A Beginner's Guide to DIY LED Projects

Рет қаралды 13,965

Күн бұрын

In this video, I'll address some of the most frequent questions I receive in my LED videos. I'll cover basics about controllers, types of LEDs, firmware options, power injection, power supplies, level shifting, wiring and more. Be sure to check the full video description for links to a lot of other helpful information, including all parts shown.
Chapter Links:
=============
00:00 Introduction
01:31 Controllers
06:46 LED Types
11:45 Firmware
14:43 Logic Level Shifters
18:50 Power Supplies
24:26 Power Injection
29:28 Wiring your Project
34:47 Adding Peripherals
35:51 Installation Tips
38:06 Build your own
39:05 Wrap Up
Parts Shown
===========
Controllers
-----------
Raspberry Pi 3b+: currently out-of-stock or way overpriced
Arduino Pro Micro: amzn.to/3qRsNgk
Arduino Uno R3: amzn.to/46aTHA2
ESP8266 NodeMCU: amzn.to/43MJc4j
ESP8266 D1 Mini: amzn.to/3Xe4zch
ESP32 NodeMCU: amzn.to/43G4Irn
ESP32 Mini: amzn.to/43Ps5ib
ElectroCookie Protoboards: amzn.to/3XiBfRT
1/2 Size Breadboard: amzn.to/3Pms5BX
LEDs
-----
WS2812b: amzn.to/3NE3A1N
SK6812 144/m: amzn.to/3pefFBr
SK9822: amzn.to/3JmPu2d
Common Cathode LED: amzn.to/46cRlk4
32x32 Matrix Panel: amzn.to/441Pg8Q
Logic Level Shifters
--------------------
I2C Logic Level Shifter: amzn.to/418Gq94
SN74AHCT125N Shifter: amzn.to/3plBX4a
Power Supplies and Wiring
-------------------------
5V 3A Wall Charger: amzn.to/42XG4l2
5V 15A "Brick" Power Supply: amzn.to/3Jpe3LY
5V 30A "Transformer" Power Supply: amzn.to/3NDocHx
AC Power Cord: amzn.to/43OFSWm
Spade Connectors: amzn.to/46hmLpp
Inline Fuse Holder & Fuses: amzn.to/46fW58s
JST Connectors: amzn.to/3p7nLMm
Wago Lever Nuts: amzn.to/3NBJnKa
MicroUSB Cable: amzn.to/3NFuwhy
Installation
------------
Aluminum LED Channel: amzn.to/3NECvM8
3M Double Sided Tape: amzn.to/3XjEbhm
Braided Sleeve: amzn.to/447Wc47
Heat Shrink Tubing: amzn.to/3CFwJDq
Project Boxes: amzn.to/43OM7JA
Some of these links may be Amazon affiliate links. Use of these links will not affect your pricing, but this channel may earn a small commission if you make a purchase.
LED Projects Shown:
==================
Motion Activated LED Stair Lighting: • Motion activated LED s...
Improved Sensors for LED Stair Lighting: • Improved Sensors for L...
Hexagonal LED Panels: • Hexagonal LED Panels u...
Dual Controller Matrix Display: • WS2812b Matrix with Du...
Matrix with WLED: • WLED on your Matrix Di...
Playlist of LED Projects/How-tos: • LED and LED-related pr...
Additional Information and Links:
================================
Common LED Wiring Diagrams: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/20...
ESP8266 pin information: randomnerdtutorials.com/esp82...
ESP32 pin information: randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32...
WLED: kno.wled.ge/
ESPHome: esphome.io/components/light/n...
Tasmota: tasmota.github.io/docs/WS2812...
Adafruit's Neopixel Library: learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-n...
QuinLED (Quindor) LED Calculations: quinled.info/2020/03/12/digit...
Quindor's Cable Size (Wire Overloading) Video: • Does power cable size ...
If you'd like to help support this channel, or just say thanks, you can consider buying me a cup of coffee or two at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/resinche...
#led #wled #ledlights

Пікірлер: 110

@peterjameswalmsley9185 18 күн бұрын

I've skipped this video many times thinking it was about regular led strips, but after watching one of your other videos & subscribing I realised this video is about wled. Might be worth changing your title so people know it about wled, this video is Gold. Thanks

@ResinChemTech 18 күн бұрын

Thanks for the tip. While I do use WLED for the examples in the video, I didn't limit the title to just WLED because the concepts apply to pretty much any DIY LED project, whether using WLED, ESPHome or even your own custom Arduino code for the controller firmware. But you are correct that a lot of folks may be looking specifically for WLED information and could potentially skip this video since WLED isn't mentioned in the title or shown on the thumbnail. I'll definitely consider modifying the title to include WLED. Thanks again!

