DIY | RGB LED Shades Controlled by Arduino

Today I'm going to teach you how you can build your own RGB LED Glasses very easily and cheap
This has always been one of my biggest dreams and it finally came true!

A huge shout out to NextPCB for sponsoring this project. They are a PCB manufacturer, China PCB manufacturer which is also capable of doing PCB assembly.

The parts you will need for this project are the following:

• PCB files - https://easyeda.com/yourics/LED_Glasses-j0wqICUcu
  If you support my project, please order your PCB's at NextPCB.

• 68 x WS2812 LED's - http://tinyurl.com/zdod8eh

• 68 x 100nF 0805 Capacitors - http://tinyurl.com/j4r5elh

• Arduino (I used the Nano, since it easily fits in your pocket).

• A 3 pin male header.

• A external power source like a power bank.

• Some cables to connect the Shades to the external power source and Arduino.

You can easily order each part very cheap using the links provided.

Step 1: Step 1: the Creation of the PCB

In this video you can see how I designed the PCB.

If you're not interested in seeing this part of the build feel free to skip to the next step.

Don't forget to leave a comment and/or a like. It really supports my channel!

Step 2: Let's Start Soldering!

If you've got all the components I suggest testing all the LED's and after that you can start soldering!

If you've never soldered any SMD components before I highly suggest you look up a tutorial on internet!
Let me know if you want me to do one as well.

Start by soldering all the Capacitors into place since these take less skill to solder.
The easiest way to do this is by tinning one pad, heating up the tinned pad and place the capacitor onto the molten tin. Once the tin has hardened you can solder the other side of the capacitor and the capacitor should be all good!

Now the harder part, the LED's. These take some soldering skill and you might break a few LED's during this process so make sure you've got some spare!
You basically use the same technique as before, but this time you have to watch the polarity and you have to align them perfectly in order to get the best result.

I'd suggest watching my video to learn how to fully assemble the Shades.

Step 3: How to Connect the Shades to Your Arduino

I've included a picture that shows how you have to connect the PCB to your Arduino.

• S needs to be connected to Pin 3 on your Arduino.
• GND needs to be connected to GND of your external power supply as well as GND on your Arduino.
• VCC needs to be connected to the +5V of your external power supply.

MAKE SURE NOT TO SWITCH POLARITY, BECAUSE IT WILL BREAK THE LED'S

Step 4: About the Software

Download: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0d4u3wza94bjyd8/AAATvRQP9J6yB1mmlXRzg5sva?dl=0

This software, written by a good friend of mine, gives you the possibility to program your shades without actually writing any code.

First, you have to select the COM port of your Arduino. You can do so by clicking "Select Arduino".
After that you can test your connection and whether all LED's are working by clicking on "Test Connection".

Now you can choose to either load in a image or draw something yourself.
I have included some images that you can load in to give you some examples.
Any large image will be scaled to fit the Shades.

Make sure you've got the brightness you desire and click "Send data". This will send the current colors to your Shades and you're ready to impress some friends!

Last but not least, you can also generate a .ino file so you can wear your Shades on the go!
Just click the "Generate" button and upload the .ino to your Arduino.

All the buttons are described in the first image as well. All buttons without a note shouldn't be used.

Please note that the software is still under development and we are also working on a Bluetooth-compatible Android app! UPDATE: You can download it on my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RGBFreak/

Step 5: Don't Forget To...

Don't forget to like and comment on my videos as well as subscribe to my channel. Thank you for your support!

Make sure to share your results if you've made the shades yourself.
Also feel free to PM me any suggestions for future projects!

Last but certainly not least a HUGE thank you to NextPCBfor sponsoring this project.

See you in my next project! Stay creative everyone! :)

~ RGBFreak

Comments

[RANDOM KNOWLEDGE]

Nederlander? if so got one spare PCB?

[DylanT54]

Thanks for sharing! Currently working on a pair. What did you use for the temples of the glasses (the side pieces that hold the glasses up on your ears)?

[RGBFreak]

Thanks! I used some rubber bands, but since I have a 3D printer now I am going to model them to fit the glasses

[GabrielR202]

Hey there. I'm having some trouble ordering the PCBs from easyEDA, the project tells me that there are some errors with the copper area and that it's necessary to rebuild it. I tried to rebuild it myself but it didn't work out well as I'm pretty new to PCB design. Would you care to help me out a little bit?

[GabrielR202]

Also, there's an odd ratline between the D24 and D38 Leds

[eijken]

i like it where do i find the programmer (i understand it is in progress)

[RGBFreak]

It is included within the .zip file, but it seems like it has been removed for some reason.. Also the Android app is fully done and can be downloaded on my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RGBFreak/

[TallTexun]

The WS2812 also come in blocks of 4 (2 x 2) and in strips of 8 as well as circles of various number of LEDs and in 1M-5M strips. You can also get them individually on little round heat sinks with what appears to be a capacitor and resistor on them. Might be easier to piece together LED shades instead of going the PCB and SMD soldering route. (I did a inner and outer ring on the glasses I did).

[RGBFreak]

In my case it was more about the fact that I wanted to create these shades completely from scratch. But nevertheless your ideas are a great way to do it as well. Thanks for sharing!