Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Create your own 8x8x8 LED Cube 3-dimensional display!
We believe this Instructable is the most comprehensive step-by-step guide to build an 8x8x8 LED Cube ever published on the intertubes. It will teach you everything from theory of operation, how to build the cube, to the inner workings of the software. We will take you through the software step by step, both the low level drivers/routines and how to create awesome animations. The software aspect of LED cubes is often overlooked, but a LED cube is only as awesome as the software it runs.
About halfway through the Instructable, you will actually have a fully functional LED cube. The remaining steps will show you how to create the software.
A video is worth a thousand words. I'll just leave it up to this video to convince you that this is the next project you will be building:
I made this LED cube together with my friend chiller. The build took about 4 days from small scale prototyping to completed cube. Then another couple of hours to debug some faulty transistors.
The software is probably another 4-5 days of work combined.
We believe this Instructable is the most comprehensive step-by-step guide to build an 8x8x8 LED Cube ever published on the intertubes. It will teach you everything from theory of operation, how to build the cube, to the inner workings of the software. We will take you through the software step by step, both the low level drivers/routines and how to create awesome animations. The software aspect of LED cubes is often overlooked, but a LED cube is only as awesome as the software it runs.
About halfway through the Instructable, you will actually have a fully functional LED cube. The remaining steps will show you how to create the software.
A video is worth a thousand words. I'll just leave it up to this video to convince you that this is the next project you will be building:
I made this LED cube together with my friend chiller. The build took about 4 days from small scale prototyping to completed cube. Then another couple of hours to debug some faulty transistors.
The software is probably another 4-5 days of work combined.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1Skills required
At first glance this project might seem like an overly complex and daunting task. However, we are dealing with digital electronics here, so everything is either on or off!
I've been doing electronics for a long time, and for years i struggled with analog circuits. The analog circuits failed over half the time even if i followed instructions. One resistor or capacitor with a slightly wrong value, and the circuit doesn't work.
About 4 years ago, I decided to give microcontrollers a try. This completely changed my relationship with electronics. I went from only being able to build simple analog circuits, to being able to build almost anything!
A digital circuit doesn't care if a resistor is 1k ohm or 2k ohm, as long as it can distinguish high from low. And believe me, this makes it A LOT easier to do electronics!
With that said, there are still some things you should know before venturing out and building this rather large project.
You should have an understanding of:
I've been doing electronics for a long time, and for years i struggled with analog circuits. The analog circuits failed over half the time even if i followed instructions. One resistor or capacitor with a slightly wrong value, and the circuit doesn't work.
About 4 years ago, I decided to give microcontrollers a try. This completely changed my relationship with electronics. I went from only being able to build simple analog circuits, to being able to build almost anything!
A digital circuit doesn't care if a resistor is 1k ohm or 2k ohm, as long as it can distinguish high from low. And believe me, this makes it A LOT easier to do electronics!
With that said, there are still some things you should know before venturing out and building this rather large project.
You should have an understanding of:
- Basic electronics. (We would recommend against building this as your very first electronics project. But please read the Instructable. You'll still learn a lot!)
- How to solder.
- How to use a multimeter etc.
- Writing code in C (optional. We provide a fully functional program, ready to go)
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
![Hard Wired LED Cube: [No Programming]](http://img.instructables.com/files/deriv/FTD/SF1T/GO8DC8KW/FTDSF1TGO8DC8KW.SQUARE.jpg)
First, I sincerely thank the creator of this project, I followed everything to the letter everything works fine. To simplify things I used the Arduino.
I wonder if you can add other animations, always with arduino. In part with ATMEGA, the animation of fireworks that is beautiful, but what is not in programming with Arduino. How can I do?? Thank you again.
http://www.powersupplydepot.com/Power_Supplies/Bench_Supplies/0-18V,_0-3_A_Variable_Benchtop_Power_Supply_9600_PS.asp
If not can you send me a good one.
I want to know how much can be the value of the resistace pull up (Rc) besides I have pull a resistance Rb=1 k to transistor NPN MPS 2222 A
I used the following on my working cube:
R2=10K
R3-R18 220 ohm
R20-R28 4k7 ohm
Hope this helps
I want to ask wht the value I suposed to do in R20-R28
R20-R28 should 4K7 ohms or 4.7k ohms or 4700 ohms if you prefer
As for using 1k resistors on the base leg of the transistors this value is oo high. Read the posts and you will see that 220 ohms is the correct value. assuming you are using them in parallel as CHR did in his circuit design.
I have a working cube based on these values so I can assure you they are correct.
At the moment, it only runs the default animations as I didn't have time to programm new ones, but one of the future goals is to have winamp or vlc visualizations running on the cube.
Also I forgot to drill a hole for the RS232 mode btn, hence the cable coming out under the front.
Let me once again, thank you and the community for this great instructable and all the helpful comments.
gracias
by looking through the comments i have finally gotten all the info to complete my shopping list =))))
i was just wondering if anyone can tell me what pull-up resistors they used for the control board with the transistor array. there seems to be some confusion. thanks alot in advance.
I found this instructional that can be used as a reference to a complete wiring of the backside of the AVR board. It helped me a lot along with the Addendum instructional.
http://www.instructables.com/id/My-8x8x8-LED-Cube/
It are two printed circuits, 10 x 8cm, stackable, real neat.
Rick
martin31c@yahoo.com
waiting fr yr answer thank y a looot
But most enthusiasts would only be able to make projects similar to mine!
;-DDD
reg
aketan
Now I am trying to get the rs232 mode to work. I bought a usb to ttl converter module built and ran the software on linux and put the cube in rs232 mode.
Although the cube lit up I had no succes. The Led's are just flashing randomly. If you try very hard you might recognize some patterns but mostly it just seems random.
I also downloaded the software that gives you a virtual cube where you can put lights on or off by clicking on the virtual cube. This also doesn't work like it should. When I let the software put the entire cube on, just 4 leds on 1 row flas on and of 1 time. When I turn the cube on and off a few times every time just a few leds every time in a different row will light.
When I turn 1 led on just a random led will turn on untillI turn it off again..
Does anybody have any idea what might be wrong?????
This is a link to the converter i bought: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170798767126?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
I don't think there is something wrong with the data I send because it is the standard program I used from this instructible.
T1 in at the MAX232 should connect to pin 15 TXD PD1 at the ATMEGA end and R1 out to pin 14 RXD PD0
instructables,chr,jwestenberg, thank you
If you learn anything can you let me know?
Thanks,
Matt
http://www.mushroo.me/home/voxel-shield/voxel-shield-overview
another one is with a netduino mini here is the link
http://wiki.netduino.com/Print.aspx?Page=LEDCube
My team at ITT Tech is going with the netduino for our project since we need to get it done and all the code is there we used 100 ohm resistors instead of the 68 ohm.
Hopefully this helps.
Thanks for the reply
http://jacksonliam.blogspot.com/2012/03/led-cube-8x8x8-part-1-theory.html
He build it just like I am going to and the code is given.
I hope this helps someone.
Matt