@AlysonAsami 5 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for this video! I don’t know why it’s been so hard to find this info online but it was really helpful. I knew I had huge gaps in my understanding while watching other tutorials but had no idea where to look

@ResinChemTech 5 ай бұрын

You are very welcome! I realized that I was getting a lot of questions in my various LED videos that I had answered in a different video. But I didn't have a single video where I tried to address some of the most common questions that folks were asking. So I decided it might be a good idea to create a single video where I could try to answer all of the most common questions in one spot. Thanks for watching. And taking a few moments to leave a comment. It is greatly appreciated!

@darrenrigby5687 2 ай бұрын

I knew it was worth going back to basic because you really do understand most aspects of wled and teach in such a great manner. I just learned even more wled wizardry! Thanks again buddy.

@darrenrigby5687 2 ай бұрын

"really bright, for a second or two!" 😂

@raven_fpv Жыл бұрын

VERY thorough and the perfect video for beginners and experts alike! Thank you very much for taking the time out of your life to do this video! 2 Thumbs up buddy!

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I greatly appreciate the kind words. While many of the topics are covered in various parts of other videos, I wanted to try to make a single place for a beginner to get answers regarding starting out with LEDs. As I mentioned towards the end of the video, my goal is really to try to help others and encourage them to give DIY projects a shot. It's my way of giving back for those that helped me when I first started. Thanks for watching... and taking time to post an appreciated comment. It's these types of comments that encourage me to keep making videos!

@brucecraighead8528 5 күн бұрын

Hey thank you for this and the other WLED/ESP23 videos you have done , has been a big help and encouraging me to try more options with 2812b lights.

@ResinChemTech 5 күн бұрын

You are very welcome... and thanks for the kind words and comment. I do appreciate it and am glad you find my videos helpful.

@johnkoester6534 Жыл бұрын

Another great video. Thanks for all your work.

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

You are welcome. And thanks to you for taking time to post a comment. I greatly appreciate it.

@Itzdavide 3 ай бұрын

You are very inspirational! I'm looking forward to doing my own projects using the knowledge that you have so generously shared. I know it takes a lot of work to prepare the materials you have shared on your various platforms. Your content is very detailed and excellent! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

@ResinChemTech 3 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for the kind words! I'm glad you find the content helpful and, while you are correct that it can be very time-consuming, I really enjoy trying to help out others that might just be starting out. Thanks again... for watching and the nice comment.

@stolz5573 7 ай бұрын

Excellent video and very helpful! Much appreciated and thanks for your time and for sharing.

@ResinChemTech 7 ай бұрын

You are very welcome. I'm glad you found it helpful. And thanks to you for taking time to leave a comment. I do appreciate it!

@Inductiong Жыл бұрын

You're awesome as ever! I really enjoyed this video. Thanks

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

Wow! Thanks a lot. Hopefully you found something helpful for use in your own projects.

@GantryG 8 ай бұрын

Thanks, this info is super-helpful! 👍

@ResinChemTech 8 ай бұрын

You are most welcome. Glad you found the info helpful.

@dansnedden 10 ай бұрын

Best and most informative video I have seen. Thank you.

@ResinChemTech 10 ай бұрын

Thanks... I greatly appreciate it!

@feliperaposo7229 11 ай бұрын

I have watched many videos of ESP devices + WLED and this one is by far the best and most detailed from all of them. Thank you, my friend!

@ResinChemTech 11 ай бұрын

Thanks! I appreciate the kind words and glad you found the video helpful.

@mrbranchatl 7 ай бұрын

Very thorough and you made it simple for the beginner to understand. thx

@ResinChemTech 7 ай бұрын

Thanks! While it makes my videos longer than most, I try to explain the "why" as well as the "what" so that hopefully those new to DIY or home automation can grasp the concepts and adapt it to their own projects. Thanks for watching... and thanks for taking a few minutes to leave a comment. I appreciate it!

@ryanstaley1732 7 ай бұрын

Excellent video!! Since I’m new to wled this answered a lot of my questions! Thank you!!

