An RGB LED NeoPixel cube circuit sculpture with CircuitPython #QTPy #CircuitPython
Maker Hari Wiguna has shown off freeform circuit sculpture with a difference: It’s made using upcycled CAT5 Ethernet cabling and “floats” inside an acrylic cube.
“It all started with this remnant CAT5 Ethernet cable,” Wiguna writes of the project… inside are six solid wires. After completely stripping away the insulation, I straighten them by clamping one end on the vise and pulling the other end until the wire stretches and become very straight.”
A laser-cut cardboard jig holds WS2812B RGB LEDs, jauntily positioned at a 45 degree angle to ease the wiring, while the rods are soldered in place.
With one layer complete, Wiguna repeated the process — eventually ending up with four, assembled into a 4x4x4 RGB LED cube. “I wanted the cube to be ‘floating’ in the middle of the laser cut acrylic case,” the maker notes, “so I kept the extra long leads and use them to position the cube in the middle of the case.”
Finally, the cube — which runs from a single data pin — is connected to an Adafruit QT Py and programmed in CircuitPython, with power provided by a 2A wall-wart power adaptor.
Finally, the cube — which runs from a single data pin — is connected to an Adafruit QT Py (augmented with a 2MB SPI flash chip) and programmed in CircuitPython, with power provided by a 2A wall-wart power adaptor.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: CircuitPython Comes to the ESP32-P4, Emulating Arm on RISC-V, and Much More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
