Help for a first-time LED Project

[Nick]

Hi all,

I’ve had a Pi laying around for a bit doing some minor stuff, and have been looking for a cool project to try with it for ages. With Christmas season coming up, I thought to try an LED project using the Pi. I have a software background (in web), but no noteworthy hardware experience. I’m not looking to do anything huge, and with my background in mind, the less assembly of the individual components, the better. I don’t really intend to do more than 500 individual LEDs unless it is a series of strips or matrix that does most of that layout work for me.

With that said, I’ve been looking around and have gathered the following information about what is required:

• Raspberry Pi
• Controller (as apparent by the fact I’ve found this page, I’ve stumbled on the AllPixel/PiPixel to fill this role –
• Power Source (depending on the LED strip type, but probably requiring 5V minimum? So something like a 5V/20-60A/100-300W type amp?)
• LEDs – I am aware there is a choice of individual LED strings, LED strips, and matrices. I like the idea of the strings of LEDs for flexibility sake, but the convenience of the strips/matrix pre-made…
• Some sort of power cord to make the controller go
• BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for the software piece
  Is this all accurate? Anything missing?

Ultimately, I am just looking for recommendations on a decent starter kit that affords some flexibility, and some insight into the differences between some of the various options here (namely AllPixel vs PiPixel, BiblioPixel vs LightShowPi, and people’s experience with LED Strings vs Strips).

Tips and insight all greatly appreciated! Please let me know if I can provide any additional context/information.

[adammhaile]

Is this all accurate? Anything missing?

You pretty much covered it. Regarding LED power, buy a Meanwell supply. They are rock solid and will provide a perfect 5V at crazy current levels.

Ultimately, I am just looking for recommendations on a decent starter kit that affords some flexibility, and some insight into the differences between some of the various options here (namely AllPixel vs PiPixel, BiblioPixel vs LightShowPi, and people’s experience with LED Strings vs Strips).

Tips and insight all greatly appreciated! Please let me know if I can provide any additional context/information.

AllPixel is a USB Serial device to drive LEDs from a regular computer.
PiPixel does much the same thing but directly mounted on a RaspberryPi.
I would recommend starting with the AllPIxel. We designed it just for things like this. No arduino needed. No ssh-ing to your Pi. Just test things out direct from your laptop/desktop/whatever. You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

LightShowPi is for making simple animations synchronized to music.

BiblioPixel is a full featured and extremely powerful LED animation framework that supports an insane amount of inputs and outputs.

If you want to light up your house at Christmas and sync it to Manhiem Steamroller, then LightShowPi is your thing. But otherwise, BiblioPixel is way more flexible and powerful.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.

The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Happy to answer anything else you may have

···

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[Nick]

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply! Really appreciate that.

Regarding the power - what specs specifically from Meanwell would you recommend? For example this 5V 18A 90W amp? How many LEDs can that reliably power? Same question for the AllPixel vs PiPixel.

You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

Can you clarify this? Can I not run Bibliopixel on an AllPixel? Can I connect an AllPixel to a Pi as well as a normal PC? And lastly, is there soldering required on my end for either the AllPixel or PiPixel? It seemed that way when I watched the video for the PiPixel announcement blog, but I am far from familiar with soldering so may as well ask Lastly, do I have to locate/provide cables for the AllPixel/PiPixel?

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.
The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Do you have a specific recommendation on specific LED strips or strings? I had been looking at these from Alitove, but they are WS2811 (I know a lot of the writing about these projects call that code series WS281*), so I assume they are similar/interchangeable? I don’t see many APA102 options on Amazon if you have a rec there.

Really appreciate the insight – thanks again!

···

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 8:22:04 PM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

Is this all accurate? Anything missing?

You pretty much covered it. Regarding LED power, buy a Meanwell supply. They are rock solid and will provide a perfect 5V at crazy current levels.

Ultimately, I am just looking for recommendations on a decent starter kit that affords some flexibility, and some insight into the differences between some of the various options here (namely AllPixel vs PiPixel, BiblioPixel vs LightShowPi, and people’s experience with LED Strings vs Strips).

Tips and insight all greatly appreciated! Please let me know if I can provide any additional context/information.

AllPixel is a USB Serial device to drive LEDs from a regular computer.
PiPixel does much the same thing but directly mounted on a RaspberryPi.
I would recommend starting with the AllPIxel. We designed it just for things like this. No arduino needed. No ssh-ing to your Pi. Just test things out direct from your laptop/desktop/whatever. You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

LightShowPi is for making simple animations synchronized to music.

BiblioPixel is a full featured and extremely powerful LED animation framework that supports an insane amount of inputs and outputs.

If you want to light up your house at Christmas and sync it to Manhiem Steamroller, then LightShowPi is your thing. But otherwise, BiblioPixel is way more flexible and powerful.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.

The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Happy to answer anything else you may have

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[adammhaile]

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply! Really appreciate that.

Regarding the power - what specs specifically from Meanwell would you recommend? For example this 5V 18A 90W amp? How many LEDs can that reliably power? Same question for the AllPixel vs PiPixel.

General rule is 0.06A per pixel. So 18A / 0.06A = 300 pixels at max brightness white. 500 would work fine for normal usage.

You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

Can you clarify this? Can I not run Bibliopixel on an AllPixel? Can I connect an AllPixel to a Pi as well as a normal PC? And lastly, is there soldering required on my end for either the AllPixel or PiPixel? It seemed that way when I watched the video for the PiPixel announcement blog, but I am far from familiar with soldering so may as well ask Lastly, do I have to locate/provide cables for the AllPixel/PiPixel?

AllPixel and PiPixel provide a similar result but through very different means.

The AllPixel is a translator. Normal computers cannot “speak” directly to LED strips. So you run BiblioPixel on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and it sends serial data to the AllPixel, which then translates it into the datastream required by the LED strips. The AllPixel cannot run by itself without a host system running BiblioPixel. But yes, you can use it over USB with a Pi just as you would a regular computer. However…

The Pi, unlike a normal laptop or desktop, can speak directly to LED strips with only a little help. The PiPixel is that help. It provides voltage level shifting and power management. But the Pi itself is speaking directly to the LED strips. Either by BiblioPixel or another compatible library. BiblioPixel was written originally to help abstract the difference between using something like the AllPixel and a Pi directly. You animations and setup can be exactly the same, but you just switch your configuration to use the SPI (What the Pi uses) output instead of the Serial (What the AllPixel uses) output. Everything else is the same.

The AllPixel is ready to go. But you need a microUSB cable (which we also sell).

The PiPixel is a kit that must be soldered. But requires no cables. It connects directly to the Pi.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.
The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Do you have a specific recommendation on specific LED strips or strings? I had been looking at these from Alitove, but they are WS2811 (I know a lot of the writing about these projects call that code series WS281*), so I assume they are similar/interchangeable? I don’t see many APA102 options on Amazon if you have a rec there.

Those are likely fine. And yes… WS2811 == WS2812 as far as you need be concerned. Most of the stuff you’ll find on Amazon or ebay is likely fine. I buy all mine from here http://www.pixel-leds.com - But only because I buy a lot. I’m getting them direct from China at wholesale prices. They are super cheap but you have to buy a lot at once. So I recommend sticking to Amazon or ebay. Skip places like Adafruit or Sparkfun. Definitely support them for their other products, but their LED prices are insanely high.

···

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 9:48 PM Ron Nicholas.Talmage.Robinson@gmail.com wrote:

[Nick]

Thanks again for the response, really appreciate the thorough explanations here. Curious little bit more if you don’t mind!

When picking up an amp, I know there are both 12V LEDs and 12V amps. Do 12V amps play nicely with 5V LED strips, and vice versa? Is it in my best interest to get one or the other for flexibility’s sake in case I want to scale up later, or is a 5V fine for most practical uses? Also, unless I am blind I am not seeing 5V amps from Meanwell on amazon that are > 18A. I had looked at some Alitove amps and Alitove seems to has more options. Do you have experience with those products? I am ultimately trying to not have to buy the same foundational pieces in the event I want to change my LEDs or anything like that if I can avoid it. I understand that after a certain number of LEDs I would have to add more amps/allPixels, I just want to maintain flexibility while I can.

Thanks a bunch for the clarification between the AllPixel and PiPixel, very clear and concise! Quick follow-ups: LightShowPi requires a, well, Pi, right? How easy is it to replicate its functionality through BiblioPixel with an AllPixel? Additionally, if I did want to get a PiPixel in the future, is it possible to order that with the soldering already done? I don’t have a soldering kit and would rather not buy one for just that.

I’ve never actually seen the strips before (obviously understand how the strings work out), but with the strips they seem to essentially come in spools. Do those strips have much flexibility if, for example given a 100 LED strip wanted to go 10x10? Or are they mostly for things like wrapping a tree?

Thanks again, really appreciate it, everything’s been super clear and very very helpful.

···

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 9:32:04 PM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 9:48 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply! Really appreciate that.

Regarding the power - what specs specifically from Meanwell would you recommend? For example this 5V 18A 90W amp? How many LEDs can that reliably power? Same question for the AllPixel vs PiPixel.

General rule is 0.06A per pixel. So 18A / 0.06A = 300 pixels at max brightness white. 500 would work fine for normal usage.

You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

Can you clarify this? Can I not run Bibliopixel on an AllPixel? Can I connect an AllPixel to a Pi as well as a normal PC? And lastly, is there soldering required on my end for either the AllPixel or PiPixel? It seemed that way when I watched the video for the PiPixel announcement blog, but I am far from familiar with soldering so may as well ask Lastly, do I have to locate/provide cables for the AllPixel/PiPixel?

AllPixel and PiPixel provide a similar result but through very different means.

The AllPixel is a translator. Normal computers cannot “speak” directly to LED strips. So you run BiblioPixel on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and it sends serial data to the AllPixel, which then translates it into the datastream required by the LED strips. The AllPixel cannot run by itself without a host system running BiblioPixel. But yes, you can use it over USB with a Pi just as you would a regular computer. However…

The Pi, unlike a normal laptop or desktop, can speak directly to LED strips with only a little help. The PiPixel is that help. It provides voltage level shifting and power management. But the Pi itself is speaking directly to the LED strips. Either by BiblioPixel or another compatible library. BiblioPixel was written originally to help abstract the difference between using something like the AllPixel and a Pi directly. You animations and setup can be exactly the same, but you just switch your configuration to use the SPI (What the Pi uses) output instead of the Serial (What the AllPixel uses) output. Everything else is the same.

The AllPixel is ready to go. But you need a microUSB cable (which we also sell).

The PiPixel is a kit that must be soldered. But requires no cables. It connects directly to the Pi.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.
The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Do you have a specific recommendation on specific LED strips or strings? I had been looking at these from Alitove, but they are WS2811 (I know a lot of the writing about these projects call that code series WS281*), so I assume they are similar/interchangeable? I don’t see many APA102 options on Amazon if you have a rec there.

Those are likely fine. And yes… WS2811 == WS2812 as far as you need be concerned. Most of the stuff you’ll find on Amazon or ebay is likely fine. I buy all mine from here http://www.pixel-leds.com - But only because I buy a lot. I’m getting them direct from China at wholesale prices. They are super cheap but you have to buy a lot at once. So I recommend sticking to Amazon or ebay. Skip places like Adafruit or Sparkfun. Definitely support them for their other products, but their LED prices are insanely high.

[adammhaile]

Thanks again for the response, really appreciate the thorough explanations here. Curious little bit more if you don’t mind!

When picking up an amp, I know there are both 12V LEDs and 12V amps. Do 12V amps play nicely with 5V LED strips, and vice versa?

NOOOOOOO! Definitely not. Also, it’s not an amp. That’s a different thing. What you are looking for is an AC to DC switching power supply.

Is it in my best interest to get one or the other for flexibility’s sake in case I want to scale up later, or is a 5V fine for most practical uses?

5V is fine unless you wanna do really long runs without injecting power frequently. 12V is really more for lighting up your whole house. And the “pixels” are wider… usually 3 LEDs each.

Also, unless I am blind I am not seeing 5V amps from Meanwell on amazon that are > 18A.