@ResinChemTech 7 ай бұрын

You are welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful. I had addressed a lot of these questions in different parts of different LED videos that I had done, so I thought it might be useful to pull all those together in one video for beginners and address the most common questions I have been asked throughout my other LED videos. Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment!

@tjvanswala Жыл бұрын

Great video! Thank you

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

You are welcome. Glad you enjoyed it... and thanks to you for taking time to post a comment.

@michaelmacho1 7 ай бұрын

Great video thank you. Very informative for us beginners

@ResinChemTech 7 ай бұрын

You are welcome. As I mentioned, I cover a lot of this information in bits and pieces in other LED videos so I thought it might be good to pull all of the most common questions together into a single video. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment. Don't hesitate to reach back out if you run into any questions or issues that I didn't address.

@rodneysmith1750 Жыл бұрын

Cool, I've been out of touch for the last week and a half traveling, it is so nice to get back home and have a brand new video for my favorite channel to watch, thanks for all your hard work!

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

You are very welcome. Thanks for watching... and welcome home!

@MultiAlex0815 Жыл бұрын

perfect--- helps me a lot . great teaching style-- love it this way -- keep on !!

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

Thanks. I know it makes for a very long video, but hopefully by adding the chapter breaks, it will allow people to come back to the video and just watch a particular section if they have questions about that topic. Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment. I appreciate it!

@MultiAlex0815 Жыл бұрын

@@ResinChemTech you are welcome... love your style

@karelkral6812 Күн бұрын

Good and very informative video, thanks.

@ResinChemTech Күн бұрын

You are welcome! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.

@aaronb554 8 ай бұрын

Thank you for breaking this down! It's very helpful for a beginner!

@ResinChemTech 8 ай бұрын

You are most welcome. We were all beginners at some point. And while I cover bits and pieces of all these topics on other LED videos that I've done, I thought it might be handy to put them all in a single video to make it easy to get an overall picture of using LEDs for someone just starting out. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. It is much appreciated!

@aaronb554 8 ай бұрын

@@ResinChemTech I'm researching to build my own tail lights. Any ideas on how to integrate the factory wiring to trigger a control board.

@ResinChemTech 8 ай бұрын

I can theorize a few ideas, but to be completely honest, I would be concerned that introducing anything into a standard vehicle lighting system that could cause either a delay or point of failure into the tail/brake lights might be not only highly unsafe but also illegal. I'm definitely not a lawyer, but I do know that there are many, many regulations both at the federal and individual state levels regarding vehicle lighting and that often adding some sort of after-market device can fly in the face of those regulations. I realize that any sort of final decision on use and installation would be totally on you, but I just don't want to make any sort of recommendations that could lead to either an accident or a legal issue. Sorry, there aren't too many questions that I get where I won't try my best to help out. But on this particular issue, I'm just not comfortable sharing any of my ideas. I hope you can understand and respect that. I will say that yes, theoretically, it would be possible to build something that would use the vehicle system to trigger a controller that could then trigger/control the LEDs.

@danielsnyder6900 3 ай бұрын

Excellent tutorial, thanks. Level shifting was a recent topic for me and I use one from Adafruit, a 8-Channel Bi-Directional Logic Level Converter [ADA395]. I have built several WLED setups using Freenove ESP's with their breakout terminal board which I believe from the docs have level shifting using 74HC04's. Lastly I have a Quinn LED octo cpu board and a one of the power boards for another setup. Any way, thanks, your videos help me to re-enforce what I think I know and have learned from my own experiments.

@ResinChemTech 3 ай бұрын

You are welcome! I've done a couple of videos just on the level shifter, including one where I compared the I2C-compatible shifters vs. the SN74AHCT125N side-by-side. It always seems to be a controversial topic, but as I always say, I just opt to always include the shifter in my projects... but everyone can make their own determination. Thanks for watching and taking a few minutes to leave a comment.

@ethelbertbodden3449 Жыл бұрын

Hi thanks for your video they are really helpful

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

You are most welcome.. and I'm really happy you find them helpful!

@artursilva7635 Жыл бұрын

Thanks!😀

@Mr1FTW Жыл бұрын

Excellent! This helps me SO much since I am really new to all of this type of tinkering! Thank you for your time and effort! 👍

@Mr1FTW Жыл бұрын

Oh, and with regards to the power-supply - I was thinking about salvage a PSU from a PC - that outputs both 12v (output cable _yellow_ as standard) and 5v (output cable _red_ as standard) - all cooled and encapsulated with power-connector. Just need to learn how to transform the watt-value to amp-value (yep, still very beginner at this) so it is strong enough.

