Help with *.led files For fully addressable LED strips

[IndstrlDsgn]

Hello, I’ve purchased this product from Alitove with the accompanying controller in the hopes of being able to have write custom programs for the LED’s. Unfortunately their software is 4 years old and not functioning on my Windows 7 Home machine. Rife with errors that give the illusion the app is functioning but doesn’t output useable data or function properly.

I’ve contacted the seller best he could do was provide me with the software engineers email who has been non responsive.

My questions to you guys are:

1. Is it generally possible to use other controllers with addressable LED light strips if you know what chips are being used in the strip? Or the type of encoding being used? WS2812B in this case.
2. If so what controllers will work? Would an arduino controller work?
3. For time sake I don’t want to have to take a deep dive into coding to be able to write custom programs for the strips and controller. Are there off-the-shelf apps that can output *.led files with a WYSIWYG interface?
4. Or if arduino works for this is there a WYSIWYG app that outputs files arduino can use with this strip?

Many thanks!

 

[3Dsf]

WorldSemi 2812 smart LEDs and many related products are well-documented, and many hardware and software solutions exist to control them. Arduinos are one popular microcontroller but there are plenty of other ones.

Note that Adafruit market WS2812 products under the name “Neopixel”, so searching for that will bring up a bazillion options! There are also children’s CPUs that are super easy to program.

 

[IndstrlDsgn]

Thanks NKG!

A child's CPU sounds my speed! HAHAHA A tiny bit of false modesty as I know some programming and scripting. Mostly lazy and would rather spend my time designing than fighting against the tools. Coding / scripting / et. al. is typically mostly fighting with the tools in my experience. I hate spending three days running down problems only to find something was never made to work the way I was intending or the solution is far more convoluted or detailed than I have time for or I missed a comma somewhere in the code. Infuriating. I don't mind learning just typically no time for it.

Anyway, enough whining. Time to dig in! Thanks again. Will post back when / if I have more questions. Cheers!

 

[3Dsf]

Lighting models V: Controlling and automating LEDs - Millennium Falcon Notes

The Magic of NeoPixels | Adafruit NeoPixel Überguide | Adafruit Learning System

adafruit/Adafruit_NeoPixel

WS2812 Breakout Hookup Guide - learn.sparkfun.com

 

[xl97]

If its just a simple strip of WS2812B led (ie: "Neopixels").. then an Arduino can be used to control them as well.. (I use them all the time for this)

There are so many examples.. you're bound to find a 'drop in' replacement code somewhere to fit your needs.

There are many Arduino's out there.. pick the one the fits your project needs..

What exactly are you trying to do with them?

Unfortunately.. I dont have any experience with a .led file..

 

[IndstrlDsgn]

Thanks NKG and x197! *.led files are proprietary to Alitove’s app I guess?

I’m building a game board that has lava effects in the ground underneath plexi and transparent resin and want the lights to slowly pulse like moving lava. My initial plan, had the app for the purchased controller worked, was to load in a flame or lava video and translate that to color and movement. The app purportedly allows importing of video and images. Since it’s a strip I was only using the video to get the desired colors and pulsing effect. The controller allows incremental increases or decreases in speed.

Alternately the app also allows you to animate each light manually but that seemed like a PITA for the three strips I have (guess I could copy paste a bunch) so was hoping loading the vid would’ve got me close enough to tweak from there.

I’d imagine all that is a lot to expect from code I’d write or download from one of the resources posted for arduino or Neopixel so I’m assuming I’ll have to do each light manually. I suppose i can code a sequence i like then copy paste to other addresses then offset them etc.

 

[xl97]

Well.. in the Arduino/Neopixel world.. these effects are sometimes referred to as 'animations' (or patterns)..

And there is a freely downloadable 'fire' animation for a Neopixel strip I'm sure...

 

[IndstrlDsgn]

Ah ok. Same term used in the app documentation. Yeah I kinda assumed a flame or fire animation would be something that would’ve been desired before.

