The LED Artist - blog » USB

A12 – Wearable LED Gadget with Full-Color LEDs

The LED Artist — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 04:00:00 +0000

New addition to my wearable LED accessories is A12. A12 is the same size as R48, uses the same microcontroller and battery, but with 12 full-color LEDs. A12 produces patterns similar to Aurora mini 18, but lighter and has a built-in battery holder in the back.

A12 comes with a non-rechargeable battery (CR2450) and a black cord (lanyard) to hang around the neck. The battery lasts for about 5 hours or more in continuous run.

There are also rechargeable battery (LIR2450) and the charger available. With those, you won’t need to keep buying batteries.
The charger is very compact and plugs right into an USB port.

Features/Notes:

12 full-color LEDs produce beautiful colors.
A12 is available fully assembled or soldering kit.
Comes with a non-rechargeable battery (CR2450, easily replaceable).
Battery will typically last about 5 hours continuously.
Also comes with black cord (lanyard) to hang around your neck.
10 beautiful animation patterns preprogrammed.
“Demo” mode automatically runs though all animation patterns – changes every minute. (Activated by holding the button at the startup.)
Rechargeable battery (LIR2450) is also available as an option. This recommended option lights the LEDs brighter, as it has higher voltage.
The charger for the above is also available.
Dimension: 1.9 inch diameter, 0.4 inch thick (including the battery)

Technical Details:

12 common-anode RGB LEDs.
PIC24F08KL301 16 bit microcontroller @ 32 MHz.
Each LED is PWM controlled in 128 gamma-corrected levels.

- more technical info here.

In-stock and shipping now!

R48 – an Wearable LED Gadget Pre-order Starts

The LED Artist — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 20:34:43 +0000

Here’s the sneak peak at the upcoming wearable piece – R48. (I promise that better video will come soon.) Four different LED colors (Red, Green Blue, and White) are planned, but the first color available would be blue.

The item will be in stock in the 3nd week of July, and the price will be $49. Pre-order starts now at $45 a piece.

Also available are optional rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery and the charger. The charger is very compact and plugs into an USB port. The photo below is showing the prototype. The final version will look better in black. (Will post the photo as soon as available.)

Features/Notes:

Each R48 will be fully assembled, and comes with a non-rechargeable battery (CR2450, easily replaceable).
Battery will typically last about 5 hours continuously.
Also comes with a black cord to wear R48 as a neckless.
25 beautiful animation patterns preprogrammed.
“Demo” mode automatically runs though all animation patterns – changes every minute. (Activated by holding the button at the start up.)
Rechargeable type battery (LIR2450) is also available as an option. This recommended option lights the LED brighter, as it has higher voltage.
The charger for the above is also available.
Dimension: 1.9 inch diameter, 0.4 inch thick (including the battery)

R48 is now shipping – pre-order is ended.

USB Blinky kit

The LED Artist — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:00:14 +0000

USB Blinky is possibly the simplest LED blinky kit out there. There are only ten parts to solder. The PCB (Printed Circuit Board) itself plugs right into an USB port. Thicker material is used for the PCB, so that it fits into the USB port nicely.

USB Blinky blinks at about twice a second. USB Blinky only draws little current (about 5mA) so any USB ports can power it.

USB Blinky is the perfect “Learn to Solder” project.

Kit Contents
2x 5mm Super Bright LED
2x 470 ohm (R1, R4)
2x 47k ohm (R2, R3)
2x 22uF Electrolytic Capacitor (C1, C2)
2x NPN Transistor (Q1, Q2)
1x Custom PCB

- view detailed technical info and assembly instructions @ instructables

*** Purchase Here ***

USB Blinky!

The LED Artist — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 05:05:49 +0000

Every now and then, I feel like designing something really simple and basic. Blinkies are my go to circuit for the simple LED joy. Just ten parts and the two LEDs blink back & forth…
However I always find powering the circuit a bit of pain – if I use battery, I’d have to change the battery all the time. But using an AC adaptor is kind of messy. Then I realize that USB ports are everywhere – on my computer, on the side of my keyboard, phone chargers, etc. Being able to just plug a blinky into any of USB ports around would be fun.

So here it is, USB Blinky. I used thicker PCB material so that the PCB will fit into USB port nicely making the simplest possible USB plug.

- view detailed technical info and assembly instructions @ instructables

- purchase USB Blinky

Mini USB Power Adapter

The LED Artist — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:45:00 +0000

Here’s an inexpensive and small USB power adapter perfect for DYI project that needs 5V DC power.

As you might be able to tell from the pictures, this is _not_ an Apple product. It’s an cheap knock off (I’ll be honest) and doesn’t charge iPhones or iPads! (Works with some, but please do not try.) However it works pretty well as DC 5V power supply. Rated for 1A max, but I recommend using this with only up to 500mA or so, just to be safe.

This adapter works perfectly well with Aurora 9 bar, Aurora mini 18 and Aurora 9×18 mk2. Works ok with Aurora 18×18 (the LED shimmers a tiny bit, due to the voltage dropping as the current increases).

*** Purchase Here ***

USB Power Cord

The LED Artist — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:23:17 +0000

Here’s a little addition that makes Auroras more desktop friendly. You can use this cord to power Aurora 9×18 mk2, Aurora 18×18, Aurora mini 18 or Aurora 9 bar and other kits from any USB ports. A standard USB plug on one end, and Molex 2 pin connector on the other end. About 24 inch long.

*** The 2 pin Molex header shown in the photo is no longer included. (The header is now included in the Aurora kits instead) ***

*** Purchase Here ***