@Mr1FTW Жыл бұрын

Question power-injection: I understand that the injection need to be the same voltage - but does it need to be the same amp? Will it even help if I put a lower amp injection "along the way"? ...asking for a friend. ;)

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

Please note the section of this video on power injection... use of multiple power supplies requires special balanced supplies and extreme caution is required to prevent one supply from back feeding to the other and causing all sorts of potential dangerous issues. It is much better to run separate +/- leads from the first power supply to the power injection point. It can theoretically be done if you cut the positive trace at the power injection point to prevent the two positives from the different power supplies from being connected, but I strongly recommend that you do not attempt to connect two different power supplies (even if they are identical supplies) to the same LED strip.

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

You can certainly use a PSU from an old PC. In fact, I have a video where I made an old PSU into a benchtop power supply with 3.3V, 5V and 12V outputs ( kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eMWdo8RhuZOdfYk.html ) and I talk about calculating amps from watts. But he amp rating is very easy to calculate: amps = watts/volts. So, just find the max watt rating for the 5V on the power supply and divide it by 5 to get max amps. But note this isn't the total wattage of the power supply. The total wattage includes the 3.3V and 12V outputs. Also note that you may need to bundle multiple 5V lines in the supply together to handle the higher amperage... as the multiple 5V lines in the power supply are smaller gauge since the 5V power is meant to be distributed. I talk about this as well in the above video and the related blog article on the power supply: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2022/07/bench-top-power-supply.html But yes, as long as you build it properly, you can use a desktop computer power supply as a 5V source for your LED project.

@lycakito1814 7 ай бұрын

great video, just starting into this... thanks

@ResinChemTech 7 ай бұрын

You are welcome. I tried to answer the most common questions I receive on LEDs that are answered in bits and pieces throughout a number of my different videos. For someone that is just getting started, I decided to put all these in one video so that someone didn't have to go searching around a bunch of different videos for answers to the various questions. I hope you found it helpful. Thanks for taking the time to post a comment.

@lycakito1814 7 ай бұрын

@@ResinChemTech It's great, thanks - I was a bit confused about power injection - but I followed one of your small LED strip 'get started video' that helped me start. Now I have 180 LEDs doing a fireplace animation 😁. No stopping me now! When you're working on a budget, it's great these DIY projects exists as some of the non-DIY can be pretty expensive.

@martehoudesheldt5885 7 ай бұрын

12volt power supply- 12v led's- straight to led's and a buck module to the esp for the 5vdc. can put relay on led side to drop draw when lights are off.

@ronaldmallett6629 5 ай бұрын

long live the esp8266, ive designed a quick board with a fuse and 2 button connections about $1 per pcb very impressed

@ResinChemTech 5 ай бұрын

I'm with you on the ESP8266... especially the D1 Mini due to its small footprint. While I get a lot of requests for an "ESP32" version of many of my projects... and there are certainly times an ESP32 can provide an advantage... in many cases the ESP8266 is perfectly capable and the ESP32 is simply overkill. But I fear that the ESP8266 is going to eventually disappear and the ESP32 will take its place. I also recently designed my first PCB (for my LED clock) and was really impressed at how quickly and how low cost they were. I will definitely be designing additional PCBs in the future. Thanks for watching!

@deadmusik9969 Жыл бұрын

@26.30 ish if you have three seperate terminals for power ( + + + , - - - , Ground Neutral Power ) , I had to set my adjustment voltage screw to 10.0, Then when I measured my devices the PSU was supplying 5v perfectly.

@wendellp601 Жыл бұрын

Great video! For a cheap project box, I've used a $0.97 travel soap container from the Mega-Mart.

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

Another great option! Before I had my 3D printer, I used all sorts of various plastic boxes for controllers. I think that you just have to be a little creative and you can find all sorts of options to substitute for the 3D printed enclosures I show in some of my LED project videos. Thanks for watching!

@TheUnofficialMaker 11 ай бұрын

I found 0ne for 88 cents.

@OGKenG Жыл бұрын

For my "project box," I went to the dollar store and bought a plastic travel soap container and put my ESP32 in it. Punched some holes for wiring and a bunch for cooling and it works fine.