 

[xl97]

I used a variation of a fire animation for a project I did here:

You just dont get the 'nicety' of having an intermediate app that lets you WYSIWYG your desired pattern..

 

[IndstrlDsgn]

Very cool! Honestly any flame type will work then all I’d need to do is slow it down considerably to get the slow color changes.

So I’m going to get the return on the controller started. I’ll kwep the three light strips, USB stick with SD port and the SD card. I imagine Arduino has a USB port if they also easily accommodate an SD card it’ll be lower profile (nothing sticking out) and can leave it plugged in for onboard storage. I still need to read the links NKG provided ai maybe I’ll find out only the USB is needed to transfer and Arduino or Neopixel has onboard memory built in. Also I’ll keep the power supply for the lights. The controller has a separate one iirc

 

[MangyDog]

I really recommend you read the thread me and xl97 contributed to...
Help with Neopixel RGB LEDs
we both go into some fair detail of how to program and setup addressable leds there...

Should help
Better than us just repeating ourselves here

 

[xl97]

You only need an Arduino, some code and some 'Neopixels'...

If you are trying to do long complicated patterns.. you -may- need/benefit from saving the data to an SD card to import/read in.. but mostly you can just put your animations right in the code to be executed..

 

[IndstrlDsgn]

Absolutely mangydog! Thank for the link!

Thanks x197. Will do some reading before spending more of your guys time. Will check back after that.

Thanks!

 

[IndstrlDsgn]

So I’ve finally put out the fires for other jobs and have a chance to read some of the links provided by nkg.

It looks like the 15amp power supply I have will be sufficient. If not I’ll just get a second and follow the power division method from Katerborg’s powering lots of LED’s from Arduino in the sparkfun hookup guide.

Question on this though, do you suppose the additional power supplies need to be matched in power or can they be say my 15A and a 10A? Or will that create some weird power thing? Based on my thoughts below about doubling what I’ll need I think I’ll just get another 15A power supply anyway but worth knowing for future purposes.

Along these lines if I have three strips of 150 pixels will I need three power supplies, one for each strip, or can I just run wires from the two power supplies across the 3 strips, in even increments of pixels?

I have 450 pixels so far hoping it’ll be enough to do a couple lava streams on a 6’x4’ board. See attached rough layout I plan on using. My initial plan was to mount them around the perimeter of the flows pointing toward the center but that might require double the lights I have. I’ve got 3 - 1M strips of 150 pixels each. I’m thinking I’ll probably need to double that to have two parallel side by side 2M strips in the main flow then two parallel 1M strips in the secondary flow. Or at that point I can just do my original plan and run lights around the perimeter. I think though I can just cut up the strips and only line the lava flows as necessary. Easy enough to wire them together. Based on the rough plan and counting the feet the latter plan should work.

As for construction I was thinking of having the main base board with a platform built on top of it leaving a 1/2” gap between baseboard and platform. The lights would be mounted vertically in that gap to outline the lava flows. Then to make sure there aren’t any dark spots in the middle of the flows I’d line the baseboard with tinfoil (slight mound toward the center) to reflect the light upward. The “top” of the lava will be thin plexiglass with airbrushed lava effect on it. The lights will be backlighting the painted plexiglas. I’m hoping the lights I’m planning will be bright enough without having to run them at full brightness constantly.

 

[IndstrlDsgn]

I should’ve added I’m thinking about going with the Arduino Uno to drive the lights. Sounds like it’ll work fine for what I need. Enough memory, etc.

 

[IndstrlDsgn]

A bit off topic but since I brought it up figured I’d post it as a closing thought. My proof of concept for the physical arrangement of lights. Granted it’s only a throw of 4” in this PoC but it has some room to grow and I can clip off a few to put in the middle of the wider parts as needed. Also light color in this scenario effects throw distance so I can tailor the light color and intensity to even it out or pulse as desired.

Thanks again for the help guys.