Amazon will rip you off on those, buy from Mouser or Jameco -> https://www.jameco.com/z/LRS-200-5-MEAN-WELL-200W-5V-40A-Single-Output-Switchable-Power-Supply_2219719.html

I had looked at some Alitove amps and Alitove seems to has more options. Do you have experience with those products?

I do not. Don’t cheap out on power supplies. They’ll just die and take your LEDs with them.

I am ultimately trying to not have to buy the same foundational pieces in the event I want to change my LEDs or anything like that if I can avoid it. I understand that after a certain number of LEDs I would have to add more amps/allPixels, I just want to maintain flexibility while I can.

A solid 40A @ 5V supply like I linked above will do everything you need and more for many projects to come.

Thanks a bunch for the clarification between the AllPixel and PiPixel, very clear and concise! Quick follow-ups: LightShowPi requires a, well, Pi, right? How easy is it to replicate its functionality through BiblioPixel with an AllPixel? Additionally, if I did want to get a PiPixel in the future, is it possible to order that with the soldering already done? I don’t have a soldering kit and would rather not buy one for just that.

I really don’t know how to use LightShowPi to be honest. It’s possible to do something similar with BP but I can’t point you to a direct example. If people want LightShowPi features, they use that. Otherwise they use BiblioPixel.
And no, we do not offer the PiPixel pre-assembled.

I’ve never actually seen the strips before (obviously understand how the strings work out), but with the strips they seem to essentially come in spools. Do those strips have much flexibility if, for example given a 100 LED strip wanted to go 10x10? Or are they mostly for things like wrapping a tree?

I’ve built plenty of matrix displays out of strips. Totally possible. But you’ll need to cut up the strip and resolder the connections.

···

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 10:53 PM Ron Nicholas.Talmage.Robinson@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks again, really appreciate it, everything’s been super clear and very very helpful.

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 9:32:04 PM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 9:48 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply! Really appreciate that.

Regarding the power - what specs specifically from Meanwell would you recommend? For example this 5V 18A 90W amp? How many LEDs can that reliably power? Same question for the AllPixel vs PiPixel.

General rule is 0.06A per pixel. So 18A / 0.06A = 300 pixels at max brightness white. 500 would work fine for normal usage.

You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

Can you clarify this? Can I not run Bibliopixel on an AllPixel? Can I connect an AllPixel to a Pi as well as a normal PC? And lastly, is there soldering required on my end for either the AllPixel or PiPixel? It seemed that way when I watched the video for the PiPixel announcement blog, but I am far from familiar with soldering so may as well ask Lastly, do I have to locate/provide cables for the AllPixel/PiPixel?

AllPixel and PiPixel provide a similar result but through very different means.

The AllPixel is a translator. Normal computers cannot “speak” directly to LED strips. So you run BiblioPixel on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and it sends serial data to the AllPixel, which then translates it into the datastream required by the LED strips. The AllPixel cannot run by itself without a host system running BiblioPixel. But yes, you can use it over USB with a Pi just as you would a regular computer. However…

The Pi, unlike a normal laptop or desktop, can speak directly to LED strips with only a little help. The PiPixel is that help. It provides voltage level shifting and power management. But the Pi itself is speaking directly to the LED strips. Either by BiblioPixel or another compatible library. BiblioPixel was written originally to help abstract the difference between using something like the AllPixel and a Pi directly. You animations and setup can be exactly the same, but you just switch your configuration to use the SPI (What the Pi uses) output instead of the Serial (What the AllPixel uses) output. Everything else is the same.

The AllPixel is ready to go. But you need a microUSB cable (which we also sell).

The PiPixel is a kit that must be soldered. But requires no cables. It connects directly to the Pi.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.
The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Do you have a specific recommendation on specific LED strips or strings? I had been looking at these from Alitove, but they are WS2811 (I know a lot of the writing about these projects call that code series WS281*), so I assume they are similar/interchangeable? I don’t see many APA102 options on Amazon if you have a rec there.

Those are likely fine. And yes… WS2811 == WS2812 as far as you need be concerned. Most of the stuff you’ll find on Amazon or ebay is likely fine. I buy all mine from here http://www.pixel-leds.com - But only because I buy a lot. I’m getting them direct from China at wholesale prices. They are super cheap but you have to buy a lot at once. So I recommend sticking to Amazon or ebay. Skip places like Adafruit or Sparkfun. Definitely support them for their other products, but their LED prices are insanely high.

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[Nick]

Awesome, thanks a lot for the link and really appreciate the insight. Apology for my terminology mixup

I don’t see anything on that Jameco link as to whether it comes with a proper power cord for the power supply and can’t tell from the image what sort of connection it needs. Do I need to order something for that?

Since I am trying to avoid soldering I’ll skip the strips, thanks! Out of curiosity, have you ever played with any of the premade LED matrixes available on Amazon? Like this, for example?

Also out of curiosity, what is considered a lot of LEDs when talking your bulk purchase off of pixel-leds?

Really appreciate all the help and especially the clarity of your explanations. If you have any other recommendations for a newbie, I would happily take those!

To summarize the starter stack I’m looking at just to confirm…

Pi
AllPixel, need to get a microUSB connection for this to use for computer or Pi connection
MeanWell 5V 40A 200W Power Supply
WS2811 Light Strip – the current stack can run up to 666 (40A / 0.06A) LEDs, using WS281* rather than APA102 as it is more available and I don’t want a strip (can’t find a string of APA102 on either site).
BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for software component

Anything I am missing here? Tried to detail all the connections necessary as well so if I am missing any please fill in the blanks!

Thanks for everything!

···

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 6:10:44 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 10:53 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks again for the response, really appreciate the thorough explanations here. Curious little bit more if you don’t mind!

When picking up an amp, I know there are both 12V LEDs and 12V amps. Do 12V amps play nicely with 5V LED strips, and vice versa?

NOOOOOOO! Definitely not. Also, it’s not an amp. That’s a different thing. What you are looking for is an AC to DC switching power supply.

Is it in my best interest to get one or the other for flexibility’s sake in case I want to scale up later, or is a 5V fine for most practical uses?

5V is fine unless you wanna do really long runs without injecting power frequently. 12V is really more for lighting up your whole house. And the “pixels” are wider… usually 3 LEDs each.

Also, unless I am blind I am not seeing 5V amps from Meanwell on amazon that are > 18A.

Amazon will rip you off on those, buy from Mouser or Jameco -> https://www.jameco.com/z/LRS-200-5-MEAN-WELL-200W-5V-40A-Single-Output-Switchable-Power-Supply_2219719.html

I had looked at some Alitove amps and Alitove seems to has more options. Do you have experience with those products?

I do not. Don’t cheap out on power supplies. They’ll just die and take your LEDs with them.

I am ultimately trying to not have to buy the same foundational pieces in the event I want to change my LEDs or anything like that if I can avoid it. I understand that after a certain number of LEDs I would have to add more amps/allPixels, I just want to maintain flexibility while I can.

A solid 40A @ 5V supply like I linked above will do everything you need and more for many projects to come.

Thanks a bunch for the clarification between the AllPixel and PiPixel, very clear and concise! Quick follow-ups: LightShowPi requires a, well, Pi, right? How easy is it to replicate its functionality through BiblioPixel with an AllPixel? Additionally, if I did want to get a PiPixel in the future, is it possible to order that with the soldering already done? I don’t have a soldering kit and would rather not buy one for just that.

I really don’t know how to use LightShowPi to be honest. It’s possible to do something similar with BP but I can’t point you to a direct example. If people want LightShowPi features, they use that. Otherwise they use BiblioPixel.
And no, we do not offer the PiPixel pre-assembled.

I’ve never actually seen the strips before (obviously understand how the strings work out), but with the strips they seem to essentially come in spools. Do those strips have much flexibility if, for example given a 100 LED strip wanted to go 10x10? Or are they mostly for things like wrapping a tree?

I’ve built plenty of matrix displays out of strips. Totally possible. But you’ll need to cut up the strip and resolder the connections.

Thanks again, really appreciate it, everything’s been super clear and very very helpful.

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 9:32:04 PM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 9:48 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply! Really appreciate that.

Regarding the power - what specs specifically from Meanwell would you recommend? For example this 5V 18A 90W amp? How many LEDs can that reliably power? Same question for the AllPixel vs PiPixel.

General rule is 0.06A per pixel. So 18A / 0.06A = 300 pixels at max brightness white. 500 would work fine for normal usage.

You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

Can you clarify this? Can I not run Bibliopixel on an AllPixel? Can I connect an AllPixel to a Pi as well as a normal PC? And lastly, is there soldering required on my end for either the AllPixel or PiPixel? It seemed that way when I watched the video for the PiPixel announcement blog, but I am far from familiar with soldering so may as well ask Lastly, do I have to locate/provide cables for the AllPixel/PiPixel?

AllPixel and PiPixel provide a similar result but through very different means.

The AllPixel is a translator. Normal computers cannot “speak” directly to LED strips. So you run BiblioPixel on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and it sends serial data to the AllPixel, which then translates it into the datastream required by the LED strips. The AllPixel cannot run by itself without a host system running BiblioPixel. But yes, you can use it over USB with a Pi just as you would a regular computer. However…

The Pi, unlike a normal laptop or desktop, can speak directly to LED strips with only a little help. The PiPixel is that help. It provides voltage level shifting and power management. But the Pi itself is speaking directly to the LED strips. Either by BiblioPixel or another compatible library. BiblioPixel was written originally to help abstract the difference between using something like the AllPixel and a Pi directly. You animations and setup can be exactly the same, but you just switch your configuration to use the SPI (What the Pi uses) output instead of the Serial (What the AllPixel uses) output. Everything else is the same.

The AllPixel is ready to go. But you need a microUSB cable (which we also sell).

The PiPixel is a kit that must be soldered. But requires no cables. It connects directly to the Pi.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.
The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Do you have a specific recommendation on specific LED strips or strings? I had been looking at these from Alitove, but they are WS2811 (I know a lot of the writing about these projects call that code series WS281*), so I assume they are similar/interchangeable? I don’t see many APA102 options on Amazon if you have a rec there.

Those are likely fine. And yes… WS2811 == WS2812 as far as you need be concerned. Most of the stuff you’ll find on Amazon or ebay is likely fine. I buy all mine from here http://www.pixel-leds.com - But only because I buy a lot. I’m getting them direct from China at wholesale prices. They are super cheap but you have to buy a lot at once. So I recommend sticking to Amazon or ebay. Skip places like Adafruit or Sparkfun. Definitely support them for their other products, but their LED prices are insanely high.

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[adammhaile]

Awesome, thanks a lot for the link and really appreciate the insight. Apology for my terminology mixup

I don’t see anything on that Jameco link as to whether it comes with a proper power cord for the power supply and can’t tell from the image what sort of connection it needs. Do I need to order something for that?

Since I am trying to avoid soldering I’ll skip the strips, thanks! Out of curiosity, have you ever played with any of the premade LED matrixes available on Amazon? Like this, for example?

Also out of curiosity, what is considered a lot of LEDs when talking your bulk purchase off of pixel-leds?

Really appreciate all the help and especially the clarity of your explanations. If you have any other recommendations for a newbie, I would happily take those!

To summarize the starter stack I’m looking at just to confirm…

Pi
AllPixel, need to get a microUSB connection for this to use for computer or Pi connection
MeanWell 5V 40A 200W Power Supply
WS2811 Light Strip – the current stack can run up to 666 (40A / 0.06A) LEDs, using WS281* rather than APA102 as it is more available and I don’t want a strip (can’t find a string of APA102 on either site).
BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for software component

Anything I am missing here? Tried to detail all the connections necessary as well so if I am missing any please fill in the blanks!

Thanks for everything!

Thanks again for the response, really appreciate the thorough explanations here. Curious little bit more if you don’t mind!

When picking up an amp, I know there are both 12V LEDs and 12V amps. Do 12V amps play nicely with 5V LED strips, and vice versa?

NOOOOOOO! Definitely not. Also, it’s not an amp. That’s a different thing. What you are looking for is an AC to DC switching power supply.

Is it in my best interest to get one or the other for flexibility’s sake in case I want to scale up later, or is a 5V fine for most practical uses?

5V is fine unless you wanna do really long runs without injecting power frequently. 12V is really more for lighting up your whole house. And the “pixels” are wider… usually 3 LEDs each.