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I think someone else here mentioned using a soap container as an enclosure for the controller. I saw another viewer that actually used a restaurant carry-out container as an enclosure (it actually looked pretty nice). There are a lot of different possibilities and options for making enclosures or other parts when a 3D printer isn't available. Thanks for watching and sharing a good idea for those that may not have a 3D printer.

@ShadowzGSD Жыл бұрын

A lot of useful information, the only thing i do that you do not mention is to add a relay to turn on/off my power supply when i have a small 5v supply to WLED and a bigger for the leds.

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

I have done that for a few of my projects, and I actually show using a Shelly 1PM behind a standard wall switch to shut off the power to my outdoor LED porch lights project. More recent versions of WLED actually support using a relay as well. Thanks for watching and taking time to share your additional idea.

@Happy2bAmerican 5 күн бұрын

Thanks so much! What did u connect the injected power from the Led to? The transformer?

@ResinChemTech 5 күн бұрын

Yes, the lines for power injection come directly from the power supply. You can split off multiple lines from the power supply if necessary and use something like Wago lever nuts or simple wire nuts if you need to create multiple injection points. But in practice, the lines used for power injection run directly back to the power supply and that way they don't experience the voltage drop like the power passing through the LEDs.

@johnshannon814 6 ай бұрын

Just curious if you have tried any of the seeed studio esp32 boards and if so if there are differences with those and the boards you've shown here

@ResinChemTech 6 ай бұрын

No, I haven't tried any of those boards. But in most cases an ESP32 is an ESP32 (assuming they are the same variant). So I think some of the primary differences are things like USB-C instead of microUSB, additional grove connectors, battery monitoring or other peripherals added to the development board. Again, I haven't tried any, but if the ESP32 chips are the same... and the same GPIO pins are broken out, etc., I would suspect that they would function the same with something like WLED or other firmware designed for the ESP32.

@robertperkins4909 11 ай бұрын

Just bought your Dig2go from Dr. ZZZ. Great product. Now I'd like to have 3 of the WS2412b strips @ 60 LEDs per meter, totaling around 7.25 meters ~435 LEDs. At 20mA per LED, I seem to need around 27 A. Am I doing this right? What connectors do you suggest, considering I will have to run wiring between the strips? Thanks for your help.

@ResinChemTech 11 ай бұрын

Your calculations are correct... you'd probably want a 5V 30A power supply to be able to safely run the LEDs at full brightness white. You can use a smaller power supply, but you will need to use the brightness limiter in WLED to assure you don't overtax the power supply. But do note that the Dig2Go is only rated for a maximum throughput of 3A (see this: quinled.info/quinled-dig2go/ ). This means you need to run separate power to your LED strips and not power them directly thru the Dig2Go or significantly lower the brightness be able to power that many LEDs. You may also want to watch Quindor's video (he is the developer of the Dig2Go), especially the section called "some compromises". While the Dig2Go is a great little device, it really isn't meant for large LED installations. That's where his other boards like the DigQuad come into play that are rated for much higher amperage. As far as connectors, I like to use the WAGO level nuts if my installation can accommodate them. In cases where I have to minimize the wiring connections size, I simply solder the wires and use a little heat shrink. I hope that's helpful. I haven't used a Dig2Go, but I do recommend that you assure that all components used in your project are rated to handle the amps you expect the LEDs to draw.

@michaelthompson657 Жыл бұрын

Could you go further into using a pi to control wled? I have a spare pi 3b 👍🏻

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

With the Pi, you will have to download and install Python libraries to allow you to send a valid signal to the LEDs. Then you will either have to write your own application to control them, or find an application that someone else has developed. I don't believe any of the firmware options I showed will work with the Pi, as they are designed for use with the ESP boards. I personally haven't used a Pi to control LED strips. I did have one for my original parking assistant, which used an LED matrix, but I have since replaced that with an ESP8266 and a strip of WS2812b LEDs. For me, it is hard to justify the cost of a Pi, SD card, etc. over the $2-$3 cost of an ESP board. I have some spare Pis, but I try to save those for projects where the ESP board isn't powerful enough. But I understand that you already have a Pi on hand. I'm sure you can find plenty of videos and other online sources on using a Pi to control LED strips. Sorry I can't offer any other real help here because, while it is definitely possible to do, it's just not something I've done myself.

@michaelthompson657 Жыл бұрын

@@ResinChemTech no problem, thanks for that. I suppose with the esp boards being so cheap it’s probably so much easier using them. Thanks for the info!

