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+---- Thread: Need help with choosing parts, a little advice please! (/showthread.php?tid=259684)
Need help with choosing parts, a little advice please! - Piers - 2016-02-12
I've decided to use my original Lightpack on my workstation monitor, and my clone on my bedroom TV. So now I'd like to assemble a custom kit similar to http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/make-ambilight-60/
I'll be doing this in the UK so, ideally, parts from within the EU are fine. I have a few questions that I hope some of our more experienced Ambilight-clone users may be able to answer.
1. Is the Arduino Uno Rev3 suitable for powering up to 150 LEDs? I've read about flickering with higher frame rates (above 10 FPS)?
2. Is there a simple guide, one with images of the each stage, for assembly of this system?
3. Which LEDs are better? WS2812B seems popular, but there are other choices I'm against the pixel-type LEDs.
4. Are there any UK suppliers that you're aware of which stocks all the items required?
5. Power usage - should I expect about 6-8 A of use (maximum) for ~150 LEDs?
6. I'm aware these kits are One LED = One Zone, what sort of CPU is required in order to achieve an acceptable frame rate? Please list which CPU you're using.
I think I've asked all questions I need to. I plan on writing a detailed guide based on my experience - with the hope that other people will find it useful.
Thank you for your help.
Piers
RE: Need help with choosing parts, a little advice please! - Doc.Ex - 2016-02-13
(2016-02-12, 20:28)Piers Wrote: 1. Is the Arduino Uno Rev3 suitable for powering up to 150 LEDs? I've read about flickering with higher frame rates (above 10 FPS)?
2. Is there a simple guide, one with images of the each stage, for assembly of this system?
3. Which LEDs are better? WS2812B seems popular, but there are other choices I'm against the pixel-type LEDs.
4. Are there any UK suppliers that you're aware of which stocks all the items required?
5. Power usage - should I expect about 6-8 A of use (maximum) for ~150 LEDs?
6. I'm aware these kits are One LED = One Zone, what sort of CPU is required in order to achieve an acceptable frame rate? Please list which CPU you're using.
1. I don't know, because I am using a RPi2. RPi B+ worked as well.
2. You have to decide on a system first. At least for the Pi, there are plenty of guides. But arduino is a popular choice for HTPCs that are the only source. (No HDMI grabbing required)
3. I use lpd8806. They working fine, but needed a lot of colour adjustment and tinkering, but that may be a general problem with cheap LEDs, regardless of the controllerchip. Don't know about the rest.
4. I ordered from Insaneware.de, maybe they ship to the UK. They have all the Pi related stuff.
5. Rule of thumb is 60mA per RGB LED (20mA for every sub pixel). So for 150 LEDs you'll need about 9 A. Consider this is the maximum, so only when all LEDs on full brightness and white.
6. RPi 2: ARM Cortex-A7, 900 MHz Quadcore
RE: Need help with choosing parts, a little advice please! - illiac4 - 2016-02-13
Well I hate all those full of cable solutions. I have at home ws2801 and have tried also 8806. The cheapest and cleanest atm is based on ws2812. 5M 30 leds per meter with silicon tubing roll cost 20usd. for ws2812 i would choose http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leonardo-Pro-Micro-ATmega32U4-3-3V-16MHz-Replace-ATmega328-Arduino-Pro-Mini-/221987817224?hash=item33af814708:g:nYoAAOSwwPhWjOXc which is better then arduino uno one because it uses 32u4.
For connectors you can use something like this:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0dsljheyqnocnha/2016-02-13%2011.08.27.jpg?dl=0 or https://www.dropbox.com/s/dwx5cn7092wuf3m/2016-02-13%2011.08.06.jpg?dl=0 this is the power connector with arduino pro micro attached and with power supply input. For edge connectors you can use L shape one as seen on picture. The are four pin but i have made them three pin for ws2812 leds.
On my git you have some samples https://github.com/iLLiac4/Adalight_Hyperion
As of deamon i have tried both boblight and hyperion and i do prefer hyperion since it is less resource hungry. I have also compiled it for openelec x64 and you can find it somewere on the net or. use the one from gamadril.
As of leds apa102 are the same as ws2801 but with integrated circuit in led but uses slightly different protocol and has the same four pin connector.
RE: Need help with choosing parts, a little advice please! - stuCONNERS - 2016-02-18
Ive tested 150 leds, and it seemed fine. http://www.tweaking4all.com/home-theatre/xbmc/xbmc-boblight-openelec-ws2811-ws2812/ thats what i used to build mine. Im in the process of swapping to hyperion at the moment, No specific reason just wanted to see if there is any difference on my cpus performance.