Also, unless I am blind I am not seeing 5V amps from Meanwell on amazon that are > 18A.

Amazon will rip you off on those, buy from Mouser or Jameco -> https://www.jameco.com/z/LRS-200-5-MEAN-WELL-200W-5V-40A-Single-Output-Switchable-Power-Supply_2219719.html

I had looked at some Alitove amps and Alitove seems to has more options. Do you have experience with those products?

I do not. Don’t cheap out on power supplies. They’ll just die and take your LEDs with them.

I am ultimately trying to not have to buy the same foundational pieces in the event I want to change my LEDs or anything like that if I can avoid it. I understand that after a certain number of LEDs I would have to add more amps/allPixels, I just want to maintain flexibility while I can.

A solid 40A @ 5V supply like I linked above will do everything you need and more for many projects to come.

Thanks a bunch for the clarification between the AllPixel and PiPixel, very clear and concise! Quick follow-ups: LightShowPi requires a, well, Pi, right? How easy is it to replicate its functionality through BiblioPixel with an AllPixel? Additionally, if I did want to get a PiPixel in the future, is it possible to order that with the soldering already done? I don’t have a soldering kit and would rather not buy one for just that.

I really don’t know how to use LightShowPi to be honest. It’s possible to do something similar with BP but I can’t point you to a direct example. If people want LightShowPi features, they use that. Otherwise they use BiblioPixel.
And no, we do not offer the PiPixel pre-assembled.

I’ve never actually seen the strips before (obviously understand how the strings work out), but with the strips they seem to essentially come in spools. Do those strips have much flexibility if, for example given a 100 LED strip wanted to go 10x10? Or are they mostly for things like wrapping a tree?

I’ve built plenty of matrix displays out of strips. Totally possible. But you’ll need to cut up the strip and resolder the connections.

Thanks again, really appreciate it, everything’s been super clear and very very helpful.

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply! Really appreciate that.

Regarding the power - what specs specifically from Meanwell would you recommend? For example this 5V 18A 90W amp? How many LEDs can that reliably power? Same question for the AllPixel vs PiPixel.

General rule is 0.06A per pixel. So 18A / 0.06A = 300 pixels at max brightness white. 500 would work fine for normal usage.

You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

Can you clarify this? Can I not run Bibliopixel on an AllPixel? Can I connect an AllPixel to a Pi as well as a normal PC? And lastly, is there soldering required on my end for either the AllPixel or PiPixel? It seemed that way when I watched the video for the PiPixel announcement blog, but I am far from familiar with soldering so may as well ask Lastly, do I have to locate/provide cables for the AllPixel/PiPixel?

AllPixel and PiPixel provide a similar result but through very different means.

The AllPixel is a translator. Normal computers cannot “speak” directly to LED strips. So you run BiblioPixel on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and it sends serial data to the AllPixel, which then translates it into the datastream required by the LED strips. The AllPixel cannot run by itself without a host system running BiblioPixel. But yes, you can use it over USB with a Pi just as you would a regular computer. However…

The Pi, unlike a normal laptop or desktop, can speak directly to LED strips with only a little help. The PiPixel is that help. It provides voltage level shifting and power management. But the Pi itself is speaking directly to the LED strips. Either by BiblioPixel or another compatible library. BiblioPixel was written originally to help abstract the difference between using something like the AllPixel and a Pi directly. You animations and setup can be exactly the same, but you just switch your configuration to use the SPI (What the Pi uses) output instead of the Serial (What the AllPixel uses) output. Everything else is the same.

The AllPixel is ready to go. But you need a microUSB cable (which we also sell).

The PiPixel is a kit that must be soldered. But requires no cables. It connects directly to the Pi.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.
The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Do you have a specific recommendation on specific LED strips or strings? I had been looking at these from Alitove, but they are WS2811 (I know a lot of the writing about these projects call that code series WS281*), so I assume they are similar/interchangeable? I don’t see many APA102 options on Amazon if you have a rec there.

Those are likely fine. And yes… WS2811 == WS2812 as far as you need be concerned. Most of the stuff you’ll find on Amazon or ebay is likely fine. I buy all mine from here http://www.pixel-leds.com - But only because I buy a lot. I’m getting them direct from China at wholesale prices. They are super cheap but you have to buy a lot at once. So I recommend sticking to Amazon or ebay. Skip places like Adafruit or Sparkfun. Definitely support them for their other products, but their LED prices are insanely high.

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···

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:31 AM Ron nicholas.talmage.robinson@gmail.com wrote:

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 6:10:44 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 10:53 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 9:32:04 PM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 9:48 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

[adammhaile]

Awesome, thanks a lot for the link and really appreciate the insight. Apology for my terminology mixup

I don’t see anything on that Jameco link as to whether it comes with a proper power cord for the power supply and can’t tell from the image what sort of connection it needs. Do I need to order something for that?

It does not. You have to wire on a power cord yourself (as you would with any supply like that). I usually just take an old desktop power cable and hack the female end off. Though you can also buy cables with the wires already exposed at your local hardware store.
Note: You are wiring in 120V AC. If you are not comfortable with the dangers that entails, go no further and get someone who knows to show you how to wire it up properly.

Maniacal Labs accepts no responsibility for damage or injury caused and all that legal stuff…

Since I am trying to avoid soldering I’ll skip the strips, thanks! Out of curiosity, have you ever played with any of the premade LED matrixes available on Amazon? Like this, for example?

I have used similar products yes. Nothing wrong with them. I usually go for ones of higher quality, but that should work fine.

Also, buy a $20 soldering iron and learn. Just being honest… you won’t get far with LEDs like this without soldering. it’s a worthwhile skill and not that hard to learn.

Also out of curiosity, what is considered a lot of LEDs when talking your bulk purchase off of pixel-leds?

$500 worth or more. Usually on the order of at least 5000 total pixels.

Really appreciate all the help and especially the clarity of your explanations. If you have any other recommendations for a newbie, I would happily take those!

To summarize the starter stack I’m looking at just to confirm…

Pi
AllPixel, need to get a microUSB connection for this to use for computer or Pi connection
MeanWell 5V 40A 200W Power Supply
WS2811 Light Strip – the current stack can run up to 666 (40A / 0.06A) LEDs, using WS281* rather than APA102 as it is more available and I don’t want a strip (can’t find a string of APA102 on either site).
BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for software component

I always forget they added AllPixel support to LightShowPi

Anything I am missing here? Tried to detail all the connections necessary as well so if I am missing any please fill in the blanks!

That should be a good start.

···

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:32 AM Adam Haile adammhaile@gmail.com wrote:

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:31 AM Ron nicholas.talmage.robinson@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks for everything!

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 6:10:44 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 10:53 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks again for the response, really appreciate the thorough explanations here. Curious little bit more if you don’t mind!

When picking up an amp, I know there are both 12V LEDs and 12V amps. Do 12V amps play nicely with 5V LED strips, and vice versa?

NOOOOOOO! Definitely not. Also, it’s not an amp. That’s a different thing. What you are looking for is an AC to DC switching power supply.

Is it in my best interest to get one or the other for flexibility’s sake in case I want to scale up later, or is a 5V fine for most practical uses?

5V is fine unless you wanna do really long runs without injecting power frequently. 12V is really more for lighting up your whole house. And the “pixels” are wider… usually 3 LEDs each.

Also, unless I am blind I am not seeing 5V amps from Meanwell on amazon that are > 18A.

Amazon will rip you off on those, buy from Mouser or Jameco -> https://www.jameco.com/z/LRS-200-5-MEAN-WELL-200W-5V-40A-Single-Output-Switchable-Power-Supply_2219719.html

I had looked at some Alitove amps and Alitove seems to has more options. Do you have experience with those products?

I do not. Don’t cheap out on power supplies. They’ll just die and take your LEDs with them.

I am ultimately trying to not have to buy the same foundational pieces in the event I want to change my LEDs or anything like that if I can avoid it. I understand that after a certain number of LEDs I would have to add more amps/allPixels, I just want to maintain flexibility while I can.

A solid 40A @ 5V supply like I linked above will do everything you need and more for many projects to come.

Thanks a bunch for the clarification between the AllPixel and PiPixel, very clear and concise! Quick follow-ups: LightShowPi requires a, well, Pi, right? How easy is it to replicate its functionality through BiblioPixel with an AllPixel? Additionally, if I did want to get a PiPixel in the future, is it possible to order that with the soldering already done? I don’t have a soldering kit and would rather not buy one for just that.

I really don’t know how to use LightShowPi to be honest. It’s possible to do something similar with BP but I can’t point you to a direct example. If people want LightShowPi features, they use that. Otherwise they use BiblioPixel.
And no, we do not offer the PiPixel pre-assembled.

I’ve never actually seen the strips before (obviously understand how the strings work out), but with the strips they seem to essentially come in spools. Do those strips have much flexibility if, for example given a 100 LED strip wanted to go 10x10? Or are they mostly for things like wrapping a tree?

I’ve built plenty of matrix displays out of strips. Totally possible. But you’ll need to cut up the strip and resolder the connections.

Thanks again, really appreciate it, everything’s been super clear and very very helpful.

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 9:32:04 PM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 9:48 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply! Really appreciate that.

Regarding the power - what specs specifically from Meanwell would you recommend? For example this 5V 18A 90W amp? How many LEDs can that reliably power? Same question for the AllPixel vs PiPixel.

General rule is 0.06A per pixel. So 18A / 0.06A = 300 pixels at max brightness white. 500 would work fine for normal usage.

You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

Can you clarify this? Can I not run Bibliopixel on an AllPixel? Can I connect an AllPixel to a Pi as well as a normal PC? And lastly, is there soldering required on my end for either the AllPixel or PiPixel? It seemed that way when I watched the video for the PiPixel announcement blog, but I am far from familiar with soldering so may as well ask Lastly, do I have to locate/provide cables for the AllPixel/PiPixel?

AllPixel and PiPixel provide a similar result but through very different means.

The AllPixel is a translator. Normal computers cannot “speak” directly to LED strips. So you run BiblioPixel on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and it sends serial data to the AllPixel, which then translates it into the datastream required by the LED strips. The AllPixel cannot run by itself without a host system running BiblioPixel. But yes, you can use it over USB with a Pi just as you would a regular computer. However…

The Pi, unlike a normal laptop or desktop, can speak directly to LED strips with only a little help. The PiPixel is that help. It provides voltage level shifting and power management. But the Pi itself is speaking directly to the LED strips. Either by BiblioPixel or another compatible library. BiblioPixel was written originally to help abstract the difference between using something like the AllPixel and a Pi directly. You animations and setup can be exactly the same, but you just switch your configuration to use the SPI (What the Pi uses) output instead of the Serial (What the AllPixel uses) output. Everything else is the same.

The AllPixel is ready to go. But you need a microUSB cable (which we also sell).

The PiPixel is a kit that must be soldered. But requires no cables. It connects directly to the Pi.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.
The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Do you have a specific recommendation on specific LED strips or strings? I had been looking at these from Alitove, but they are WS2811 (I know a lot of the writing about these projects call that code series WS281*), so I assume they are similar/interchangeable? I don’t see many APA102 options on Amazon if you have a rec there.

Those are likely fine. And yes… WS2811 == WS2812 as far as you need be concerned. Most of the stuff you’ll find on Amazon or ebay is likely fine. I buy all mine from here http://www.pixel-leds.com - But only because I buy a lot. I’m getting them direct from China at wholesale prices. They are super cheap but you have to buy a lot at once. So I recommend sticking to Amazon or ebay. Skip places like Adafruit or Sparkfun. Definitely support them for their other products, but their LED prices are insanely high.

–

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[Nick]

LOL – no worries, I have Frye’s here so should be totally fine to find someone smarter than myself to help me out! Any injuries would be caused by user error anyways

I’ll look into it, honestly didn’t realize a soldering iron would even be that cheap. Do you have a recommendation on where to get a decent one?

5000 wow! Cool, I’ve seen some of the shows online but had no frame of reference.

Thanks!

···

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 9:40:45 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:32 AM Adam Haile adamm...@gmail.com wrote:

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:31 AM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Awesome, thanks a lot for the link and really appreciate the insight. Apology for my terminology mixup

I don’t see anything on that Jameco link as to whether it comes with a proper power cord for the power supply and can’t tell from the image what sort of connection it needs. Do I need to order something for that?

