfully. Now I am trying to get the 3rd and fourth layers...

So far I have put together another layer like the second layer and soldered the Cathodes to the Anodes, and have the Anodes free to be connected to the Arduino.
I don't understand how to connect the 4th layer at all...

[kenyer]

I added some instructions to the Instructable. I hope it is more clear now. I also added the Fritzing-file of the schematic, so you can actually reed it. I hope this helped.

[10$man]

So, am I charlieplexing the 4th layer to the 3rd?

(Sorry, I am not really good with schematics)

[kenyer]

Yes, exactly. Just leave out the four corner-LED's. They will go directly to the Arduino. (So you're better than you thought)

[10$man]

Alright, so. charlieplex the 4th layer (minus the corners) to the 3rd.
With the corners, do I connect the Cathode and Anode to Arduino? Will I need more resistors?

[kenyer]

The anodes of the third layer will be soldered to the cathodes of the second layer. The cathodes of the third layer go to the arduino. You will not need more resistors.

[10$man]

I'm sorry, I was referring to the fourth layer

[kenyer]

All the cathodes of the four LED's are connected together and go to ground on the Arduino. The anodes go to four analog ports on the Arduino. It would be logic to put a resistor between the cathodes and the GND. I didn't do that because it will make it much harder for the Arduino to read the LED's when they act like a sensor.

[ch2s]

Hi Kenyer, did you mean the LED itself can also be a Sensor ?? can you explain more about this ..Thanks!

[kenyer]

Hi,

Yes, the LED is the sensor and it is also a LED. It is not both in the same time, but on the arduino, we can change the ports from input to output, so the LED can first be sensor with the analog-port on the Arduino being input and next it is a normal LED if we put the analog-port in output-mode.
See also my mini-instructable on the subject and play a bit with that:
http://www.instructables.com/id/LED-as-lightsensor-on-the-arduino/

[ch2s]

THANK YOU! :)

[ch2s]

sorry Kenyer, i use so long to finally understood the first layer and second layer ...but im still confuse about the third and the fourth layer..can i request that maybe more picture upload for that, and can u show the picture between the cube and ARDUINO connection? ...and actually we need 60 LEDs and 4 LED sensor right ?Besides that , do i need other IC chips ?? capacitor? or anything? im new for that and im quite excited to this project ! Thanks :)

[kenyer]

I will see what I can do with extra pictures.
You will just need the 4 resistors as mentioned. No other electronics-parts needed.

[ch2s]

THANKS! :)

[ch2s]

(removed by author or community request)

[kenyer]

Hi,
I used the newer Arduino Duemilanove board, (not the uno that is on the picture, but that will work also), so that must be the ATmega328p. But I'm sure it will also work with the 168. The sketch is not that big. I just don't have one to try.
The ATmega8 chip on the Uno is just the chip that handles the USB-connection and has nothing to do with het actual chip that handles the Arduino-software. That is also the ATmega328.

[walnut23]

hey Kenyer, Christian here(walnut23) I have checked my wiring many times and cannot seem to get the LED sesors to respond. I have also been playing with the void splash commands and have not been succesful. Your instructions are very helpful but there is a lot of other stuff in the code. With sensor splash 3, can i just delete all that stuff and put in a4(); and get one LED to light up? I would just like to make a different layer light up according to the four sensors.

Thanks,
Christian

[kenyer]

Hi Christian,

Yes, you can just delete everything in Splash 3 and put a4(); there, than just 1 LED will light up, instead of what is playing now.

[walnut23]

Hey Kenyer, I have been fooling around with the delays and am wondering how to get the cube to stop lighting up until I put my hand over the sensors


Thanks,
Christian

[kenyer]

You can play around with the sensitivity of the sensors.

sens1 = totaal1/x;
totaal1 = 0;
basis1 = sens1-20; // instellen van de gevoeligheid
sens2 = totaal2/x;
totaal2 = 0;
basis2 = sens2-20;
sens3 = totaal3/x;
totaal3 = 0;
basis3 = sens3-20;
sens4 = totaal4/x;
totaal4 = 0;
basis4 = sens4-20;

"instellen van de gevoeligheid" means setting the sensitivity in Dutch. Here it is set on 20 for all four sensors. If you increase this number for all four sensors, they will be less sensitive.

It is also very important that you use cable with the anode connected to the inside and the cathode connected to a wire that is totally surrounding the inside cable and shielding it for interference that is all around us.

[walnut23]

Hey this is really great, I am doing a project for school and I am using your tutorial. Great work!!! I am really new at this and am wondering about the pin headers. There are a bunch on the internet and I am not sure which to het, double, female, male. Do i just break them apart to use them??? Look forward to your reply and thanks for the lessons.

Best,
Christian

[kenyer]

Hi Christian,

That must be a nice school you are on.
You should use single, male headers. Most of the time I cut them with a stanley-knife. If you break them they often break at the wrong place.
You can also do without the headers and bend en put the ends of the wires directly in the Arduino. It is just a little bit more fiddly.

Peter

[walnut23]

Thanks so much for the reply- my cube is lighting up which is very exciting- however- sometimes the first cycle of lights is much dimmer than the next run.  Also, when I run the program, I pretty much have to touch the four corner LED's in order to start the cycle (not just run my hand over them). how does this work without photo sensors??  Last request- I am new to all this stuff and am amazed that the cube even lights up (thanks to your great instructions) but I am trying to make it a little more personal so I am not just copying your whole project ( I will definitely be footnoting you for my presentation).  I would like the cube to do some really simple things depending on which light sensor I wave my hand over. For example, just have one light go on for one corner, two lights for the next corner, a level of lights for the next, etc.  I am diving into your code and trying to hack the best I can- but like I said I am a newbie- any suggestions or good sources for alternative codes (simple) that would work with your interactive cube would be a great help.  Regardless, great job and thanks for making this accessible for everyone to enjoy- planning on doing an 8x8 in the future. Best, Christian

[kenyer]

So cool to hear that you finished the cube. The LED's when they are not powered, react as a light sensor. Different colors of LED's react better or worse on different sorts of lights. You can try different lamps, brighter light or a different location of your light source to get a better reaction.
If I have some time I will give a better explanation of the code, to make it easier to tinker with it.
I would love to see a picture or youtube-clip of your cube.

[kenyer]

I just added an extra step to the Ible, to clarify the code a little. I hope it is helpful.