Not a video (yet). Was this a good idea? (No.)

Technically speaking you could just populate a coarser grid of positions. The first set of A4 PCBs arrived today. I just need to summon up the courage to start populating one.

Big Clive

How about doing an A4 version using 10 or 12mm LED's to reduce the component count? Might look quite impressive with oversized LED's ?

Whippet Gas

Could look interesting, but a much easier option would be straw hat LEDs for an array of sharp points of light.

Big Clive

Wondering how it would look after using "Cracked LED's" ?

Andrew Donaldson

FLAG Just a thought "Isle of Man" or "Union Jack" My crystal clear blue pinpoint LEDs are not that good, I am considering mixing slow flash RGB on the PCB you sent out, or something like that. Sticking sequins on the top of the LED crossed my mind for a split second ;-)

John Harrison

See the latest post about Gerber files for getting small batches of PCBs made directly.

Big Clive

SMD is optional. You can also use standard quarter watt resistors.

Big Clive

Looking for little projects to do.

Mike

234 smd connections not enough Miester in the freezer Im just mastering the .1 spaceing

William Nimmo

Not the best ide unless you add more current limiting per row. Mis matched LEDs lead to less life led

Cerity

That's going to look fantastic

Michael Thompson

Yeah. New alignment laser for my evolution saw.

Big Clive

The current is high, so each would have its own cable.

Big Clive

I'm planning on keeping the current down to 3mA per LED so it can run from a 1A supply.

Big Clive

I have some of the WS2812B LED arrays here. Never really played with them too much though.

Big Clive

It wont take you that long. Just enable fast-forward when recording the video instead of after, this time.

GL_1_Code1_1A

Well, you can always do it a bit at a time in several sittings.

An 8x8x8 LED cube and PCB took me about 12 hours... Well over 1000 solder joints. Have fun big man :D

Steve Brace

Sounds like Q&A video fodder to me!

Michael Thompson

Is that a laser module on the left?

Niklas Haglund

I mean, some of us are irredeemable masochists so... Sure!

David K

I'll have to order more LEDs, but it's not a problem. It will pass more time than the original one. With this self-quarantine, some of us need something like this to pass the time. Perhaps you could even make a full sized copy of the PCB, and put it on Patreon so that we might be able to make our own.

Rocco Rizzo

I've been trying to create something like that but with "neopixels"/ws2812 based LED's. Problem is that they need 5v and .6amps so the current requirement starts to get crazy

That's insane! If you do a patreon giveaway, I'll be up for one. Basicslly I'll install every "pulled" LED I have accumulated over the years into it!

Anton

I would love to sit there and solder on those!

A I thought the many hours I spent building my 5x5x5 rgb pixel cube was fun. good luck there Timelapse the build or do it over a couple of live stream videos, 1st weened the resistors 2nd weekend the led`s.

That looks epic! I reckon it will be a work of art when its done.

You need a liquid solder bath to dip the populated boards in. saves loads of time.

Cool! When they get that big they are less circuit and more texture. Nice texture!

Nani Isobel

That’s ambitious, I like it. With flashing red LEDs it really would look like the front panel from the CM-200.

Matt Tester

That sounds like a fun day long project haha. Would look great though.

938 solder joints bring it

God 420

i would happily assemble those the second they arrive

God 420

Couldn't wait for the original pcb, so I designed my first pcb ever copying yours and ordered it. Fully expect it not to work at all but we'll see. Also went in the opposite direction from this and made a tiny version with smd LEDs. Thanks for getting me into a new hobby, Clive :)

Put on edge convectors so you can add more pannels from one supply.

Think a great idea the first one looks really great - people do big jigsaws so why not a big LED display, it would look awesome I'm sure. Would love to have a go at one like this but would go for through hole if the board supports either

This reminds me of those led cubes that had thousands of solder joints. Takes days to complete and is like doing a 5000 piece jigsaw. Worth doing for the end result. How about doing a time lapse over several days. Do an hour or two, stop the camera and repeat. Then stitch together for a time lapse. I’d watch that. Heck, I’d build one!

Simon York

What is the power requirements? I'm guessing around 3 amps +-.5

Why not try going BIG this could be awesome Clive

lol. I designed a 10 channel LED driver with cable detection for the led strips using discrete BJTs. The assembly was nearly 180 components not including the extra 50 for the power supply and mcu/comms stuff. 🙄😫

Chris Sutton

Women (and some men) take on tapestries that become a labour of love with thousands of stitches, and ultimately produce astoundingly beautiful works of art- this could be similar. You already know the answer. ;)

Mike Hughes

I'm looking forward to getting my mits on the gerber file for the original smaller one Clive - Have you uploaded it yet and I have missed it? I'm tempted to design my own on easyeda and order some but part of me thinks having a BCDC designed one gives me much higher street cred and also saves time....

