RGBLEDCube2218847-JamecoElectronics.pdf

RGB LED Cube: 2218847 Time Required: 10 hours depending on experience Experience Level: Advanced Required tools and parts: Soldering iron, Wire cutters 2 What is it? A 3-dimensional lattice of LEDs assembled together to display all sorts of colorful patterns and information. Think of it as a low-resolution 3D monitor, which also doubles as a structural art piece. How is it built? This DIY project might be the simplest design of tri-color LED cubes out there. Without using complicated components such as shift registers, decade counters, reference shifting transistors or any other components to control LEDs, this project focuses on a much simpler, cost effective design. Other LED cubes with extra components can cost upwards of $150, leaving you with an empty wallet and a schematic-induced headache. This LED cube utilizes Charlieplexing and can operate using only 16 digital pins of an Arduino controller with no additional hardware besides the RGB LEDs themselves. What is an RGB LED? A 5mm tri-color LED with separate red, green, and blue chips inside. Each consists of having 4 separate color pins – Cathode being the longest pin. Use this one LED to show 3 different colors or to pulse width modulate all three and get a swirl of colors. Simply apply a low voltage, low current signal to any of the color pins and connect a return, or ground, path to the cathode pin. Any RGB that uses a diffused lens blends colors more effectively instead of appearing as 3 distinct LEDs. Figure 1: LED individual equivalent of RGB LED What is charlieplexing?