Introduction: RGB LED CUBE 8x8x8 With Animation Creator

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About: I made many stuff for sell

New Version Here

https://www.instructables.com/id/AuraCube-8x8x8-Com...

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ITEM ON SALE!!

RGBLEDCUBE.COM

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/3D-LED-CUBE/6920915...

Features:

Draw 3D Animation with software!

Include acrylic case, tinted copper wire 0.6mm width

Audio Spectrum Mode and Night Light Mode

Include Remote Controller

Step 1: Soldering the LED

We will start from the LED, with the help of soldering frame and a sort instruction

***use 30w/40w solder iron

A. Bend the led leg beside anode(+) (the longest one) and hold all led on the frame

B. Solder each led leg with tinted copper wire, first is the red green blue pin, when we have 8 led sticks we can solder the anode pin with copper wire in horizontal way. The 3D printed holder can help spacing and alignment.

C. Finally cut all the extra pin/wire, and remove the PCB frame / 3D printed holder for the next layer of led. The anode leg vertically to the PCB ground will be soldered when assembly to the PCB driver board.

D. The 3D printed frame/holder can use for spacing alignment when assembly all led stick.

Practice make perfect, take few wires and leds to try soldering and test you tools/skills first.

Tinted copper wire has been straightened in the kit.

Here is a video for reference(using pcb frame) (will upload video for 3D print frame later):

Step 2: Sketch Up the New Holder for Soldering Leds

1. Cut and bend the led legs, test if the position is correct on the holder,

2. 3D printed holder need some clean up for the detail, can shape with knife or melt with high temp heat.

3. Stick the holder with double side tape on a flat surface, better hold on a 45 degree angle, so the leds won't fall out.

4. Solder the leds with copper wire, after the first 4 row, move upward to solder the 5th and 6th, than 7th and 8th row separately.

Step 3: Correction of the Holder for Soldering Horizontal Anode Wire.

There is a important correction on using the led holder, you should double check if the orientation of the PCB and LEDs is correctly look like the final finish product.

The holder in the picture has a purpose for holding the led stick and solder the horizontal anode wire, but the gap was reversed, so it have to rework the hole a little larger with a 5mm screw driver, and use it like the picture show.

Step 4: Soldering the PCB

Parts included in the package may be slightly different, but all you need for build the LED Cube is included;

PCB 4.0 (4.1) Notice!!!!!!

  • Main Controller Board already soldered

  • You Only need to solder DC jack and 30 similar SMD parts, which takes less than 60 min to do it.

  • Other parts on the cube board are not in use and should keep it clear, otherwise the circuit may shorted.

  • If you are new to solder smd parts, buy some good quality solder wire and solder flux will help.

  • You may add a 2 pin capacitor to each IC 126D, on the VCC and GND PIN to protect it.

Reference Video / Technique demo / Also search youtube for solder paste with hot air.

Step 5: Combine the PCB and Led Vertical Layer

Start to solder led vertical layer to PCB, you are close to finish the assembly.

You should test the led vertical layer with multimeter short circuit test, and problem will be fixed easily before all cube column soldered, most cheap multimeter has enough current to light up the led, some may not.

Stop soldering onto PCB if the animation does not look correct.

Each horizontal anode copper wire need to connect a wire down to PCB, and you can use 2 different way to connect all anode wire to the PCB as the image show.

Finally you can solder one or more copper wire on the top of the cube, connect each vertical layer's anode wire, this help space alignment

Step 6: The Acrylic Case

If you buy the acrylic case, it look like this above, you can make your own even with glass. These are cheap good but heavy to shipment cost, and cost on laser cutting.

Tools needed is acrylic glue / acrylic cement same as the video used. Should use plastic tape to hold all side together, then apply the glue from inside. The cover sheet on the acrylic can remove partly for apply the plastic tape.

Watch this video for reference

*Make sure no air bubble on the plastic tape applied, some cheap plastic tape make dirt on the board.

Step 7: Firmware Upload and Aninmation Upload


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For customer who don't know programming, they just need to upload firmware which was a .hex file to the LED Cube. Which means they can play the cube like a mp3 player, upload mp3 file and it can play.

Drawing Software can share file to other user

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Upload the .hex file (firmware):

1.Install the CH341SE driver for windows first.

2.Open STM ISP MCUISP software, press button "..." to locate the .hex file (firmware file)

3.Connect the usb programmer works as USB device, connect to USART. GND to GND 3.3v to 3.3v RX to TX, TX to RX.

4. then press "start ISP", and works done.

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setting on the Remote Controller

0 ------------ Animation from the drawing software

1 ------------ Music spectrum mode

2 ------------ Animation from the firmware

3 ------------ Night Light Mode

4-9 --------- adjust color of the Night Light Mode

C------------ Snake game

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Attachments

Step 8: Firmware, Schematic, Source Code and Video Demo

The firmware can be upload with mcuisp.exe, no need to learn about programming. The source code is for hacker use only.

Attachments

Step 9: The Animation Drawing Software, Fast and Easy!!!

New Animation may found here https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3w2uIW46VgQflFq...

Its Now fully translated to English https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3w2uIW46VgQQlR2...

Remember to save the cube8.exe with animation file in same folder

Alt + right click = Pick color

Shift + Mouse Over = Erase

Crtl + Mouse Over = Fill Color

Right Click = Fill Color

Attachments

Step 10: Tips for Building the LED Cube - Must Read!!

1. Make sure you read the PCB soldering guide before you start the soldering. Some smd electronics have to solder according to the positive/negative pin.

2. The leds may have error after soldering heat, test with night light mode on the cube board, and fix it, do not solder more led before the problem fixed, otherwise you may need remove all parts and start from 0 to check where the error / problems come from

3. Prefer power supply is 5V5A, 5.5x2.1mm DC connector,

4. You should learn about PCB markings and smd parts markings, this help you read this instruction.

Step 11: Additional Info

Change usb serial Port COM number in windows

BPS for upload firmware suggest 115200

BPS for upload Animation suggest 460800

Here is the Cube8 firmware code for hacker sharing the basic code to run the cube only. It need the Keil software to open it.

Attachments

Step 12: Customer's Work

Looks like no different, because using same kit and solder with PCB frame holder.

This pro customer make the color controller with Griffin Controller


There is a new firmware created by Brant James
Very cool animations and custom functions https://www.instagram.com/rgb_led_cube_for_sale/ I had capture a few video on the latest instagram post, and here is the download https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3w2uIW46VgQZTNR...

The remote keys :

- + Increase brightness

- Decrease brightness Play

- Pause or Resume FFW

- Next Graphic RWD

- Previous Graphic Power

- On/Off

Step 13: Data for Old PCB 3.0 Customer

Just download the file here it contains all different sources for pcb 3.0 only

Attachments