I'd love the therapeutic value of just putting on some music in the background, and setting to populating a board like that. ...or two - one with the flashers, and one with slow-change RGB LEDs. Though I guess that would be a heck of a current draw if a bunch of the RGBs all hit white at once.

Have you seen this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIl5nDjfkjY&t=104s

Bill Kerr

I felt like the only one that enjoyed fast colour changing RGB led's (total F'ing disco) more rambom

YouKnowHowYouAre

Hi Kelvin Yes ... and use dirty solder and a solar powered IRON on a cloudy day, and NO flux. That would not be punishment.

John Harrison

Make them addressable LEDs then it could be fun !

Graham Eida

wow looks good would be good 4 me so can use up some of my old stock leds cant wait for video

Isn't that a very costly undertaking?

Frank

Show us the soldering in real time this time ;)

Kelvin

It looks like you are (not) into autosadism after all ;)

Frank

Sweet!!! Lite Brite Was The Best!!!!

Zane Revai

This reminded me of the classic Lite-Brite toy https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lite-Brite

I suggested about 10y ago that they should make LED coving and now they do but it is more of an up-lighting effect.

John Harrison

;-) glue them in with that conductive silver glue stuff ;-)

John Harrison

Ooh I love having two-hour sleep talkdown videos to go to bed to

fluffy

Looking forward to the video, it's going to be a great project. Very pleasant and relaxing to make

That would have to be all SMD. It would be a tough job making a DIY machine that could load the through hole LEDs.

Big Clive

That would be a perfect mindfulness project. Be the solder, be the iron, be the solder, be the iron, be the solder, be the iron, be the so...OH SHIT!!!! I'VE JUST JAMMED THE F"£$%*G IRON IN MY FINGER!!! Seriously, it would be a lovely project to do....the monotony of anything can be so relaxing.

John Carr

Yeah, that's a replacement line generator for my evolution saw.

Big Clive

Is that a little laser diode next to the printout? Imagine this with 234 laser diodes! hahaha

Brooks Andersen

Hell yeah!

Ross Robertson

Seems like it would be a good test board for someone making a home brew pick-n-place machine.

Sounds like a good idea to me. You don't have to solder all the connections in one sitting. Save it as a rainy day project.

Mark Trombley

It’s not like you to have doubts and certainly not regrets. Courage, mon brave! It’s just a slightly bigger challenge. One you’ll easily meet. Or zillions of followers will be disappointed. No pressure, then. 😉👍

oh man that's a lot... i've ordered enough stuff to do 200 worth of these, maybe i'll make 2 to 3. but 234 per one might be insane. but aren't we all a little insane? take breaks during soldering

It might involve a bit of swearing as I doubt it will fit in my PCB frame.

Big Clive

It worked out at around $5 per PCB with a significant shipping charge on top.

Big Clive

It’s a great idea, I just ordered 1000 of the blue 1.5 hertz Led’s. I have about 50 pieces of pegboard 1’ x 2’ 800 holes painted black background. This looks way easier than my plan.

Jim

you could light up a whole parking lot (erm carpark) with one of those

Myrk

Maybe see about doing this as a patreon-only stream? It'd be interesting to see the first one go together.

NightshadeLenar

The big one would be a fun rainy day job.

Not as bad as my more recent Banggood solder kit - RGB LEDs x300 ish + surface mount resister per - along with the control logic

Russell Peake

Could I be so rude as to ask how much it cost for a board that size?

Neil Tonks

I'm not sure the time lapse goes fast enough to make watching this being assembled tolerable.

Big Clive

Neat. I want one : P

Michael Gilchrest

I would definately noy try this after a few "dark and stormy's" HIC!

I'mlooking forward to this ! I expect it will involve a spot of time lapse camera work. Will this set the patreons alight like it's miniature predecessor? I bet it will.....

That would look so awesome with color change LEDs

Lostngone

oof :p

Can’t wait to see one finished!

Time to get a solder mask, squeegee, and electric skillet! The plastic ones (Kapton?) can be had for quite a reasonable price.

Paul Ste. Marie

I would love to solder one of those.

OMG!!! That is awesome I would love to try that one. 😆😜

AJTech369

terrible idea. I'm glad we'll get to see you try it first.