It does not. You have to wire on a power cord yourself (as you would with any supply like that). I usually just take an old desktop power cable and hack the female end off. Though you can also buy cables with the wires already exposed at your local hardware store.
Note: You are wiring in 120V AC. If you are not comfortable with the dangers that entails, go no further and get someone who knows to show you how to wire it up properly.

Maniacal Labs accepts no responsibility for damage or injury caused and all that legal stuff…

Since I am trying to avoid soldering I’ll skip the strips, thanks! Out of curiosity, have you ever played with any of the premade LED matrixes available on Amazon? Like this, for example?

I have used similar products yes. Nothing wrong with them. I usually go for ones of higher quality, but that should work fine.

Also, buy a $20 soldering iron and learn. Just being honest… you won’t get far with LEDs like this without soldering. it’s a worthwhile skill and not that hard to learn.

Also out of curiosity, what is considered a lot of LEDs when talking your bulk purchase off of pixel-leds?

$500 worth or more. Usually on the order of at least 5000 total pixels.

Really appreciate all the help and especially the clarity of your explanations. If you have any other recommendations for a newbie, I would happily take those!

To summarize the starter stack I’m looking at just to confirm…

Pi
AllPixel, need to get a microUSB connection for this to use for computer or Pi connection
MeanWell 5V 40A 200W Power Supply
WS2811 Light Strip – the current stack can run up to 666 (40A / 0.06A) LEDs, using WS281* rather than APA102 as it is more available and I don’t want a strip (can’t find a string of APA102 on either site).
BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for software component

I always forget they added AllPixel support to LightShowPi

Anything I am missing here? Tried to detail all the connections necessary as well so if I am missing any please fill in the blanks!

That should be a good start.

Thanks for everything!

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 6:10:44 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 10:53 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks again for the response, really appreciate the thorough explanations here. Curious little bit more if you don’t mind!

When picking up an amp, I know there are both 12V LEDs and 12V amps. Do 12V amps play nicely with 5V LED strips, and vice versa?

NOOOOOOO! Definitely not. Also, it’s not an amp. That’s a different thing. What you are looking for is an AC to DC switching power supply.

Is it in my best interest to get one or the other for flexibility’s sake in case I want to scale up later, or is a 5V fine for most practical uses?

5V is fine unless you wanna do really long runs without injecting power frequently. 12V is really more for lighting up your whole house. And the “pixels” are wider… usually 3 LEDs each.

Also, unless I am blind I am not seeing 5V amps from Meanwell on amazon that are > 18A.

Amazon will rip you off on those, buy from Mouser or Jameco -> https://www.jameco.com/z/LRS-200-5-MEAN-WELL-200W-5V-40A-Single-Output-Switchable-Power-Supply_2219719.html

I had looked at some Alitove amps and Alitove seems to has more options. Do you have experience with those products?

I do not. Don’t cheap out on power supplies. They’ll just die and take your LEDs with them.

I am ultimately trying to not have to buy the same foundational pieces in the event I want to change my LEDs or anything like that if I can avoid it. I understand that after a certain number of LEDs I would have to add more amps/allPixels, I just want to maintain flexibility while I can.

A solid 40A @ 5V supply like I linked above will do everything you need and more for many projects to come.

Thanks a bunch for the clarification between the AllPixel and PiPixel, very clear and concise! Quick follow-ups: LightShowPi requires a, well, Pi, right? How easy is it to replicate its functionality through BiblioPixel with an AllPixel? Additionally, if I did want to get a PiPixel in the future, is it possible to order that with the soldering already done? I don’t have a soldering kit and would rather not buy one for just that.

I really don’t know how to use LightShowPi to be honest. It’s possible to do something similar with BP but I can’t point you to a direct example. If people want LightShowPi features, they use that. Otherwise they use BiblioPixel.
And no, we do not offer the PiPixel pre-assembled.

I’ve never actually seen the strips before (obviously understand how the strings work out), but with the strips they seem to essentially come in spools. Do those strips have much flexibility if, for example given a 100 LED strip wanted to go 10x10? Or are they mostly for things like wrapping a tree?

I’ve built plenty of matrix displays out of strips. Totally possible. But you’ll need to cut up the strip and resolder the connections.

Thanks again, really appreciate it, everything’s been super clear and very very helpful.

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 9:32:04 PM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 9:48 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply! Really appreciate that.

Regarding the power - what specs specifically from Meanwell would you recommend? For example this 5V 18A 90W amp? How many LEDs can that reliably power? Same question for the AllPixel vs PiPixel.

General rule is 0.06A per pixel. So 18A / 0.06A = 300 pixels at max brightness white. 500 would work fine for normal usage.

You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

Can you clarify this? Can I not run Bibliopixel on an AllPixel? Can I connect an AllPixel to a Pi as well as a normal PC? And lastly, is there soldering required on my end for either the AllPixel or PiPixel? It seemed that way when I watched the video for the PiPixel announcement blog, but I am far from familiar with soldering so may as well ask Lastly, do I have to locate/provide cables for the AllPixel/PiPixel?

AllPixel and PiPixel provide a similar result but through very different means.

The AllPixel is a translator. Normal computers cannot “speak” directly to LED strips. So you run BiblioPixel on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and it sends serial data to the AllPixel, which then translates it into the datastream required by the LED strips. The AllPixel cannot run by itself without a host system running BiblioPixel. But yes, you can use it over USB with a Pi just as you would a regular computer. However…

The Pi, unlike a normal laptop or desktop, can speak directly to LED strips with only a little help. The PiPixel is that help. It provides voltage level shifting and power management. But the Pi itself is speaking directly to the LED strips. Either by BiblioPixel or another compatible library. BiblioPixel was written originally to help abstract the difference between using something like the AllPixel and a Pi directly. You animations and setup can be exactly the same, but you just switch your configuration to use the SPI (What the Pi uses) output instead of the Serial (What the AllPixel uses) output. Everything else is the same.

The AllPixel is ready to go. But you need a microUSB cable (which we also sell).

The PiPixel is a kit that must be soldered. But requires no cables. It connects directly to the Pi.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.
The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Do you have a specific recommendation on specific LED strips or strings? I had been looking at these from Alitove, but they are WS2811 (I know a lot of the writing about these projects call that code series WS281*), so I assume they are similar/interchangeable? I don’t see many APA102 options on Amazon if you have a rec there.

Those are likely fine. And yes… WS2811 == WS2812 as far as you need be concerned. Most of the stuff you’ll find on Amazon or ebay is likely fine. I buy all mine from here http://www.pixel-leds.com - But only because I buy a lot. I’m getting them direct from China at wholesale prices. They are super cheap but you have to buy a lot at once. So I recommend sticking to Amazon or ebay. Skip places like Adafruit or Sparkfun. Definitely support them for their other products, but their LED prices are insanely high.

–

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[adammhaile]

This isn’t anything to write home about but a nice kit to start with -> https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Soldering-Iron-Kit-Electronics/dp/B06XZ31W3M/

Or for $40 you could get a decent variable temp weller -> https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/

Just doesn’t come with all the accessories.

For some frames of reference… all of these are ours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yjcHflWVkI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qzRQ0Hsj3Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcfPZGgtoYo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_N2OHX2uU

···

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:47 AM Ron nicholas.talmage.robinson@gmail.com wrote:

LOL – no worries, I have Frye’s here so should be totally fine to find someone smarter than myself to help me out! Any injuries would be caused by user error anyways

I’ll look into it, honestly didn’t realize a soldering iron would even be that cheap. Do you have a recommendation on where to get a decent one?

5000 wow! Cool, I’ve seen some of the shows online but had no frame of reference.

Thanks!

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 9:40:45 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:32 AM Adam Haile adamm...@gmail.com wrote:

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:31 AM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Awesome, thanks a lot for the link and really appreciate the insight. Apology for my terminology mixup

I don’t see anything on that Jameco link as to whether it comes with a proper power cord for the power supply and can’t tell from the image what sort of connection it needs. Do I need to order something for that?

It does not. You have to wire on a power cord yourself (as you would with any supply like that). I usually just take an old desktop power cable and hack the female end off. Though you can also buy cables with the wires already exposed at your local hardware store.
Note: You are wiring in 120V AC. If you are not comfortable with the dangers that entails, go no further and get someone who knows to show you how to wire it up properly.

Maniacal Labs accepts no responsibility for damage or injury caused and all that legal stuff…

Since I am trying to avoid soldering I’ll skip the strips, thanks! Out of curiosity, have you ever played with any of the premade LED matrixes available on Amazon? Like this, for example?

I have used similar products yes. Nothing wrong with them. I usually go for ones of higher quality, but that should work fine.

Also, buy a $20 soldering iron and learn. Just being honest… you won’t get far with LEDs like this without soldering. it’s a worthwhile skill and not that hard to learn.

Also out of curiosity, what is considered a lot of LEDs when talking your bulk purchase off of pixel-leds?

$500 worth or more. Usually on the order of at least 5000 total pixels.

Really appreciate all the help and especially the clarity of your explanations. If you have any other recommendations for a newbie, I would happily take those!

To summarize the starter stack I’m looking at just to confirm…

Pi
AllPixel, need to get a microUSB connection for this to use for computer or Pi connection
MeanWell 5V 40A 200W Power Supply
WS2811 Light Strip – the current stack can run up to 666 (40A / 0.06A) LEDs, using WS281* rather than APA102 as it is more available and I don’t want a strip (can’t find a string of APA102 on either site).
BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for software component

I always forget they added AllPixel support to LightShowPi

Anything I am missing here? Tried to detail all the connections necessary as well so if I am missing any please fill in the blanks!

That should be a good start.

Thanks for everything!

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 6:10:44 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 10:53 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks again for the response, really appreciate the thorough explanations here. Curious little bit more if you don’t mind!

When picking up an amp, I know there are both 12V LEDs and 12V amps. Do 12V amps play nicely with 5V LED strips, and vice versa?

NOOOOOOO! Definitely not. Also, it’s not an amp. That’s a different thing. What you are looking for is an AC to DC switching power supply.

Is it in my best interest to get one or the other for flexibility’s sake in case I want to scale up later, or is a 5V fine for most practical uses?

5V is fine unless you wanna do really long runs without injecting power frequently. 12V is really more for lighting up your whole house. And the “pixels” are wider… usually 3 LEDs each.

Also, unless I am blind I am not seeing 5V amps from Meanwell on amazon that are > 18A.

Amazon will rip you off on those, buy from Mouser or Jameco -> https://www.jameco.com/z/LRS-200-5-MEAN-WELL-200W-5V-40A-Single-Output-Switchable-Power-Supply_2219719.html

I had looked at some Alitove amps and Alitove seems to has more options. Do you have experience with those products?

I do not. Don’t cheap out on power supplies. They’ll just die and take your LEDs with them.

I am ultimately trying to not have to buy the same foundational pieces in the event I want to change my LEDs or anything like that if I can avoid it. I understand that after a certain number of LEDs I would have to add more amps/allPixels, I just want to maintain flexibility while I can.

A solid 40A @ 5V supply like I linked above will do everything you need and more for many projects to come.

Thanks a bunch for the clarification between the AllPixel and PiPixel, very clear and concise! Quick follow-ups: LightShowPi requires a, well, Pi, right? How easy is it to replicate its functionality through BiblioPixel with an AllPixel? Additionally, if I did want to get a PiPixel in the future, is it possible to order that with the soldering already done? I don’t have a soldering kit and would rather not buy one for just that.

I really don’t know how to use LightShowPi to be honest. It’s possible to do something similar with BP but I can’t point you to a direct example. If people want LightShowPi features, they use that. Otherwise they use BiblioPixel.
And no, we do not offer the PiPixel pre-assembled.

I’ve never actually seen the strips before (obviously understand how the strings work out), but with the strips they seem to essentially come in spools. Do those strips have much flexibility if, for example given a 100 LED strip wanted to go 10x10? Or are they mostly for things like wrapping a tree?

I’ve built plenty of matrix displays out of strips. Totally possible. But you’ll need to cut up the strip and resolder the connections.

Thanks again, really appreciate it, everything’s been super clear and very very helpful.

