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Through-Hole "Smart" RGB LEDs (WS2811-compatible) — Parallax Forums

Through-Hole "Smart" RGB LEDs (WS2811-compatible)

JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,105
edited 2014-10-12 10:11 in General Discussion
Came across these today -- they seem reasonably priced for simple projects.

-- http://solderingsunday.com/shop/components/pixelbits-bakers-dozen/
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Comments

  • TubularTubular Posts: 4,702
    edited 2014-03-03 19:50
    Neat find JM, haven't seen those before.

    It's a pity the Vdd isn't on the outermost leg, but oh well. The 2.54 pitch is nice
  • xanaduxanadu Posts: 3,347
    edited 2014-03-03 20:02
    Awesome! All hail the new LED overlord!
  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,105
    edited 2014-03-03 21:27
    Neat find JM, haven't seen those before.

    I should give credit where it's due: I saw a blurb about these on Hackaday -- and was surprised Eric hadn't already posted about them! ;)
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-03-03 22:46
    LEDs with serial ports. Who'd a thunk it?
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-03-03 22:56
    You can get a bag of 100 of these for 80 dollars here:

    http://samuraicircuits.com/merch/index.php?id_product=57&controller=product
  • whickerwhicker Posts: 749
    edited 2014-03-03 23:02
    Heater. wrote: »
    LEDs with serial ports. You'd a thunk it?

    if you change it to "who'd a thunk it?" then... Me.

    Back in 2003.

    Right down to the 4 pin leadframe that was then just R G B and either + or - .

    But I felt it was a natural progression of everything and too obvious, and nothing a college student barely scraping by could actually have any effect on.
    So... glad to see these exist now.
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2014-03-03 23:50
    Heater. wrote: »
    You can get a bag of 100 of these for 80 dollars here:

    http://samuraicircuits.com/merch/index.php?id_product=57&controller=product

    Aargh!
    I already tied up all my 'fun money' for the next month or two with upgrades to my Logic analyzer...

    Still, interesting shop. Will have to visit it again when money allows.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-03-04 00:20
    Whicker,
    if you change it to "who'd a thunk it?" then... Me.

    Ooops, I must not post when I'm half asleep:)

    Yeah, I guess it's a natural progression. After all we had self flashing LEDs for ages.

    Thing is I remember seeing my first 4mm red LED around about 1969. In the days when electric clocks had mechanical displays, and electronic instruments used Nixie tubes. A friend of mine had got one and showed it off in the school yard.

    "WTF? You mean it's a diode that lights up? Amazing!"

    Been hooked on LEDs ever since.
  • TubularTubular Posts: 4,702
    edited 2014-03-04 14:26
    Heater. wrote: »
    LEDs with serial ports. Who'd a thunk it?

    The rumour is the next version of these leds will support dmx protocol, natively. At some point in the future I guess they'll have their own IP stack and internet connectivity.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-03-04 14:32
    ipv6 of course!
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2014-03-04 14:39
    Hope not. IPv6 is an abomination!
  • xanatosxanatos Posts: 1,120
    edited 2014-03-04 14:54
    I just picked up two of these to play with, looks like fun.
    Heater. wrote: »
    LEDs with serial ports. Who'd a thunk it?

    20 years from now, everything will have an address. Your toaster will have an address. Every bulb in your house will have an address. Your toothbrush will have an address. Everything will be a "module" that performs some function... and it will be individually addressable. Wirelessly. Watch & see! :)
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-03-04 15:58
    20 years from now, everything will have an address. Your toaster will have an address.

    and Google will be spying on you through each of them.
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2014-03-04 16:05
    Heater. wrote: »
    ipv6 of course!
    Great, the Internet Of Things becomes The Internet of Blinking Lights......and people sit and watch and the more creative and industrious add to it so there are more blinking lights to lull the masses into forgetting about reality. Soon, there will be (even more) people that find TV, Movies and video media too complicated, so after a day's work they will just sit and watch the lights....
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    edited 2014-03-04 20:21
    mindrobots wrote: »
    Great, the Internet Of Things becomes The Internet of Blinking Lights......and people sit and watch and the more creative and industrious add to it so there are more blinking lights to lull the masses into forgetting about reality. Soon, there will be (even more) people that find TV, Movies and video media too complicated, so after a day's work they will just sit and watch the lights....

