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For Sale: Clock ring (APA102 based)


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Hi Everybody!

 

I have eight or nine clock ring PCBs here that I am thinking of selling.

 

This is what they look like with the LEDs installed:

post-112-0-79896800-1484333549_thumb.jpg

 

This is what they look like in operation:

 

This is what they look like in operation when installed in the Ikea Clock:

 

 

Purchase options:

  1. Bare board
  2. Bare board with LEDs and Ikea clock
  3. Populated board
  4. Populated board with Ikea clock

 

Would anyone be interested in buying one of them?

 

 

 

 

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@@zeke

 

So *maybe*. I've actually been wanting to some RGB LED experimenting, for lighting purposes in my bedroom. Sunrise alarm clock and all that. But it really depends on the cost. Costs of the board, with LEDs, and cost of the board + LEDS populated.

 

I must say that does look pretty cool !

 

EDIT:

 

By the way total newb question here. What is "APA102" ?

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  • 2 weeks later...

@@yyrkoon,

 

Check out the linki @@timotet posted.

 

The way I describe this LED is that it's an addressable RGB LED that uses a one way protocol SPI-like protocol.

 

Each LED emitter inside the unit consumes up to 20mA of current for a grand total of about 60ma when the color White is commanded.

 

The refresh speed appears to be quite quick - faster than the common WS2812 RGB LED anyways.

 

I believe I have the SPI configured for an unrealisticly high speed of 8MHz and the LEDs are working, mostly. In my test code, the last LED's Red element glows slightly. I beleive if I were to slow down the SPI port then that artifact would go away.

 

 

My motivation for making these rings was to push myself forward to learn new skills with Altium, MSP430s and to make a clock that my kids would enjoy having in their rooms.

 

My motivation for offering these units for sale is to gauge the interest of you all in this technology. Not many people seem interested therefore I can conclude that this design is a dud i.e.: It's just a clock.

 

I am considering a completely different kid friendly design using these LEDs where I will use a standard sized picture frame and install a single board matrix of APA102Cs that can display pretty much anything your creative mind can come up with.  I'm still doing a feasability study on that design.

 

Feel free to ask questions.

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@@yyrkoon,

 

Check out the linki @@timotet posted.

 

The way I describe this LED is that it's an addressable RGB LED that uses a one way protocol SPI-like protocol.

 

Each LED emitter inside the unit consumes up to 20mA of current for a grand total of about 60ma when the color White is commanded.

 

The refresh speed appears to be quite quick - faster than the common WS2812 RGB LED anyways.

 

I believe I have the SPI configured for an unrealisticly high speed of 8MHz and the LEDs are working, mostly. In my test code, the last LED's Red element glows slightly. I beleive if I were to slow down the SPI port then that artifact would go away.

 

 

My motivation for making these rings was to push myself forward to learn new skills with Altium, MSP430s and to make a clock that my kids would enjoy having in their rooms.

 

My motivation for offering these units for sale is to gauge the interest of you all in this technology. Not many people seem interested therefore I can conclude that this design is a dud i.e.: It's just a clock.

 

I am considering a completely different kid friendly design using these LEDs where I will use a standard sized picture frame and install a single board matrix of APA102Cs that can display pretty much anything your creative mind can come up with.  I'm still doing a feasability study on that design.

 

Feel free to ask questions.

 

Yeah, this specific format isn't something that I'd need per se. I did look up APA102 a week or longer ago, and got the gist. Basically ws28xx "ish". I'm not exactly sure what I want really. For work, I do need something as a test system for GPIO indication. For this, a serial type LED would probably not be ideal. But for a personal type project, I want something, but don't know exactly what I want yet. Something I can control remotely, something that is RGBW, and then . . . I don't know. The remote bit could possibly be something like an ESP32( if they're out yet ) or of that nature. Then the actual control MCU, I'm not sure.

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  • 1 month later...
On 3/11/2017 at 9:55 PM, Inscribe said:

Hi Zeke,

Would you have any LED rings left? I would like to buy two populated ones (without clock) or maybe three if priced reasonably ;-)

Thanks

- Inscribe

Hi Inscribe.

I have all of them still. 

I will figure out a price and let you know.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 year later...

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