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 9:32:04 PM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 9:48 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply! Really appreciate that.

Regarding the power - what specs specifically from Meanwell would you recommend? For example this 5V 18A 90W amp? How many LEDs can that reliably power? Same question for the AllPixel vs PiPixel.

General rule is 0.06A per pixel. So 18A / 0.06A = 300 pixels at max brightness white. 500 would work fine for normal usage.

You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

Can you clarify this? Can I not run Bibliopixel on an AllPixel? Can I connect an AllPixel to a Pi as well as a normal PC? And lastly, is there soldering required on my end for either the AllPixel or PiPixel? It seemed that way when I watched the video for the PiPixel announcement blog, but I am far from familiar with soldering so may as well ask Lastly, do I have to locate/provide cables for the AllPixel/PiPixel?

AllPixel and PiPixel provide a similar result but through very different means.

The AllPixel is a translator. Normal computers cannot “speak” directly to LED strips. So you run BiblioPixel on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and it sends serial data to the AllPixel, which then translates it into the datastream required by the LED strips. The AllPixel cannot run by itself without a host system running BiblioPixel. But yes, you can use it over USB with a Pi just as you would a regular computer. However…

The Pi, unlike a normal laptop or desktop, can speak directly to LED strips with only a little help. The PiPixel is that help. It provides voltage level shifting and power management. But the Pi itself is speaking directly to the LED strips. Either by BiblioPixel or another compatible library. BiblioPixel was written originally to help abstract the difference between using something like the AllPixel and a Pi directly. You animations and setup can be exactly the same, but you just switch your configuration to use the SPI (What the Pi uses) output instead of the Serial (What the AllPixel uses) output. Everything else is the same.

The AllPixel is ready to go. But you need a microUSB cable (which we also sell).

The PiPixel is a kit that must be soldered. But requires no cables. It connects directly to the Pi.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.
The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Do you have a specific recommendation on specific LED strips or strings? I had been looking at these from Alitove, but they are WS2811 (I know a lot of the writing about these projects call that code series WS281*), so I assume they are similar/interchangeable? I don’t see many APA102 options on Amazon if you have a rec there.

Those are likely fine. And yes… WS2811 == WS2812 as far as you need be concerned. Most of the stuff you’ll find on Amazon or ebay is likely fine. I buy all mine from here http://www.pixel-leds.com - But only because I buy a lot. I’m getting them direct from China at wholesale prices. They are super cheap but you have to buy a lot at once. So I recommend sticking to Amazon or ebay. Skip places like Adafruit or Sparkfun. Definitely support them for their other products, but their LED prices are insanely high.

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[Nick]

I will grab a $40 kit then, may as well figure it out. Do I need anything heavy duty to cut up a strip?

Out of curiosity,

···

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 9:54:33 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

This isn’t anything to write home about but a nice kit to start with -> https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Soldering-Iron-Kit-Electronics/dp/B06XZ31W3M/

Or for $40 you could get a decent variable temp weller -> https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/

Just doesn’t come with all the accessories.

For some frames of reference… all of these are ours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yjcHflWVkI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qzRQ0Hsj3Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcfPZGgtoYo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_N2OHX2uU

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:47 AM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

LOL – no worries, I have Frye’s here so should be totally fine to find someone smarter than myself to help me out! Any injuries would be caused by user error anyways

I’ll look into it, honestly didn’t realize a soldering iron would even be that cheap. Do you have a recommendation on where to get a decent one?

5000 wow! Cool, I’ve seen some of the shows online but had no frame of reference.

Thanks!

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 9:40:45 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:32 AM Adam Haile adamm...@gmail.com wrote:

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:31 AM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Awesome, thanks a lot for the link and really appreciate the insight. Apology for my terminology mixup

I don’t see anything on that Jameco link as to whether it comes with a proper power cord for the power supply and can’t tell from the image what sort of connection it needs. Do I need to order something for that?

It does not. You have to wire on a power cord yourself (as you would with any supply like that). I usually just take an old desktop power cable and hack the female end off. Though you can also buy cables with the wires already exposed at your local hardware store.
Note: You are wiring in 120V AC. If you are not comfortable with the dangers that entails, go no further and get someone who knows to show you how to wire it up properly.

Maniacal Labs accepts no responsibility for damage or injury caused and all that legal stuff…

Since I am trying to avoid soldering I’ll skip the strips, thanks! Out of curiosity, have you ever played with any of the premade LED matrixes available on Amazon? Like this, for example?

I have used similar products yes. Nothing wrong with them. I usually go for ones of higher quality, but that should work fine.

Also, buy a $20 soldering iron and learn. Just being honest… you won’t get far with LEDs like this without soldering. it’s a worthwhile skill and not that hard to learn.

Also out of curiosity, what is considered a lot of LEDs when talking your bulk purchase off of pixel-leds?

$500 worth or more. Usually on the order of at least 5000 total pixels.

Really appreciate all the help and especially the clarity of your explanations. If you have any other recommendations for a newbie, I would happily take those!

To summarize the starter stack I’m looking at just to confirm…

Pi
AllPixel, need to get a microUSB connection for this to use for computer or Pi connection
MeanWell 5V 40A 200W Power Supply
WS2811 Light Strip – the current stack can run up to 666 (40A / 0.06A) LEDs, using WS281* rather than APA102 as it is more available and I don’t want a strip (can’t find a string of APA102 on either site).
BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for software component

I always forget they added AllPixel support to LightShowPi

Anything I am missing here? Tried to detail all the connections necessary as well so if I am missing any please fill in the blanks!

That should be a good start.

Thanks for everything!

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 6:10:44 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 10:53 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks again for the response, really appreciate the thorough explanations here. Curious little bit more if you don’t mind!

When picking up an amp, I know there are both 12V LEDs and 12V amps. Do 12V amps play nicely with 5V LED strips, and vice versa?

NOOOOOOO! Definitely not. Also, it’s not an amp. That’s a different thing. What you are looking for is an AC to DC switching power supply.

Is it in my best interest to get one or the other for flexibility’s sake in case I want to scale up later, or is a 5V fine for most practical uses?

5V is fine unless you wanna do really long runs without injecting power frequently. 12V is really more for lighting up your whole house. And the “pixels” are wider… usually 3 LEDs each.

Also, unless I am blind I am not seeing 5V amps from Meanwell on amazon that are > 18A.

Amazon will rip you off on those, buy from Mouser or Jameco -> https://www.jameco.com/z/LRS-200-5-MEAN-WELL-200W-5V-40A-Single-Output-Switchable-Power-Supply_2219719.html

I had looked at some Alitove amps and Alitove seems to has more options. Do you have experience with those products?

I do not. Don’t cheap out on power supplies. They’ll just die and take your LEDs with them.

I am ultimately trying to not have to buy the same foundational pieces in the event I want to change my LEDs or anything like that if I can avoid it. I understand that after a certain number of LEDs I would have to add more amps/allPixels, I just want to maintain flexibility while I can.

A solid 40A @ 5V supply like I linked above will do everything you need and more for many projects to come.

Thanks a bunch for the clarification between the AllPixel and PiPixel, very clear and concise! Quick follow-ups: LightShowPi requires a, well, Pi, right? How easy is it to replicate its functionality through BiblioPixel with an AllPixel? Additionally, if I did want to get a PiPixel in the future, is it possible to order that with the soldering already done? I don’t have a soldering kit and would rather not buy one for just that.

I really don’t know how to use LightShowPi to be honest. It’s possible to do something similar with BP but I can’t point you to a direct example. If people want LightShowPi features, they use that. Otherwise they use BiblioPixel.
And no, we do not offer the PiPixel pre-assembled.

I’ve never actually seen the strips before (obviously understand how the strings work out), but with the strips they seem to essentially come in spools. Do those strips have much flexibility if, for example given a 100 LED strip wanted to go 10x10? Or are they mostly for things like wrapping a tree?

I’ve built plenty of matrix displays out of strips. Totally possible. But you’ll need to cut up the strip and resolder the connections.

Thanks again, really appreciate it, everything’s been super clear and very very helpful.

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 9:32:04 PM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 9:48 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply! Really appreciate that.

Regarding the power - what specs specifically from Meanwell would you recommend? For example this 5V 18A 90W amp? How many LEDs can that reliably power? Same question for the AllPixel vs PiPixel.

General rule is 0.06A per pixel. So 18A / 0.06A = 300 pixels at max brightness white. 500 would work fine for normal usage.

You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

Can you clarify this? Can I not run Bibliopixel on an AllPixel? Can I connect an AllPixel to a Pi as well as a normal PC? And lastly, is there soldering required on my end for either the AllPixel or PiPixel? It seemed that way when I watched the video for the PiPixel announcement blog, but I am far from familiar with soldering so may as well ask Lastly, do I have to locate/provide cables for the AllPixel/PiPixel?

AllPixel and PiPixel provide a similar result but through very different means.

The AllPixel is a translator. Normal computers cannot “speak” directly to LED strips. So you run BiblioPixel on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and it sends serial data to the AllPixel, which then translates it into the datastream required by the LED strips. The AllPixel cannot run by itself without a host system running BiblioPixel. But yes, you can use it over USB with a Pi just as you would a regular computer. However…

The Pi, unlike a normal laptop or desktop, can speak directly to LED strips with only a little help. The PiPixel is that help. It provides voltage level shifting and power management. But the Pi itself is speaking directly to the LED strips. Either by BiblioPixel or another compatible library. BiblioPixel was written originally to help abstract the difference between using something like the AllPixel and a Pi directly. You animations and setup can be exactly the same, but you just switch your configuration to use the SPI (What the Pi uses) output instead of the Serial (What the AllPixel uses) output. Everything else is the same.

The AllPixel is ready to go. But you need a microUSB cable (which we also sell).

The PiPixel is a kit that must be soldered. But requires no cables. It connects directly to the Pi.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.
The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Do you have a specific recommendation on specific LED strips or strings? I had been looking at these from Alitove, but they are WS2811 (I know a lot of the writing about these projects call that code series WS281*), so I assume they are similar/interchangeable? I don’t see many APA102 options on Amazon if you have a rec there.

Those are likely fine. And yes… WS2811 == WS2812 as far as you need be concerned. Most of the stuff you’ll find on Amazon or ebay is likely fine. I buy all mine from here http://www.pixel-leds.com - But only because I buy a lot. I’m getting them direct from China at wholesale prices. They are super cheap but you have to buy a lot at once. So I recommend sticking to Amazon or ebay. Skip places like Adafruit or Sparkfun. Definitely support them for their other products, but their LED prices are insanely high.

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[adammhaile]

I cut them with scissors.

···

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 12:06 PM Ron nicholas.talmage.robinson@gmail.com wrote:

I will grab a $40 kit then, may as well figure it out. Do I need anything heavy duty to cut up a strip?

Out of curiosity,

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 9:54:33 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

This isn’t anything to write home about but a nice kit to start with -> https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Soldering-Iron-Kit-Electronics/dp/B06XZ31W3M/

Or for $40 you could get a decent variable temp weller -> https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/

Just doesn’t come with all the accessories.

For some frames of reference… all of these are ours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yjcHflWVkI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qzRQ0Hsj3Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcfPZGgtoYo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_N2OHX2uU

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:47 AM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

LOL – no worries, I have Frye’s here so should be totally fine to find someone smarter than myself to help me out! Any injuries would be caused by user error anyways

I’ll look into it, honestly didn’t realize a soldering iron would even be that cheap. Do you have a recommendation on where to get a decent one?

5000 wow! Cool, I’ve seen some of the shows online but had no frame of reference.

Thanks!

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 9:40:45 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:32 AM Adam Haile adamm...@gmail.com wrote:

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:31 AM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Awesome, thanks a lot for the link and really appreciate the insight. Apology for my terminology mixup

I don’t see anything on that Jameco link as to whether it comes with a proper power cord for the power supply and can’t tell from the image what sort of connection it needs. Do I need to order something for that?

It does not. You have to wire on a power cord yourself (as you would with any supply like that). I usually just take an old desktop power cable and hack the female end off. Though you can also buy cables with the wires already exposed at your local hardware store.
Note: You are wiring in 120V AC. If you are not comfortable with the dangers that entails, go no further and get someone who knows to show you how to wire it up properly.