@johnjacobjinglehimerschmid3555 Ай бұрын

So if the voltage for lighting the string of LED's drop. Doesn't the data line also have voltage drop issues?

@ResinChemTech Ай бұрын

No... the data signal is "boosted" by each LED pixel before it is passed down the line. Yes, the signal is boosted by the 5V line and as this drops, the voltage on the data signal will also drop. But you will see issues with the low voltage in terms of fading/shifting colors on the 5V before the data signal becomes an issue. The only time you need to worry about voltage drop of the data line after it reaches the first LED is if you have a long gap between successive segments of LEDs... for example, maybe with outdoor lights on your house where you might have a gap between different segments. In that case, there are signal boosters that can boost that data signal back up again.

@nicht_Verfuegbar. 10 ай бұрын

Can I put my Controller in between two LED strips or do I get a short circuit? I want to use a 300 pixel led strip on the right side and a 340 pixel led strip on the left side. I can only draw power in between those two strips. I want to use the 3 Pin connecter on both strips for the controller and the power injection cables for the power supply of the strips. Near the end of the 340 pixels I also want to inject power.

@ResinChemTech 10 ай бұрын

I'm not completely sure I understand what you are asking, but if I do, then I run two different LED strips for my stairs off of one controller and one power supply. But as I talk about in this video, you cannot pull that kind of current/amps through the controller board. You can connect 5V to the LED strips pretty much anywhere, but if you want to use the 3-pin JST connectors, you will need to modify one so that the 5V/GND are coming directly from your power supply and only the LED data line is coming from the controller. You can repeat this same setup with the second LED strip. Take a look again at the section of the video where I talk about connecting a power supply or at the diagrams under section on connecting power supplies and LEDs in my blog: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2023/01/wiring-diagrams.html

@nicht_Verfuegbar. 10 ай бұрын

@@ResinChemTech Thanks for your quick repley. I will follow your advice and to be honest I never thought you would anwser. This shows how much you care about your community. My greatest respect.

@Vidal2021 3 ай бұрын

Is there a controller that has shown to be very reliable? I purchased esp32 and esp8266. Both, after a 2-5 power cycles, no longer connected to the app. Then only the esp32 will allow connection with the wifi and local address. I had to reflash/update the fw on the esp8266 to get it connected. But, again both reverted to not connecting with the app. I'm looking to use these in many led projects, but I can't move past a bench setup if I can not reply on the units functionality.

@ResinChemTech 3 ай бұрын

Not sure what your issue could be. I have nearly two dozen WLED installs with a mix of ESP8266 and ESP32 and I haven't ever experienced the issue you are describing. I have occasionally received a bad board or two that wouldn't flash, but none that seemed to 'reset' or required re-flashing to get back online. Do you have any peripherals like pushbuttons attached? Note that there are features/functions built-in that can reset the WiFi or even erase the flash. For example, if a pushbutton is connected to Button 0 in WLED, then holding that button down for >6 seconds will clear the WiFi and holding it for >12 seconds will erase the flash. If you have any additional hardware attached to the controller, you might test without anything but the LEDs connected. There has also been talk about adding a 'factory reset' by power cycling the device a set number of times within a set time frame, but I think that is currently only available via a user mod and not part of the standard WLED firmware (I'm not 100% positive on that one... you may need to check release notes/documentation to see if a power-cycle reset has been added and it is your multiple power cycles that are actually resulting in a reset of the firmware). Short of that, you might either try Googling your issue or posting something over on the WLED Discord to see if others have had a similar issue and/or have a fix. Since I haven't seen this issue, I really can't tell you what it might be or how to resolve it. The boards I generally used are linked to down in the video description for this video.

@Supermath101 10 ай бұрын

I've heard that the ESP32-C series of chips are meant to replace the ESP8266, whereas the ESP32-S series of chips are meant to replace the original ESP32.

