jroach wrote:mundmc,
looks cool. I'm a little lost though. Is there a primer site I can read/review that would get me up to speed? Not certain where to begin in building a shopping list.
Happy to help!
I just searched on YouTube, and it is comical how many DIY videos there are on the topic, almost to the point that it is overwhelming.
The Hook Up is a pretty well produced channel that does a series of videos on it.
https://youtu.be/_UiqrnRiqpkOff the top of my head, I’ll try to explain (all links are to products i used from my Amazon order history)
1) Buy a few NodeMCU esp8266 controllers. They are basically inexpensive, arduino-like controllers with built in wi-Fi. You can buy three of them for something like $16 on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081CSJV2V/re ... UTF8&psc=12) Buy a 5 meter strip of WS2812B addressable leds for $20 to experiment:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072N7VGK6/re ... UTF8&psc=13) Buy a 5V power supply; i used an 8 amp supply But I am pretty sure you could get by with a 6 amp supply:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078RZBL8X/re ... UTF8&psc=1Note: If you are using many, many feet of LEDs, you could buy one more powerful power supply (i used a 60A one for a bunch of Christmas lighting for $27) that can easily power multiple strips, but put that on hold until you are comfortable with it
4) The video has a link, but you basically go to the wled github page and download a file that can be flashed on to the esp8266:
https://github.com/Aircoookie/WLED5) Download a firmware flasher (it’s in the instructions on the above link)
6) plug the ESP8266 into a USB port on your Mac or PC (I think I had better luck with a PC)
7) run the executable file, a program that “flashes firmware,“ that allows you to select the file you downloaded that you want to “flash“ onto the ESP 8266
While powering the ESP 8266 from the USB cord connecting it to your computer, it should immediately show up as a wifi access point that you can connect to from a computer or an iPhone or android or whatever
9) you will be connected to a webpage that is the interface for the ESP 80 to 66 WLED software, where you can enter your SS ID and Wi-Fi password
10) Reboot VESP 8266 and it will now connect to your wireless network, and you can enter the IP of the device into a web browser so that you can control it.
11) addressable LEDs have three connections: one positive 5 V connection, one -5V connection/ground, and one data pin
12) you can connect the positive wire from the power supply to the + on the light strip AND to the “VIN” on the ESP 8266. Do similarly with the negative wire. If you are lazy like me, you can use one of these so you don’t have to strip and solder:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J1WZENK/re ... UTF8&psc=1Note: it says 12V in the description, but it works for 5 V, or 3 V, or 24 V, or audio, or whatever. It’s all electrons.
13) Connect a wire from a pin on the ESP 8w66 (I am pretty certain the default pin is D4), to the digital pin on the light strip
You can now connect to the ESP 8266 from your local network, and from the indigo plug-in, and you can tell the ESP 8266 how many LEDs are in the strip that you want to control, and what you want them to do, and all sorts of fun stuff.
I entirely understand if this seems daunting; heck, I have done this a bunch of times and I am daunted from writing this, but it is doable, inexpensive, and once you can do it you will be emboldened to do lots of other cool stuff. It involves no programming.
Watch the video, because that guy is much better at explaining things in May, and it has pictures, and diagrams, and other illustrative stuff.
I hope this helps!