Maniacal Labs accepts no responsibility for damage or injury caused and all that legal stuff…

Since I am trying to avoid soldering I’ll skip the strips, thanks! Out of curiosity, have you ever played with any of the premade LED matrixes available on Amazon? Like this, for example?

I have used similar products yes. Nothing wrong with them. I usually go for ones of higher quality, but that should work fine.

Also, buy a $20 soldering iron and learn. Just being honest… you won’t get far with LEDs like this without soldering. it’s a worthwhile skill and not that hard to learn.

Also out of curiosity, what is considered a lot of LEDs when talking your bulk purchase off of pixel-leds?

$500 worth or more. Usually on the order of at least 5000 total pixels.

Really appreciate all the help and especially the clarity of your explanations. If you have any other recommendations for a newbie, I would happily take those!

To summarize the starter stack I’m looking at just to confirm…

Pi
AllPixel, need to get a microUSB connection for this to use for computer or Pi connection
MeanWell 5V 40A 200W Power Supply
WS2811 Light Strip – the current stack can run up to 666 (40A / 0.06A) LEDs, using WS281* rather than APA102 as it is more available and I don’t want a strip (can’t find a string of APA102 on either site).
BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for software component

I always forget they added AllPixel support to LightShowPi

Anything I am missing here? Tried to detail all the connections necessary as well so if I am missing any please fill in the blanks!

That should be a good start.

Thanks for everything!

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 6:10:44 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 10:53 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks again for the response, really appreciate the thorough explanations here. Curious little bit more if you don’t mind!

When picking up an amp, I know there are both 12V LEDs and 12V amps. Do 12V amps play nicely with 5V LED strips, and vice versa?

NOOOOOOO! Definitely not. Also, it’s not an amp. That’s a different thing. What you are looking for is an AC to DC switching power supply.

Is it in my best interest to get one or the other for flexibility’s sake in case I want to scale up later, or is a 5V fine for most practical uses?

5V is fine unless you wanna do really long runs without injecting power frequently. 12V is really more for lighting up your whole house. And the “pixels” are wider… usually 3 LEDs each.

Also, unless I am blind I am not seeing 5V amps from Meanwell on amazon that are > 18A.

Amazon will rip you off on those, buy from Mouser or Jameco -> https://www.jameco.com/z/LRS-200-5-MEAN-WELL-200W-5V-40A-Single-Output-Switchable-Power-Supply_2219719.html

I had looked at some Alitove amps and Alitove seems to has more options. Do you have experience with those products?

I do not. Don’t cheap out on power supplies. They’ll just die and take your LEDs with them.

I am ultimately trying to not have to buy the same foundational pieces in the event I want to change my LEDs or anything like that if I can avoid it. I understand that after a certain number of LEDs I would have to add more amps/allPixels, I just want to maintain flexibility while I can.

A solid 40A @ 5V supply like I linked above will do everything you need and more for many projects to come.

Thanks a bunch for the clarification between the AllPixel and PiPixel, very clear and concise! Quick follow-ups: LightShowPi requires a, well, Pi, right? How easy is it to replicate its functionality through BiblioPixel with an AllPixel? Additionally, if I did want to get a PiPixel in the future, is it possible to order that with the soldering already done? I don’t have a soldering kit and would rather not buy one for just that.

I really don’t know how to use LightShowPi to be honest. It’s possible to do something similar with BP but I can’t point you to a direct example. If people want LightShowPi features, they use that. Otherwise they use BiblioPixel.
And no, we do not offer the PiPixel pre-assembled.

I’ve never actually seen the strips before (obviously understand how the strings work out), but with the strips they seem to essentially come in spools. Do those strips have much flexibility if, for example given a 100 LED strip wanted to go 10x10? Or are they mostly for things like wrapping a tree?

I’ve built plenty of matrix displays out of strips. Totally possible. But you’ll need to cut up the strip and resolder the connections.

Thanks again, really appreciate it, everything’s been super clear and very very helpful.

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 9:32:04 PM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 9:48 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply! Really appreciate that.

Regarding the power - what specs specifically from Meanwell would you recommend? For example this 5V 18A 90W amp? How many LEDs can that reliably power? Same question for the AllPixel vs PiPixel.

General rule is 0.06A per pixel. So 18A / 0.06A = 300 pixels at max brightness white. 500 would work fine for normal usage.

You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

Can you clarify this? Can I not run Bibliopixel on an AllPixel? Can I connect an AllPixel to a Pi as well as a normal PC? And lastly, is there soldering required on my end for either the AllPixel or PiPixel? It seemed that way when I watched the video for the PiPixel announcement blog, but I am far from familiar with soldering so may as well ask Lastly, do I have to locate/provide cables for the AllPixel/PiPixel?

AllPixel and PiPixel provide a similar result but through very different means.

The AllPixel is a translator. Normal computers cannot “speak” directly to LED strips. So you run BiblioPixel on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and it sends serial data to the AllPixel, which then translates it into the datastream required by the LED strips. The AllPixel cannot run by itself without a host system running BiblioPixel. But yes, you can use it over USB with a Pi just as you would a regular computer. However…

The Pi, unlike a normal laptop or desktop, can speak directly to LED strips with only a little help. The PiPixel is that help. It provides voltage level shifting and power management. But the Pi itself is speaking directly to the LED strips. Either by BiblioPixel or another compatible library. BiblioPixel was written originally to help abstract the difference between using something like the AllPixel and a Pi directly. You animations and setup can be exactly the same, but you just switch your configuration to use the SPI (What the Pi uses) output instead of the Serial (What the AllPixel uses) output. Everything else is the same.

The AllPixel is ready to go. But you need a microUSB cable (which we also sell).

The PiPixel is a kit that must be soldered. But requires no cables. It connects directly to the Pi.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.
The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Do you have a specific recommendation on specific LED strips or strings? I had been looking at these from Alitove, but they are WS2811 (I know a lot of the writing about these projects call that code series WS281*), so I assume they are similar/interchangeable? I don’t see many APA102 options on Amazon if you have a rec there.

Those are likely fine. And yes… WS2811 == WS2812 as far as you need be concerned. Most of the stuff you’ll find on Amazon or ebay is likely fine. I buy all mine from here http://www.pixel-leds.com - But only because I buy a lot. I’m getting them direct from China at wholesale prices. They are super cheap but you have to buy a lot at once. So I recommend sticking to Amazon or ebay. Skip places like Adafruit or Sparkfun. Definitely support them for their other products, but their LED prices are insanely high.

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[Nick]

Sweet, I’m going to grab a APA102 strip as well then, something like this to play around with.

Thanks again for all the help!

···

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 12:11:32 PM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

I cut them with scissors.

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 12:06 PM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

I will grab a $40 kit then, may as well figure it out. Do I need anything heavy duty to cut up a strip?

Out of curiosity,

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 9:54:33 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

This isn’t anything to write home about but a nice kit to start with -> https://www.amazon.com/ANBES-Soldering-Iron-Kit-Electronics/dp/B06XZ31W3M/

Or for $40 you could get a decent variable temp weller -> https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/

Just doesn’t come with all the accessories.

For some frames of reference… all of these are ours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yjcHflWVkI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qzRQ0Hsj3Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcfPZGgtoYo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_N2OHX2uU

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:47 AM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

LOL – no worries, I have Frye’s here so should be totally fine to find someone smarter than myself to help me out! Any injuries would be caused by user error anyways

I’ll look into it, honestly didn’t realize a soldering iron would even be that cheap. Do you have a recommendation on where to get a decent one?

5000 wow! Cool, I’ve seen some of the shows online but had no frame of reference.

Thanks!

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 9:40:45 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:32 AM Adam Haile adamm...@gmail.com wrote:

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018 at 10:31 AM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Awesome, thanks a lot for the link and really appreciate the insight. Apology for my terminology mixup

I don’t see anything on that Jameco link as to whether it comes with a proper power cord for the power supply and can’t tell from the image what sort of connection it needs. Do I need to order something for that?

It does not. You have to wire on a power cord yourself (as you would with any supply like that). I usually just take an old desktop power cable and hack the female end off. Though you can also buy cables with the wires already exposed at your local hardware store.
Note: You are wiring in 120V AC. If you are not comfortable with the dangers that entails, go no further and get someone who knows to show you how to wire it up properly.

Maniacal Labs accepts no responsibility for damage or injury caused and all that legal stuff…

Since I am trying to avoid soldering I’ll skip the strips, thanks! Out of curiosity, have you ever played with any of the premade LED matrixes available on Amazon? Like this, for example?

I have used similar products yes. Nothing wrong with them. I usually go for ones of higher quality, but that should work fine.

Also, buy a $20 soldering iron and learn. Just being honest… you won’t get far with LEDs like this without soldering. it’s a worthwhile skill and not that hard to learn.

Also out of curiosity, what is considered a lot of LEDs when talking your bulk purchase off of pixel-leds?

$500 worth or more. Usually on the order of at least 5000 total pixels.

Really appreciate all the help and especially the clarity of your explanations. If you have any other recommendations for a newbie, I would happily take those!

To summarize the starter stack I’m looking at just to confirm…

Pi
AllPixel, need to get a microUSB connection for this to use for computer or Pi connection
MeanWell 5V 40A 200W Power Supply
WS2811 Light Strip – the current stack can run up to 666 (40A / 0.06A) LEDs, using WS281* rather than APA102 as it is more available and I don’t want a strip (can’t find a string of APA102 on either site).
BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for software component

I always forget they added AllPixel support to LightShowPi

Anything I am missing here? Tried to detail all the connections necessary as well so if I am missing any please fill in the blanks!

That should be a good start.

Thanks for everything!

On Friday, October 26, 2018 at 6:10:44 AM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 10:53 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks again for the response, really appreciate the thorough explanations here. Curious little bit more if you don’t mind!

When picking up an amp, I know there are both 12V LEDs and 12V amps. Do 12V amps play nicely with 5V LED strips, and vice versa?

NOOOOOOO! Definitely not. Also, it’s not an amp. That’s a different thing. What you are looking for is an AC to DC switching power supply.

Is it in my best interest to get one or the other for flexibility’s sake in case I want to scale up later, or is a 5V fine for most practical uses?

5V is fine unless you wanna do really long runs without injecting power frequently. 12V is really more for lighting up your whole house. And the “pixels” are wider… usually 3 LEDs each.

Also, unless I am blind I am not seeing 5V amps from Meanwell on amazon that are > 18A.

Amazon will rip you off on those, buy from Mouser or Jameco -> https://www.jameco.com/z/LRS-200-5-MEAN-WELL-200W-5V-40A-Single-Output-Switchable-Power-Supply_2219719.html

I had looked at some Alitove amps and Alitove seems to has more options. Do you have experience with those products?

I do not. Don’t cheap out on power supplies. They’ll just die and take your LEDs with them.

I am ultimately trying to not have to buy the same foundational pieces in the event I want to change my LEDs or anything like that if I can avoid it. I understand that after a certain number of LEDs I would have to add more amps/allPixels, I just want to maintain flexibility while I can.

A solid 40A @ 5V supply like I linked above will do everything you need and more for many projects to come.

Thanks a bunch for the clarification between the AllPixel and PiPixel, very clear and concise! Quick follow-ups: LightShowPi requires a, well, Pi, right? How easy is it to replicate its functionality through BiblioPixel with an AllPixel? Additionally, if I did want to get a PiPixel in the future, is it possible to order that with the soldering already done? I don’t have a soldering kit and would rather not buy one for just that.

I really don’t know how to use LightShowPi to be honest. It’s possible to do something similar with BP but I can’t point you to a direct example. If people want LightShowPi features, they use that. Otherwise they use BiblioPixel.
And no, we do not offer the PiPixel pre-assembled.

I’ve never actually seen the strips before (obviously understand how the strings work out), but with the strips they seem to essentially come in spools. Do those strips have much flexibility if, for example given a 100 LED strip wanted to go 10x10? Or are they mostly for things like wrapping a tree?

I’ve built plenty of matrix displays out of strips. Totally possible. But you’ll need to cut up the strip and resolder the connections.

Thanks again, really appreciate it, everything’s been super clear and very very helpful.

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 9:32:04 PM UTC-5, Adam Haile wrote:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 9:48 PM Ron Nicholas.Tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply! Really appreciate that.