@ResinChemTech 10 ай бұрын

Well, I think it depends somewhat upon the needs of your project.... types and numbers of certain GPIO pins, whether you need Bluetooth or not, etc. Of course as a general rule, the ESP32 series are always going to be more "powerful"/faster then the ESP8266 series. But my take is to select the best processor for the job... all other things being equal. If I am just going to run a strip of say 30 LEDs under a cabinet, I really don't need the extra horsepower of an ESP32. However, if I am using Bluetooth or am going to use the controller with Bluetooth proxy, then I'll want an ESP32 with Bluetooth. Sometimes the firmware that I select can also drive the selection. For example, the latest versions of sound-reactive WLED no longer supports the ESP8266... so I have to use an ESP32 in that case. For most other projects, especially those where I'm writing custom Arduino firmware, I can often use either family of MCUs. Again, for me it comes down to the needs of the project, the firmware I'm using and what sensors or other peripherals I'm attaching to the ESP board. I generally don't want to pay for a more expensive controller if I'm not going to take advantage of that extra horsepower, when a lower cost processor will do the job just fine. I think all the different variants of ESP32 boards can be confusing... and occasionally misleading, especially if purchased from a questionable vendor. But I think the ESP8266 is going to be around for a while due to its very low cost and its wide usage in many IoT devices.

@Vidal2021 3 ай бұрын

Can you control 12v led with these if you step-down the controller input to 5v?

@ResinChemTech 3 ай бұрын

Yes, you can use something like a buck/stepdown converter to step down the 12/24V to 5V for powering the controller. I talk about that in some of my other LED videos and you can see some wiring examples and different options in my written wiring diagrams for LED controllers: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2023/01/wiring-diagrams.html

@Vidal2021 3 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@ethelbertbodden3449 Жыл бұрын

Question I have make 3 controller and install WLED and intergrade in home assistant, but every afternoon same time they are turning on by then self by service light.turn_on in home assistant

@ResinChemTech Жыл бұрын

You should check your Home Assistant automations. Find the light entity under developer tools/states and then click the three dots and related info. This should list any automations where that light is used. You can then look at those automations to see if this is the source of the reason the lights are turning on each day at the same time.

@ethelbertbodden3449 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your reply I reach not using any automation with the wled. I checked the logbook and it show wled Firmware turned off and Firmware became unknown then service light.turn_on and then all lights that is under service light.turn_on they all turning on at the same time

@quicklight4626 3 ай бұрын

I am working with a single high powered RGBW led. I am wanting to use a ESP 32 (or equivalent ) to control each Chanel and I want to use a constant current power. I can't seem to find a c.c.driver that utilizes the ESP 32. Do you know of a way to use the ESP 32 as a c.c. device?

@ResinChemTech 3 ай бұрын

Unfortunately, other than using PWM to control brightness (which isn't truly constant current), I don't know of a way to use the ESP32 alone to provide constant current. I'm not sure I fully understand what you are necessarily trying to accomplish, but you did mention high powered LED and remember that the GPIO pins on the ESP board are only able to handle very small current draws. Sorry I'm not able to be more helpful here. I did try a quick Google search for "esp32 constant current led", which did appear to turn up some options, but again, I don't know if any of those would be exactly what you are looking for or not.

@quicklight4626 3 ай бұрын

@@ResinChemTech thanks for your reply! Each channel will max out at 1.5 amps (more likely 1.2-1.3 amps). I seen someone on KZfaq that built a circuit with a capacitor, diode, and maybe a resistor. They used 2 channels (if I remember correctly). 1 channel as a pwm and another channel as a target amperage. Again I can't quite remember how he did it. I just assumed that I am probably not the only person looking to use an esp32 as a pwm to control a relatively simple circuit to power a high power led and thought maybe it was something already made on a small circuit board, apparently not haha. Thanks for your help

@frankperfecto1059 3 ай бұрын

I got a bit lost with the power injection,where was the other end of the injection wires?

@ResinChemTech 3 ай бұрын

The ends of most LED strips, where the JST connectors are located, you will normally find an extra two wires (usually red and white) that can be used to inject power. But note that you can inject power anywhere it is needed by simply soldering your +V and GND directly to the appropriate copper pads on the LED strip. So, as a rule of thumb, if you need power injection, you'd start by injecting at the end of the LED stirp(s). If additional injection is needed, you can inject midway along the strips by soldering directly to the copper pads. I hope that clears things up a bit.

@frankperfecto1059 3 ай бұрын

Sorry im trying to learn/understand . Are the injection wires connected to end of the strips and the power supply?( @27:51 i see the ground and + wire connected to the wagos,but not sure where it goes since wires go up and out of frame 😬) . actually you did say “5v from the power supply,its just i dont see any additional wires connected to power supply after injecting) Also i have notes and learned from your video,thanks for responding

@ResinChemTech 3 ай бұрын

No problem... As I stated in the video, those wires are coming directly from the 5V power supply. As you saw in the video, once your LED strip gets long enough, the voltage will drop low enough that the LEDs can no longer fully light up. In this case, you need to take voltage from your power supply and "inject" additional voltage into the LED strip. This can be at the end of the strip or wherever else it is needed (as I described in my previous reply). So you need to take the +V and GND wires from the power supply and run them to wherever you need to inject that power. You then connect those two wires to the the LEDs... either through the provided wires (as shown in the video), or by soldering to the +V and GND copper pads on the LED strip.

