AuraCube - 4x4x4 RGB Led Cube With Animation Creator

RGB LED Cube is awesome, but it has many led leg to construct and price is high, so here is the cheapest component we can make with 64 RGB LED, You may have all parts DIY by your self, as we share the schematic and PCB layout.

The commercial version of this cube is no long in sell, pls visit https://8x8x8item.com/collections/shop

for 8x8x8 cube and 12x12x12cube

Basic Cube Kit with lots of animation and night light mode and music spectrum

Basic Kit Set

70x Common anode 5mm RGB LED

1x PCB smd parts pre-mounted

1x Stm32f103c8t6 Controller board all parts soldered

70x metal wire pre-cut pre straighten

1x Remote Controller without cr2025 battery

Upgrade kit (Not supplied before October)

5v2a USB power supply

Acrylic case

Tools you will need

-Soldering Iron and solder wire/ solder paste

like this led cube pagehttps://www.facebook.com/3D-LED-CUBE-6920915842424...

Step 1: Soldering the PCB

The SMD parts are pre mounted, if you can print the PCB, here is some step for help

1. You can buy MCU controller board with stm32f103c8t6 MCU, just make sure all the I/O we need are able to route out.

https://www.amazon.com/HiLetgo-STM32F103C8T6-Minim...

2. Else we have about 20 smd parts to solder. refer to the schematic file.

3. There has a USB to TTL parts on the board, which can replace by USB to TTL programmer.

https://www.amazon.com/HiLetgo-Module-Microcontrol...

Here is a technique demo of the soldering, not the same board we need to soldering.

[播放视频]

Step 2: Solering the LED

The Basic kit come with 3D printed soldering holder

You may download and print if you have 3D printer.

4 pins on the led can cut to even length first, then bend and insert to the holder, solder with copper wire on the guide gap.

The anode pin need to use an other holder holding 4 led stick and solder a copper wire horizontally.

Step 3: Correction of the PCB Marking

RGB pin on the PCB has marked in wrong position, refer to the picture for correction.

Step 4: Combine the LED to the PCB

After rgb pin connected with copper wire, there is a anode wire need one more copper wire connected to the PCB. Image will be posted later, from left to right column, from fouth to first layer.

Step 5: Schematic and PCB Layout

-currently the pcb is using smd parts, and may have somthing to edit, so we will upload it at last.

Step 6: Firmware Upload

Use mcuisp for upload firmware, you need to connect to the cube with a mini usb cable. There are two mini USB port, one for PC (USB), one for power (DC)

1. press EnumPort

2. Choose Port "free USB serial CH340"

3. bps:115200

4. Select Reser@DTR Low(<-3V),ISP@RST High

5.Click "..." loAD THE FIRMWARE FILE

6. Start ISP

Ch341 is the driver needed for the connection to PC

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3w2uIW46VgQflFC...

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3w2uIW46VgQLVpM...

Step 7: The Acrylic Case Layout for Reference

No idea for the acrylic case supplies, may upload a design plan later.

Step 8: Using the Animation Creator and Remote Controller

The software fail to registration in Win10, you need a Win 7 or other PC, Software for AuraCube 8x8x8 will work on Win10

1. Registration, buy registration key which can only use for one computer but many cube.

2. Install CH341 driver for Win 8 7 XP

3. Create file and start to draw animation

4. File will save auto, send animation to the correct communication ports as your cube connected to PC.

Here is the link to all the software and animation shared, new animation and updated software will all save on this folder.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3w2uIW46VgQflFCZUVKMHBaSXhCUjNwbm1ZQ0VUbkRoYUVYMGRlcjNNcnpHRi1Hamd0ZEE

The remote controller

- button "3" for night light mode, button "4-9" change the color

- button "1" Music spectrum mode.

- button "0" Play animation send from animation software

- Button "<<"and">" can adjust the speed for animation upload from the software.

Comments

[sean.finch.92]

Someone no here ask if you can get kits you can build yourself, Ebay and Wish, dos them.

[Sveide]

Soldered two for christmas. Worked fine.

But locking software to specific PC seems very old school. Why not open source?

/Jan

[WongH]

A new driver for the AuraCube444 is uploaded

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3w2uIW46VgQQXZxQ2VnaldsclU

[JmB10]

hi

the google drive link is dead

can you post a good

thank you

[WongH]

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3w2uIW46VgQflFC...

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3w2uIW46VgQLVpM...

Hi these are the two folder

[lindalam]

Hi, when will the section for Soldering the LED be updated?

[WongH]

Hi, just started to update with photo.

[hameed_94]

hi.

How can i order the kit with pre-mounted smd parts?

And how much it will cost?

thanks

[WongH]

Hi, it will send smd pre-mounted, free smd pre-mounted to all, Thank You~

[amjoda]

Thank you for your replay
so now i can order this one and it comes with pre-mounted smd Wright?

[WongH]

Yes

[hameed_94]

Hi again
I have order one cube from 24 june
Can i ask you when it will ship?

[amjoda]

Thank you very much :)

[BagotaiT]

Hello.
I'd buy this kit, too. How can i order the kit with pre-mounted smd parts?
How the price change with pre-mounted SMDs?
And if I order it today/tomorrow when it arrives to Hungary?
"soldering flux is recommended" Can i order it from you?
I don't find in local stores...

Sorry for my bad english, and thanks for your support.

[WongH]

Hi, it will send smd pre-mounted, soldering flux no needed now.

[Frankv14]

I'd buy this kit if I could buy the board with the SMD devices pre-mounted.

[WongH]

Hi, OK, I will send it as pre-mounted for you.

[darrenbassett]

Thank you for the instructable, well put together. Please though, use some flux when soldering surface mount components, your method was painful to watch. It will make your life so much easier, and your finished item will look much more professionally soldered.

[WongH]

Hi, will consider the through hole parts in the future, since some smd parts don't have a through hole version now. Thanks for the comment.