Regarding the power - what specs specifically from Meanwell would you recommend? For example this 5V 18A 90W amp? How many LEDs can that reliably power? Same question for the AllPixel vs PiPixel.

General rule is 0.06A per pixel. So 18A / 0.06A = 300 pixels at max brightness white. 500 would work fine for normal usage.

You can always switch over to a PiPixel or something else later (if yo uuse bibliopixel).

Can you clarify this? Can I not run Bibliopixel on an AllPixel? Can I connect an AllPixel to a Pi as well as a normal PC? And lastly, is there soldering required on my end for either the AllPixel or PiPixel? It seemed that way when I watched the video for the PiPixel announcement blog, but I am far from familiar with soldering so may as well ask Lastly, do I have to locate/provide cables for the AllPixel/PiPixel?

AllPixel and PiPixel provide a similar result but through very different means.

The AllPixel is a translator. Normal computers cannot “speak” directly to LED strips. So you run BiblioPixel on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and it sends serial data to the AllPixel, which then translates it into the datastream required by the LED strips. The AllPixel cannot run by itself without a host system running BiblioPixel. But yes, you can use it over USB with a Pi just as you would a regular computer. However…

The Pi, unlike a normal laptop or desktop, can speak directly to LED strips with only a little help. The PiPixel is that help. It provides voltage level shifting and power management. But the Pi itself is speaking directly to the LED strips. Either by BiblioPixel or another compatible library. BiblioPixel was written originally to help abstract the difference between using something like the AllPixel and a Pi directly. You animations and setup can be exactly the same, but you just switch your configuration to use the SPI (What the Pi uses) output instead of the Serial (What the AllPixel uses) output. Everything else is the same.

The AllPixel is ready to go. But you need a microUSB cable (which we also sell).

The PiPixel is a kit that must be soldered. But requires no cables. It connects directly to the Pi.

String vs Strip is just a question of aesthetics and what you are going for.
The more important concern is the type of LEDs. The major ones are WS2812 (also called NeoPixel) and APA102/SK9822 (also called DotStar). For 500 leds max, WS2812 are fine. They are cheaper and work find for low pixel counts. But they are slow. If you need more pixels or higher than ~20fps framerates, use APA102.

I could go on and on, but that should cover the basics.

Do you have a specific recommendation on specific LED strips or strings? I had been looking at these from Alitove, but they are WS2811 (I know a lot of the writing about these projects call that code series WS281*), so I assume they are similar/interchangeable? I don’t see many APA102 options on Amazon if you have a rec there.

Those are likely fine. And yes… WS2811 == WS2812 as far as you need be concerned. Most of the stuff you’ll find on Amazon or ebay is likely fine. I buy all mine from here http://www.pixel-leds.com - But only because I buy a lot. I’m getting them direct from China at wholesale prices. They are super cheap but you have to buy a lot at once. So I recommend sticking to Amazon or ebay. Skip places like Adafruit or Sparkfun. Definitely support them for their other products, but their LED prices are insanely high.

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[Nick]

Adam,

I’m looking for a bit of clarity as the folks at the hardware store couldn’t help much and I haven’t found many videos online with a similar hardware setup. I have finally collected all the pieces and am trying to just get the hardware pieces connected.

I am simply confused on how the AllPixel, LEDs, and PS connect. (Here is some images for reference).

So my understanding is that the PS connection to the charger is done by linking the three ends pictured to the three rightmost connections, with the grounding connection going to the leftmost non-V+/- one labeled ± and the other two going to the N / L connections. Unscrew those connections, run the cable into the opening, re-screw the connections.

I am a little confused about the LED piece. I understand the string is one-directional and that the AllPixel has to connect to the female end, but I do not understand where I connect the power to LEDs.

Of course, the AllPixel connects to the Pi via MicroUSB.

So essentially, how do the LEDs connect to the AllPixel and to the PS? If you have any good reference resources that would be great, otherwise I tried to capture everything in the album linked for reference.

Apologies for my confusion as this is probably fairly basic.

Thanks!

···

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 6:27:38 PM UTC-5, Ron wrote:

Hi all,

I’ve had a Pi laying around for a bit doing some minor stuff, and have been looking for a cool project to try with it for ages. With Christmas season coming up, I thought to try an LED project using the Pi. I have a software background (in web), but no noteworthy hardware experience. I’m not looking to do anything huge, and with my background in mind, the less assembly of the individual components, the better. I don’t really intend to do more than 500 individual LEDs unless it is a series of strips or matrix that does most of that layout work for me.

With that said, I’ve been looking around and have gathered the following information about what is required:

• Raspberry Pi
• Controller (as apparent by the fact I’ve found this page, I’ve stumbled on the AllPixel/PiPixel to fill this role –
• Power Source (depending on the LED strip type, but probably requiring 5V minimum? So something like a 5V/20-60A/100-300W type amp?)
• LEDs – I am aware there is a choice of individual LED strings, LED strips, and matrices. I like the idea of the strings of LEDs for flexibility sake, but the convenience of the strips/matrix pre-made…
• Some sort of power cord to make the controller go
• BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for the software piece
  Is this all accurate? Anything missing?

Ultimately, I am just looking for recommendations on a decent starter kit that affords some flexibility, and some insight into the differences between some of the various options here (namely AllPixel vs PiPixel, BiblioPixel vs LightShowPi, and people’s experience with LED Strings vs Strips).

Tips and insight all greatly appreciated! Please let me know if I can provide any additional context/information.

[adammhaile]

Adam,

I’m looking for a bit of clarity as the folks at the hardware store couldn’t help much and I haven’t found many videos online with a similar hardware setup. I have finally collected all the pieces and am trying to just get the hardware pieces connected.

I am simply confused on how the AllPixel, LEDs, and PS connect. (Here is some images for reference).

So my understanding is that the PS connection to the charger is done by linking the three ends pictured to the three rightmost connections, with the grounding connection going to the leftmost non-V+/- one labeled ± and the other two going to the N / L connections. Unscrew those connections, run the cable into the opening, re-screw the connections.

The wires you show for the AC power are not color coded. So I can’t help you there. Your plug wires should be white (N), black (L), and green (Ground symbol).
Not even going to speculate how the wires you have need to be connected because if you get it wrong you could die. Please find someone local who knows what they are doing there if you are not 100% sure.

I am a little confused about the LED piece. I understand the string is one-directional and that the AllPixel has to connect to the female end, but I do not understand where I connect the power to LEDs.

The pictures you show are also not color coded in any way on the wires. So no clue.
How many LEDs total on the strand again? You should be able to just connect to the barrel jack on the AllPixel for up to the first 5A (first ~100 leds). Then would need to connect power to the other end if you need more current.
Look how the connector is attached to the LED strand and see if there’s markings near the LEDs… usually 5V, G (ground), and D (Data). Those would match up to what’s labeled on the AllPixel.

···

On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 7:48 PM Ron nicholas.talmage.robinson@gmail.com wrote:

Of course, the AllPixel connects to the Pi via MicroUSB.

So essentially, how do the LEDs connect to the AllPixel and to the PS? If you have any good reference resources that would be great, otherwise I tried to capture everything in the album linked for reference.

Apologies for my confusion as this is probably fairly basic.

Thanks!

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 6:27:38 PM UTC-5, Ron wrote:

Hi all,

I’ve had a Pi laying around for a bit doing some minor stuff, and have been looking for a cool project to try with it for ages. With Christmas season coming up, I thought to try an LED project using the Pi. I have a software background (in web), but no noteworthy hardware experience. I’m not looking to do anything huge, and with my background in mind, the less assembly of the individual components, the better. I don’t really intend to do more than 500 individual LEDs unless it is a series of strips or matrix that does most of that layout work for me.

With that said, I’ve been looking around and have gathered the following information about what is required:

• Raspberry Pi
• Controller (as apparent by the fact I’ve found this page, I’ve stumbled on the AllPixel/PiPixel to fill this role –
• Power Source (depending on the LED strip type, but probably requiring 5V minimum? So something like a 5V/20-60A/100-300W type amp?)
• LEDs – I am aware there is a choice of individual LED strings, LED strips, and matrices. I like the idea of the strings of LEDs for flexibility sake, but the convenience of the strips/matrix pre-made…
• Some sort of power cord to make the controller go
• BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for the software piece
  Is this all accurate? Anything missing?

Ultimately, I am just looking for recommendations on a decent starter kit that affords some flexibility, and some insight into the differences between some of the various options here (namely AllPixel vs PiPixel, BiblioPixel vs LightShowPi, and people’s experience with LED Strings vs Strips).

Tips and insight all greatly appreciated! Please let me know if I can provide any additional context/information.

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[Nick]

I’m glad I was on the right track in thinking the lack of marking on that PS power cable wiring was odd. I’ll just skip the risk and find another cable.

The LED strands are 50 LEDs per. When you say the barrel jack, I assume that is the actual name for the green piece on the AllPixel? To clarify, I use the two cables and not the male/female end to connect to that, right?

···

On Monday, November 5, 2018 at 7:05:04 PM UTC-6, Adam Haile wrote:

On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 7:48 PM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Adam,

I’m looking for a bit of clarity as the folks at the hardware store couldn’t help much and I haven’t found many videos online with a similar hardware setup. I have finally collected all the pieces and am trying to just get the hardware pieces connected.

I am simply confused on how the AllPixel, LEDs, and PS connect. (Here is some images for reference).

So my understanding is that the PS connection to the charger is done by linking the three ends pictured to the three rightmost connections, with the grounding connection going to the leftmost non-V+/- one labeled ± and the other two going to the N / L connections. Unscrew those connections, run the cable into the opening, re-screw the connections.

The wires you show for the AC power are not color coded. So I can’t help you there. Your plug wires should be white (N), black (L), and green (Ground symbol).
Not even going to speculate how the wires you have need to be connected because if you get it wrong you could die. Please find someone local who knows what they are doing there if you are not 100% sure.

I am a little confused about the LED piece. I understand the string is one-directional and that the AllPixel has to connect to the female end, but I do not understand where I connect the power to LEDs.

The pictures you show are also not color coded in any way on the wires. So no clue.
How many LEDs total on the strand again? You should be able to just connect to the barrel jack on the AllPixel for up to the first 5A (first ~100 leds). Then would need to connect power to the other end if you need more current.
Look how the connector is attached to the LED strand and see if there’s markings near the LEDs… usually 5V, G (ground), and D (Data). Those would match up to what’s labeled on the AllPixel.

Of course, the AllPixel connects to the Pi via MicroUSB.

So essentially, how do the LEDs connect to the AllPixel and to the PS? If you have any good reference resources that would be great, otherwise I tried to capture everything in the album linked for reference.

Apologies for my confusion as this is probably fairly basic.

Thanks!

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 6:27:38 PM UTC-5, Ron wrote:

Hi all,

I’ve had a Pi laying around for a bit doing some minor stuff, and have been looking for a cool project to try with it for ages. With Christmas season coming up, I thought to try an LED project using the Pi. I have a software background (in web), but no noteworthy hardware experience. I’m not looking to do anything huge, and with my background in mind, the less assembly of the individual components, the better. I don’t really intend to do more than 500 individual LEDs unless it is a series of strips or matrix that does most of that layout work for me.

With that said, I’ve been looking around and have gathered the following information about what is required:

• Raspberry Pi
• Controller (as apparent by the fact I’ve found this page, I’ve stumbled on the AllPixel/PiPixel to fill this role –
• Power Source (depending on the LED strip type, but probably requiring 5V minimum? So something like a 5V/20-60A/100-300W type amp?)
• LEDs – I am aware there is a choice of individual LED strings, LED strips, and matrices. I like the idea of the strings of LEDs for flexibility sake, but the convenience of the strips/matrix pre-made…
• Some sort of power cord to make the controller go
• BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for the software piece
  Is this all accurate? Anything missing?

Ultimately, I am just looking for recommendations on a decent starter kit that affords some flexibility, and some insight into the differences between some of the various options here (namely AllPixel vs PiPixel, BiblioPixel vs LightShowPi, and people’s experience with LED Strings vs Strips).

Tips and insight all greatly appreciated! Please let me know if I can provide any additional context/information.