    LOL, and I thought I was getting crotchety and cynical.
  • xanatosxanatos Posts: 1,120
    edited 2014-03-08 17:51
    Got my "2" - didn't realize it was 2 x 13! :)

    But once I got into them - the do NOT use a standard serial, I2C, or other usual protocol. They use a NZR (Non Zero Return) protocol. Standard serial won't do it - they have (in this case a 400kHz data rate) with very specific relationships between low and high time for each bit transmitted. So I thought I was going to just hit these with SEROUT or "led.ser" but neigh... these need special stuff apparently. Looks much more like the stuff for a Propeller, and less like they would be stamp compatible...
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2014-03-08 18:33
    xanatos wrote: »
    Looks much more like the stuff for a Propeller, and less like they would be stamp compatible...

    Do you know about JonnyMac's driver?

    In case you've missed them, there have been several threads about these LEDs. Here's one I started to show off some patterns and PCBs. JonnyMac's driver is in the OBEX.
  • xanatosxanatos Posts: 1,120
    edited 2014-03-09 05:47
    Amazingly enough, I hadn't heard of these until these posts! Thanks for the links!
  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,105
    edited 2014-03-09 23:50
    My packet showed up in the mail on Friday -- they're big dudes.
  • varnonvarnon Posts: 184
    edited 2014-03-11 12:18
    I just got some of these as well.
    JonnyMac, your driver is great! Thanks so much for providing it.

    I'm controlling a ring of 12 LEDs with 3.3 volts right now. It seems to work fine. I have some 74HCT245 ICs to bring the signal up to 5 volts for the final device, but so far no problems with 3.3 volts. Maybe issues become apparent with larger chains.
  • Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
    edited 2014-06-29 17:23
    Pololu is selling a version of these - 10 for $4.95 (either 5mm or 8mm).

    http://www.pololu.com/product/2536


    attachment.php?attachmentid=109410

    WS2811 LED.jpg
    WS2811 LED.jpg
    1024 x 723 - 55K
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-06-29 17:39
    Good find Ron. I got 40 for the price of 26 from the original site!!!
  • MrBi11MrBi11 Posts: 117
    edited 2014-06-29 19:59
    Everything seems to talk to everything else, my GPS talks to my phone that talks to my radio.
    Makes me wonder what my shower head has been telling my toaster.
  • Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
    edited 2014-06-30 11:40
    NWCCTV wrote: »
    Good find Ron. I got 40 for the price of 26 from the original site!!!

    Great! Not sure about your math though...

    the Soldering Sunday price is roughly $15 for 13 or $30 for 26

    For 30$ on Pololu you can get 6 packages of 10 making it 60 LEDs for $30.

    How did you figure 40 for the price of 26?!?! :confused:
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-06-30 12:28
    With freight it came to $22.00 for 40 of them. I was rounding up!!!
  • Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
    edited 2014-06-30 13:19
    NWCCTV wrote: »
    With freight it came to $22.00 for 40 of them. I was rounding up!!!

    OK - gotcha!!

    For a moment, I thought it was that "new math". You rounded way up! :smile:

    Have you created any projects with them yet?
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-06-30 13:27
    No, I just bought them yesterday.
  • Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
    edited 2014-06-30 13:32
    NWCCTV wrote: »
    No, I just bought them yesterday.

    Oh - I misunderstood - thought you bought some from the other place earlier.
  • DmashekDmashek Posts: 49
    edited 2014-06-30 23:25
    mindrobots wrote: »
    Great, the Internet Of Things becomes The Internet of Blinking Lights......and people sit and watch and the more creative and industrious add to it so there are more blinking lights to lull the masses into forgetting about reality. Soon, there will be (even more) people that find TV, Movies and video media too complicated, so after a day's work they will just sit and watch the lights....

    NSFW!!!! You have been warned! This may be NC-17+ or R.

    Sounds like you are describing the plot of "Idiocracy"!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVtKrGyUS5o
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-07-02 18:14
    20 years from now, everything will have an address.
    I doubt it is even that far away. http://www.talkingpointz.com/the-return-of-the-internet-toaster
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