LED Wall

Purpose

The goal is to have a large LED wall ready as an exhibit.

• Supporter Wall: scroll through those who have donated to the space.
• Outdoor Display: possibly on a window to indicate that HM is open.
• Game interface: this is a later project but the idea to create a game that would use the LED wall as a multiplayer monitor.
  • Based on hacking scene from Ghost in the Shell: Innocence (ts: 1:18:50)
  • Cylinder display would require LED array to be 100x60

Parts

• WS2812B 5M IP60 x5
• Teensy 3.5
• Power Supply 5v 8A

Code

Tests and development have so far been completed with the FASTLed library, as well as the LEDText library

https://github.com/AaronLiddiment/LEDText http://fastled.io/

Iterations

• Alpha Version: Demo of the unit
  • Hardcoded Text Scroller ("Welcome to HackManhattan")
  • FASTLED demo
  • 100x12 array
  • single power supply driven from one data port on Teensy3.2

Cost

Initial version uses 5V WS2812B addressable RGB LED strips, which cost ~$22 per 5 meters.

Currently using a teensy 3.2 to power the 100x12 strip, with a raspberry pi 3B+ to eventually control the text output.

For the potential hacking game, it would require 20 x 5M strips (each cut to 100 LED lengths) resulting in around $700, not including the power supplies.

Concerns

• While the output from a 12V strip may be brighter, it also includes more risk as the operation temperature rises. Cost for 12V strip using WS2813/WS2815 is around $33 for 5M strips at 60 LEDs per strip.
• WS2812B fails result in subsequent LEDs dying from broken LED. WS2813 and WS2815 do not have this issue.

Additional Notes

For cutting/soldering the LED strips, place a dab of solder on each contact point on the led strip first. After preparing, using a gauge of wire thinner that 22AWG (standard breadboard).