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[adammhaile]

I’m glad I was on the right track in thinking the lack of marking on that PS power cable wiring was odd. I’ll just skip the risk and find another cable.

The LED strands are 50 LEDs per. When you say the barrel jack, I assume that is the actual name for the green piece on the AllPixel? To clarify, I use the two cables and not the male/female end to connect to that, right?

No… the green piece is a 4-pin screw terminal. That’s what you connect the LEDs to. The barrel jack is the black connector next to the USB port.

···

On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 8:22 PM Ron nicholas.talmage.robinson@gmail.com wrote:

On Monday, November 5, 2018 at 7:05:04 PM UTC-6, Adam Haile wrote:

On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 7:48 PM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Adam,

I’m looking for a bit of clarity as the folks at the hardware store couldn’t help much and I haven’t found many videos online with a similar hardware setup. I have finally collected all the pieces and am trying to just get the hardware pieces connected.

I am simply confused on how the AllPixel, LEDs, and PS connect. (Here is some images for reference).

So my understanding is that the PS connection to the charger is done by linking the three ends pictured to the three rightmost connections, with the grounding connection going to the leftmost non-V+/- one labeled ± and the other two going to the N / L connections. Unscrew those connections, run the cable into the opening, re-screw the connections.

The wires you show for the AC power are not color coded. So I can’t help you there. Your plug wires should be white (N), black (L), and green (Ground symbol).
Not even going to speculate how the wires you have need to be connected because if you get it wrong you could die. Please find someone local who knows what they are doing there if you are not 100% sure.

I am a little confused about the LED piece. I understand the string is one-directional and that the AllPixel has to connect to the female end, but I do not understand where I connect the power to LEDs.

The pictures you show are also not color coded in any way on the wires. So no clue.
How many LEDs total on the strand again? You should be able to just connect to the barrel jack on the AllPixel for up to the first 5A (first ~100 leds). Then would need to connect power to the other end if you need more current.
Look how the connector is attached to the LED strand and see if there’s markings near the LEDs… usually 5V, G (ground), and D (Data). Those would match up to what’s labeled on the AllPixel.

Of course, the AllPixel connects to the Pi via MicroUSB.

So essentially, how do the LEDs connect to the AllPixel and to the PS? If you have any good reference resources that would be great, otherwise I tried to capture everything in the album linked for reference.

Apologies for my confusion as this is probably fairly basic.

Thanks!

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 6:27:38 PM UTC-5, Ron wrote:

Hi all,

I’ve had a Pi laying around for a bit doing some minor stuff, and have been looking for a cool project to try with it for ages. With Christmas season coming up, I thought to try an LED project using the Pi. I have a software background (in web), but no noteworthy hardware experience. I’m not looking to do anything huge, and with my background in mind, the less assembly of the individual components, the better. I don’t really intend to do more than 500 individual LEDs unless it is a series of strips or matrix that does most of that layout work for me.

With that said, I’ve been looking around and have gathered the following information about what is required:

• Raspberry Pi
• Controller (as apparent by the fact I’ve found this page, I’ve stumbled on the AllPixel/PiPixel to fill this role –
• Power Source (depending on the LED strip type, but probably requiring 5V minimum? So something like a 5V/20-60A/100-300W type amp?)
• LEDs – I am aware there is a choice of individual LED strings, LED strips, and matrices. I like the idea of the strings of LEDs for flexibility sake, but the convenience of the strips/matrix pre-made…
• Some sort of power cord to make the controller go
• BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for the software piece
  Is this all accurate? Anything missing?

Ultimately, I am just looking for recommendations on a decent starter kit that affords some flexibility, and some insight into the differences between some of the various options here (namely AllPixel vs PiPixel, BiblioPixel vs LightShowPi, and people’s experience with LED Strings vs Strips).

Tips and insight all greatly appreciated! Please let me know if I can provide any additional context/information.

–

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[Nick]

Sorry, I must be misunderstanding. You said you can use the barrel jack to connect the first ~100 LEDs, but I don’t see how you make that connection. Am I missing a cable I’d need to be able to use the barrel jack?

···

On Monday, November 5, 2018 at 7:26:17 PM UTC-6, Adam Haile wrote:

On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 8:22 PM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

I’m glad I was on the right track in thinking the lack of marking on that PS power cable wiring was odd. I’ll just skip the risk and find another cable.

The LED strands are 50 LEDs per. When you say the barrel jack, I assume that is the actual name for the green piece on the AllPixel? To clarify, I use the two cables and not the male/female end to connect to that, right?

No… the green piece is a 4-pin screw terminal. That’s what you connect the LEDs to. The barrel jack is the black connector next to the USB port.

On Monday, November 5, 2018 at 7:05:04 PM UTC-6, Adam Haile wrote:

On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 7:48 PM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Adam,

I’m looking for a bit of clarity as the folks at the hardware store couldn’t help much and I haven’t found many videos online with a similar hardware setup. I have finally collected all the pieces and am trying to just get the hardware pieces connected.

I am simply confused on how the AllPixel, LEDs, and PS connect. (Here is some images for reference).

So my understanding is that the PS connection to the charger is done by linking the three ends pictured to the three rightmost connections, with the grounding connection going to the leftmost non-V+/- one labeled ± and the other two going to the N / L connections. Unscrew those connections, run the cable into the opening, re-screw the connections.

The wires you show for the AC power are not color coded. So I can’t help you there. Your plug wires should be white (N), black (L), and green (Ground symbol).
Not even going to speculate how the wires you have need to be connected because if you get it wrong you could die. Please find someone local who knows what they are doing there if you are not 100% sure.

I am a little confused about the LED piece. I understand the string is one-directional and that the AllPixel has to connect to the female end, but I do not understand where I connect the power to LEDs.

The pictures you show are also not color coded in any way on the wires. So no clue.
How many LEDs total on the strand again? You should be able to just connect to the barrel jack on the AllPixel for up to the first 5A (first ~100 leds). Then would need to connect power to the other end if you need more current.
Look how the connector is attached to the LED strand and see if there’s markings near the LEDs… usually 5V, G (ground), and D (Data). Those would match up to what’s labeled on the AllPixel.

Of course, the AllPixel connects to the Pi via MicroUSB.

So essentially, how do the LEDs connect to the AllPixel and to the PS? If you have any good reference resources that would be great, otherwise I tried to capture everything in the album linked for reference.

Apologies for my confusion as this is probably fairly basic.

Thanks!

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 6:27:38 PM UTC-5, Ron wrote:

Hi all,

I’ve had a Pi laying around for a bit doing some minor stuff, and have been looking for a cool project to try with it for ages. With Christmas season coming up, I thought to try an LED project using the Pi. I have a software background (in web), but no noteworthy hardware experience. I’m not looking to do anything huge, and with my background in mind, the less assembly of the individual components, the better. I don’t really intend to do more than 500 individual LEDs unless it is a series of strips or matrix that does most of that layout work for me.

With that said, I’ve been looking around and have gathered the following information about what is required:

• Raspberry Pi
• Controller (as apparent by the fact I’ve found this page, I’ve stumbled on the AllPixel/PiPixel to fill this role –
• Power Source (depending on the LED strip type, but probably requiring 5V minimum? So something like a 5V/20-60A/100-300W type amp?)
• LEDs – I am aware there is a choice of individual LED strings, LED strips, and matrices. I like the idea of the strings of LEDs for flexibility sake, but the convenience of the strips/matrix pre-made…
• Some sort of power cord to make the controller go
• BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for the software piece
  Is this all accurate? Anything missing?

Ultimately, I am just looking for recommendations on a decent starter kit that affords some flexibility, and some insight into the differences between some of the various options here (namely AllPixel vs PiPixel, BiblioPixel vs LightShowPi, and people’s experience with LED Strings vs Strips).

Tips and insight all greatly appreciated! Please let me know if I can provide any additional context/information.

–

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[adammhaile]

You can use the barrel jack to power the first ~100 LEDs, not to connect the LED strip to directly. Though, yes… your power supply likely doesn’t come with that connector. In that case, just wire directly to the two wires coming off of the LED strand but make sure you ALSO connect the ground to the ground pin on that green connector on the AllPixel.

···

On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 8:34 PM Ron nicholas.talmage.robinson@gmail.com wrote:

Sorry, I must be misunderstanding. You said you can use the barrel jack to connect the first ~100 LEDs, but I don’t see how you make that connection. Am I missing a cable I’d need to be able to use the barrel jack?

On Monday, November 5, 2018 at 7:26:17 PM UTC-6, Adam Haile wrote:

On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 8:22 PM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

I’m glad I was on the right track in thinking the lack of marking on that PS power cable wiring was odd. I’ll just skip the risk and find another cable.

The LED strands are 50 LEDs per. When you say the barrel jack, I assume that is the actual name for the green piece on the AllPixel? To clarify, I use the two cables and not the male/female end to connect to that, right?

No… the green piece is a 4-pin screw terminal. That’s what you connect the LEDs to. The barrel jack is the black connector next to the USB port.

On Monday, November 5, 2018 at 7:05:04 PM UTC-6, Adam Haile wrote:

On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 7:48 PM Ron nicholas.tal...@gmail.com wrote:

Adam,

I’m looking for a bit of clarity as the folks at the hardware store couldn’t help much and I haven’t found many videos online with a similar hardware setup. I have finally collected all the pieces and am trying to just get the hardware pieces connected.

I am simply confused on how the AllPixel, LEDs, and PS connect. (Here is some images for reference).

So my understanding is that the PS connection to the charger is done by linking the three ends pictured to the three rightmost connections, with the grounding connection going to the leftmost non-V+/- one labeled ± and the other two going to the N / L connections. Unscrew those connections, run the cable into the opening, re-screw the connections.

The wires you show for the AC power are not color coded. So I can’t help you there. Your plug wires should be white (N), black (L), and green (Ground symbol).
Not even going to speculate how the wires you have need to be connected because if you get it wrong you could die. Please find someone local who knows what they are doing there if you are not 100% sure.

I am a little confused about the LED piece. I understand the string is one-directional and that the AllPixel has to connect to the female end, but I do not understand where I connect the power to LEDs.

The pictures you show are also not color coded in any way on the wires. So no clue.
How many LEDs total on the strand again? You should be able to just connect to the barrel jack on the AllPixel for up to the first 5A (first ~100 leds). Then would need to connect power to the other end if you need more current.
Look how the connector is attached to the LED strand and see if there’s markings near the LEDs… usually 5V, G (ground), and D (Data). Those would match up to what’s labeled on the AllPixel.

Of course, the AllPixel connects to the Pi via MicroUSB.

So essentially, how do the LEDs connect to the AllPixel and to the PS? If you have any good reference resources that would be great, otherwise I tried to capture everything in the album linked for reference.

Apologies for my confusion as this is probably fairly basic.

Thanks!

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 6:27:38 PM UTC-5, Ron wrote:

Hi all,

I’ve had a Pi laying around for a bit doing some minor stuff, and have been looking for a cool project to try with it for ages. With Christmas season coming up, I thought to try an LED project using the Pi. I have a software background (in web), but no noteworthy hardware experience. I’m not looking to do anything huge, and with my background in mind, the less assembly of the individual components, the better. I don’t really intend to do more than 500 individual LEDs unless it is a series of strips or matrix that does most of that layout work for me.

With that said, I’ve been looking around and have gathered the following information about what is required:

• Raspberry Pi
• Controller (as apparent by the fact I’ve found this page, I’ve stumbled on the AllPixel/PiPixel to fill this role –
• Power Source (depending on the LED strip type, but probably requiring 5V minimum? So something like a 5V/20-60A/100-300W type amp?)
• LEDs – I am aware there is a choice of individual LED strings, LED strips, and matrices. I like the idea of the strings of LEDs for flexibility sake, but the convenience of the strips/matrix pre-made…
• Some sort of power cord to make the controller go
• BiblioPixel or LightShowPi for the software piece
  Is this all accurate? Anything missing?

Ultimately, I am just looking for recommendations on a decent starter kit that affords some flexibility, and some insight into the differences between some of the various options here (namely AllPixel vs PiPixel, BiblioPixel vs LightShowPi, and people’s experience with LED Strings vs Strips).

Tips and insight all greatly appreciated! Please let me know if I can provide any additional context/information.

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