@frankperfecto1059 3 ай бұрын

@@ResinChemTech Your the best! Thank you a bunch ResinChemTech!!

@usa-earth 11 ай бұрын

So, not sure if this has been asked, but I am using ESP32s with 12V, 5 in 1 BTF lighting strips. Is there an issue for the data at 3.3v for the ESP32 going to the strip at 12v? If there is, how do I overcome it? Any clarification much appreciated!

@ResinChemTech 11 ай бұрын

I've not worked with these strips, so I can't say with certainly. But most 12V addressable LED strips still expect a 5V data signal. So, the process to boost the data line from 3.3V from the ESP32 to the 5V expected by the LEDs would be the same for both 5V and 12V LED stirps. Again, do note that I have not experimented with these LEDs. They do not appear to be "addressable" so while you can have many different colors, the entire strip will always be the same color. I'm not sure what firmware you may be planning on running on your ESP32, but it if it WLED, also note that while WLED does support non-addressable LEDs, some additional hardware is required per the official site: kno.wled.ge/basics/compatible-hardware/ I would suggest you locate the data/spec sheet for these particular LED strips and see what voltage is expected on the individual R, G, B, W1 and W2 data lines.

@usa-earth 11 ай бұрын

@@ResinChemTech THANKS Sir!!! UGH! I ordered the wrong ones! These, (BTF-LIGHTING WS2811 IC=RGB IC Addressable Dream Color LED Strip 16.4FT 60LEDs/m 20Pixels/m 300LEDs 100pixels Non-Waterproof White PCB Flexible DC12V) are addressable in groups of 3 which should work fine with WLED, right?

@ResinChemTech 11 ай бұрын

Yep... those should work fine with WLED. Note that these just have the three wire connection (12V, GND and Data) like the 5V WS2812b... as opposed to the 6 wire connection of those 5 in 1 strips. So, if you want/need to include the level shifter, you can wire it just like I show with the WS2812b strips to boost the data signal from 3.3 to 5V. Good luck... and let me know if you have any additional questions.

@usa-earth 11 ай бұрын

@@ResinChemTech Thanks so much! Since I am going with 12v strips, I need to power the ESP32 with the micro USB, right, because the power supply being at 12v would kill it?

@ResinChemTech 11 ай бұрын

You can either step down the 12V to power the controller or power the controller via USB. However, if you use a separate power supply for the controller, you MUST create a common ground between the controller and LED strip or your LEDs are going to misbehave and act really weird. I show both options for wiring 12V LEDs with a 5V controller in my standard wiring diagrams: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2023/01/wiring-diagrams.html I generally use a small buck/step-down converter mounted on the ElectroCookie to step the voltage down from 12 to 5V so that I only have one power supply... and therefore I only need one AC outlet. But you can use the USB power supply on the ESP32... just remember to create the common ground.

@happyboho1687 5 ай бұрын

Can the D1 be used an replace a 8266 or a 32 please ?

@ResinChemTech 5 ай бұрын

I'm not sure what you are asking. The D1 Mini _is_ an ESP8266. There is also an ESP32 mini version. In most cases, you can use either an ESP8266 (or D1 Mini) or ESP32. But you need to check the firmware requirements. For example, sound reactive WLED only works with the ESP32. Very large numbers of LEDs may also require an ESP32 for good performance. But for most smaller LED installs, you can select either type of ESP.

@happyboho1687 5 ай бұрын

@@ResinChemTech that’s exactly what i was asking I just didn’t express myself properly, thank you 🙏

@Vidal2021 3 ай бұрын

Will the android app Not connect to the esp if leds are not wired? I flashed the esp and with the usb powering it, and nothing else attached, I can access the wifi, but the android app says the light is offline.

@ResinChemTech 3 ай бұрын

It should connect to the controller regardless of whether the LEDs are connected or not. Double check that both devices are on the same wifi network and that the WLED device in the app has the proper IP address. You might try deleting the existing device in the app and manually re-adding it by the current IP address.