What is a LED cube

Step 4: What is a LED cube

A LED cube is like a LED screen, but it is special in that it has a third dimension, making it 3D. Think of it as many transparent low resolution displays. In normal displays it is normal to try to stack the pixels as close as possible in order to make it look better, but in a cube one must be able to see trough it, and more spacing between the pixels (actually it's voxels since it is in 3d) is needed. The spacing is a trade-off between how easy the layers behind it is seen, and voxel fidelity.

Since it is a lot more work making a LED cube than a LED display, they are usually low resolution. A LED display of 8x8 pixels is only 64 LEDs, but a LED cube in 8x8x8 is 512 LEDs, an order of magnitude harder to make! This is the reason LED cubes are only made in low resolution.

A LED cube does not have to be symetrical, it is possible to make a 7x8x9, or even oddly shaped ones.

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Charlie13 says: Mar 24, 2011. 3:58 PM

Just wondering, are these safe to have around children? I would like to build one but i'm afraid there would be open circuits for my brother to touch. I'm afraid massive amounts of electrical tape would ruin the effect

mrmerino says: Nov 5, 2012. 8:08 AM

At 5 volts, there's no danger of electrocuting yourself. Just make sure nothing gets jammed into it and shorts it.

martyvonx says: Mar 28, 2011. 6:16 PM

The voltages are so low that touching the wires poses no danger. (5 volts with current limiting resistors) I'd be more worried about the kids breaking it.

aroberts-1 says: Mar 27, 2011. 3:24 PM

you could put it in a plexi glass case of some sorts to be on the safe side

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Step 4: What is a LED cube

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Intro: LED Cube 8x8x8

Step 1: Skills required

Step 2: Component list

Step 3: Ordering components

Step 4: What is a LED cube

Step 5: How does a LED cube work

Step 6: The anatomy of a LED cube

Step 7: Cube size and IO port requirements

Step 8: IO port expansion, more multiplexing

Step 9: IO port expansion, alternative solution

Step 10: Power supply considerations

Step 11: Buy a power supply

Step 12: Build a power supply

Step 13: Choose your LEDs

Step 14: Choose your resistors

Step 15: Choose the size of your cube

Step 16: How to make straight wire

Step 17: Practice in small scale

Step 18: Build the cube: create a jig

Step 19: Build the cube: soldering advice

Step 20: Build the cube: test the LEDs

Step 21: Build the cube: solder a layer

Step 22: Build the cube: test the layer

Step 23: Build the cube: straigthen the pins

Step 24: Build the cube: bend the pins

Step 25: Build the cube: solder the layers together

Step 26: Build the cube: create the base

Step 27: Build the cube: mount the cube

Step 28: Build the cube: cathode risers

Step 29: Build the cube: attach cables

Step 30: Build the controller: layout

Step 31: Build the controller: clock frequency

Step 32: Build the controller: protoboard soldering advice

Step 33: Build the controller: Power terminal and filtering capacitors

Step 34: Build the controller: IC sockets, resistors and connectors

Step 35: Build the controller: Power rails and IC power

Step 36: Build the controller: Connect the ICs, 8bit bus + OE

Step 37: Build the controller: Address selector

Step 38: Build the controller: AVR board

Step 39: Build the controller: Transistor array

Step 40: Build the controller: Buttons and status LEDs

Step 41: Build the controller: RS-232

Step 42: Build the controller: Make an RS-232 cable

Step 43: Build the controller: Connect the boards

Step 44: Build the controller: Connect the cube

Step 45: Program the AVR: Set the fuse bits

Step 46: Program the AVR with test code

Step 47: Test the cube

Step 48: Program the AVR with real code

Step 49: Software: Introduction

Step 50: Software: How it works

Step 51: Software: IO initialization

Step 52: Software: Mode selection and random seed

Step 53: Software: Interrupt routine

Step 54: Software: Low level functions

Step 55: Software: Cube virtual space

Step 56: Software: Effect launcher

Step 57: Software: Effect 1, rain

Step 58: Software: Effect 2, plane boing

Step 59: Software: Effect 3, sendvoxels random Z

Step 60: Software: Effect 4, box shrinkgrow and woopwoop

Step 61: Software: Effect 5, axis updown randsuspend

Step 62: Software: Effect 6, stringfly

Step 63: Software: RS-232 input

Step 64: PC Software: Introduction

Step 65: PC Software: Cube updater thread

Step 66: PC Software: Effect 1, ripples

Step 67: PC Software: Effect 2, sidewaves

Step 68: PC Software: Effect 3, fireworks

Step 69: PC Software: Effect 4, Conway's Game of Life 3D

Step 70: Run the cube on an Arduino

Step 71: Hardware debugging: Broken LEDs

Step 72: Feedback

Step 4: What is a LED cube