8x8x8 PING PONG 3D LED CUBE (03) ECE342-W22

Arduino

This project was built to allow the user to change the colors and patterns of an 8x8x8 LED matrix which consists of over 300,000 different colors and almost unlimited patterns. The Cube consists of 512 addressable LEDs that operate on 5 volts of power and used ping pong balls on top of each to act as a diffuser and eliminate any harsh light that comes directly from the LEDs. As each LED is addressable, we are using an Arduino Uno with one data output that is connected in a "daisy-chain" to all 512 LEDs. The construction of the grid is made out of 16 gauge wire with 3 terminals of wire leading into each PCB of the LED which is our VCC (5V), Ground, and our data-in and out. To allow for easier installation of the LEDs we have 2 different PCBs that alternate within a single tower to allow the data-in of one LED to be right above the data-out of another. One of the most challenging parts of this project would be the number of soldering points for each LED and the testing and troubleshooting of each. As each LED has soldering points onto each PCB, and each PCB and 4 solder points to each terminal, we have over 4000 solder points. This is one aspect that we would improve on as it becomes extremely difficult to diagnose where a problem is occurring. Another way to improve upon the project is to allow for removable connection points, making it easier to repair or replace malfunctioning LEDs.

2 Lifts 

Artifacts

Name Description
Finished Product This video shows one pattern that our cube can show   Link
Project Summary A summary of our time, design requirements, project phases, and lessons learned   Download
Video of Requirements LED cube demo   Link