Light Painting Stick With Blinkytape

If you have a Blinkytape, how you can make a cheap and easy version of light painting?!

Step 1: Materials

----Blinkytape

If you don't have blinkytape, but you do have neopixel like sk6812/ws2812, then you can connect it to Blinkytape controller by JST

----PVC pipe, select the one suitable to your power bank. I use the 18~19mm dimension one here.

---- Heatshrink tubing or zip tie.

----5V power bank( suggest at least 5V/1A output)

Step 2: Assemble the LED Light Painting Stick

About the power for the led stick-----

If you try to measure the ws2812b/sk6812 LED Strips before you may know that it is greedy for the current.

There is some reference data I measured(please refer to the data table on this step).

For the default blinkytape controller or blinkytape, it is programmed with the earlier pattern paint (2.03 or before version), its default brightness is smaller than 40% which is in order to protect the usb port.

So

In this case --

If you use Blinkytape which there are only 60LEDs, you only need to use 5V/1A output power bank.

But if you try to connect more than 60 LEDs Less than 144 LEDs with white pattern brightness 40% max, you should provide 5V 2A power bank. And if you want more brightness or more LEDs, you should redesign the power supply :-P And make sure the connect of the power is from the power to the strip then to the blinkytape controller or add some power protection circuit there.

Assemble guide, please refer to the attached reference drawing, find the best option you like.

I made 2 LED sticks, they all modify from the 5V/1A power bank I get from the market. They use MP3401A for power management. If you want to build your own pcb with it please refer to the attached photos. If you want to build your own charging circuit with MP3401A, here are some chips we have at Tindie

For the white color one, I add a 075 PTC to the 18650 power for double protection from the li-ion battery, remove the bigger USB socket and put the power switch on it and glue it. Then I 3D print a case and screw it to the led stick, after that I put a extra EPE foam for more diffuse. :-D

Step 3: Draw You Pattern and Download It to the Blinky

Download your Pattern Paint to your window's or mac pc or a windows tablet and install

Set the led type to be

type-Blinkytape

width-1

Height-60 ( There is only 60 LEDs on Blinkytape, if you have more LEDs or fewer LEDs, you need to adjust the amount here)

Import the photos or image you like by "Open" -> "Scrolling pattern",

Adjust the image and speed by "output preview" on the right

For my application with SLR camera, I set the LED "play back speed" to be 40.

You can save the icon or images from this step to try out the pattern

Pokemon

Halloween

Phenix

Big Fish & Begonia

(or download the "pokemon,phenix,fish and halloween pattern for pattern paint.zip (40KB) ")

Step 4: Take Photos With SLR Camera Which Have the Long Exposure Feature

camera setting--

My friend Matt helped me to set his camera like above parameter and took the photos.

Step 5: Long Exposure Photos With SLR

1. Pokemon (pic1 and 2)

2. Phenix (pic 3 and 4)

3. Halloween (pic5 and pic6. You may find there is a little green color shadow on the pumpkin's mouth, I guess it is the next building window light which go through the woods. I feel the shadow looks like Master Yoda :-P. We moved the position of the camera after that. That is why the other photo looks so normal.

4. Big Fish & Begonia , it is a latest Chinese Cartoon, (pic7, and 8)

Step 6: Photos With "Long Exposure Camera" App on My One Plus Phone

We also took 2 photos when we travel in Qingyuan City in South China with the trial version the the app "Long exposure camera" app from the google play.

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I am still a beginner try to use a SLR when I have time. :-P hope I can make a better light painting soon.