Introduction: Pentagon LED Sculpture
Pentagon is a beautiful shape. I like it too. And if you have the Blinkytile Explorers kits, what you can make.
Instead of my previous post Blinkytile Flower Backbag , you can make a 2D pentagon LED art hang on to your wall.
Step 1: Materials
Address 1 to 42 have been programmed by Blinkinlabs on the Explorers Kit.
Other part which is not included,
5V/4A power supply. You can use any other compatible power supply with DC jack output.
I recommend the LPV-60-5 5V/8A from Meanwell (since I need to make a 79tiles in the future).
DC jack which you need to solder the power output from the Meanwell power supply to it.
Step 2: Break the Pcb Panel Into Tiles
You can follow the instruction on BlinkyTile Assembly .
But I just twist and snap the panel, the tiles come out really easily. Don't worried the tiles will be broken, in fact the mouse bite(also called Stamp holes) between each tiles fall apart easily when you twist them.
Step 3: Cut Some Cardboard Make a Temporary Jig for 10tiles to Make a Ring.
I use the mask tape to tie 10 tiles as a ring, and put them on to the card board, then i glue some card board to hold the tiles, then it becomes a temporary soldering rig.
Step 4: Solder the Tiles
Following the pink color on the photo to soldering different parts then assemble them together.
Step 5: 1. 10 Tiles Solder for the First Ring
Put 10 tiles in to the cardboard rig, then use soldering iron to connect them together. Make sure all the five pads between each tiles are soldered.
Step 6: 2. 8tiles Part *3
Put 8 tiles in to the cardboard rig, then use soldering iron to connect them together. Make sure all the five pads between each tiles are soldered.
Step 7: 3. 5tiles Part *1
Put 5 tiles in to the cardboard rig, then use soldering iron to connect them together. Make sure all the five pads between each tiles are soldered.
Step 8: 4. Solder the Socket Into the Pcb. the Socket MUST COVER the Marking on the Pcb
Insert the 4pin socket on to the pcb. Make sure the socket must input from the side with text. Then solder side should not be any text. If you did this opposite/wrong, you may burn the controller.
Step 9: 5. Solder All the Parts. and Use the Multimeter to Check Whether Vcc/gnd/data Are Short.
Assemble the previous parts and solder them together to make the Pentagon. If you have a little problem to hold them when you solder. You can use masking tape to tie them together, then you can solder them easily.
After soldering, use the multimeter to check any tile's gound and vcc and data. Each 2pads should not be short.
Step 10: 6. If Nothing Is Short, Then We Can Connect to the Controller and the External 5V Power Supply.
Connect to the computer and use Pattern Paint to draw your own pattern.
You need external 5V/3A or 5V/4A power supply since the white pattern with 40 LED are on the current is 2.5A up which the normal USB cannot support and also the fuse on the light buddy controller will try to protest the pcb.
If you have problems to upload the pattern to the controller,
1. check whether the controller's usb is recognized by computer
2. check whether the pattern is too much data.
3. in fact the upload take about 1~2 minutes maximum on to the controller.
Step 11: If You Have More Tiles, You Can Make 79tiles Version. ;-)
Remarks:
Since no tile is programmed with 42+, you need to program the address if you have more than 42 tiles. For address program please refer to the Blinkytile on Blinkinlabs' github.
Kindly remind that the DC Jack on the explorer kit is 2.1.
There are 40 tiles on one pentagon.
