Setup Your Own LED Strips // WLED Hardware // Part 1

[@PtolemyInventedThePSVita]

This is incredibly thorough, I got addicted to Home Assistant last year, and am just getting ready to start my ESPPresence and WLED projects. Excited for this series and keep up the good content!

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Nice, I am glad you liked it! I have part 2 done just need to finish the edit. Should be out Monday, spent the weekend with the family instead of editing.

[@PtolemyInventedThePSVita]

@@ThisSmartHouse Glad to hear it, family takes precedence over any upload schedule for sure.

[@jhollin1138]

Noob to 3D printing and Octoprint. I wanted to get some help getting started with WLED and found your series on the subject. The information you presented makes it look easy. Waiting on my PCBWay order before ordering the rest of my supplies.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Nice! So glad the videos helped. I just moved my printer to a new location and killed my pi. So I had to watch back parts of my videos to remember how I set them up. I hope that PCB makes the install easier for you.

[@jhollin1138]

@This Smart House I run SolidWorks professionally and plan to model a box to contain everything. Do you know of a barrel plug that can be mounted directly to the pcb to power everything?

[@jhollin1138]

@@ThisSmartHouse never mind, I'll just source a panel mount jack.

[@itolond]

I am looking at Raspberry Pi to control WLEDs - you mentioned your GPIO was damaged - are you saying even with Raspberry Pi you also need a separate controller or its best to use a separate controller??

[@InSaiyan-Shinobi]

Can you make a video on how to connect wled with Hyperion? I’m trying to do this.

[@fearthesmeag]

Hey Ryan, I dont think I have enough power for my LED strip, I think, as they are not lighting up. Your math for my setup is 60 ma, 300 pixels (total) / 12vdc = 216000 is that watts (looks very high)? My wall plug is 12v 2A (input 100v-240v). btw, Im in the UK!

[@fearthesmeag]

would this suffice? Power Supply 12V 5A,AC 100-240V to DC12V 60W. In addition, do I need a step down converter (12v to 5v) as my microcontrollers eem to fry?!

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Good question. First my current was based on a 5v LED strip. A 12v will have lower current (Power = Voltage x Current). For example the WS2815 has a listed current draw of 15mA. So 0.015A x 300 x 12V = 54W (worst case). Plus the current draw of your controller. So 60W should be enough. So your current plug is undersized (24W). But a 60W, 12V power supply is pretty easy to get a hold of. Just make sure it is 100-240VAC @ 50Hz input (you Brits have to do everything differently 😂) The one you referenced should be correct. But as you said you will need a 12v to 5v step down for most controllers. 12v will indeed fry them. What specific LED strip are you using? Sorry for the long reply, let me know if anything doesn't make sense.

[@derekshelley1892]

I'm looking for the power adapter piece you soldered into the board, it isn't in the kit link in your description and I'm not having much luck. Could you please point me in the right direction?

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Which part? The green terminal?

[@derekshelley1892]

@@ThisSmartHouse Yes the green terminal. Thank you for such a quick reply.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Here you go: amzn.to/3irva5H I updated the kit. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@coconutstrawberry]

This is a great video! Unfortunately I only watched it after picking up an ESP-32 at Microcenter today. Your PCB looks great, have you made an updated version for the 32? Thanks for the great video! The second part is great too.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

I am working on one but you can wire in an esp32. It is ugly but it works.

[@oh_yeah_]

you dont need such complex circuits to connect to a esp32.. u just connect the 5v, gnd, and a signal pin.. that’s it and u can limit the current and everything on wled software.. to power up the led use the other injection wires provided on the strips.. would work fine without any issues… no need of super high tech circuits in a pcb to make stuff more complex.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Except for you need the resistor and you should add fuses to protect the wires from overcurrent. Plus it makes it easier to set up.

[@MikeGervasi]

But apparently NOT the ESP32-S2. I've been working on loading firmware into one for about 4 hrs and it seems it's not really supported.

[@ThisSmartHouse]

I am not sure why. Does it say anything specific about it in the documentation or the issues tab?

[@zoeyzhang9866]

Informative content!🙌

[@gamaximilian]

Is there any start effect that allows to turn on LEDs starting from buttom to top and when all LEDs are ON it stay ON?

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Hmmm. I haven't seen one like that. You might want to ask over at the WLED discord server.

[@frankneher9192]

I am trying to figure out why you're using the resistor even in your blog post diagram it's not clear what it's for

[@ThisSmartHouse]

It is a pull up resistor needed for the LEDs. It is in all of the design requirements for the WS2812s.

[@c3adkins]

I made it this far. Hi Liam!!

[@ThisSmartHouse]

THANK YOU! I am going to show him all of the comments!

[@ScienceNotFaith]

Is it possible to run an RGBW strip off of a 8266 controller? If so what is the pin setup? I want to run it with the WLED program. If not possible with WLED, which program should I use? Also, some gave me an RGB strip but it has 4 terminals (R,G,B,+). How do I set that up?

[@ThisSmartHouse]

So that would be a non-addressable strip (you can't control each LED pixel). You can just control the entire strip at once. You can check out this users post who is doing something similar: www.reddit.com/r/WLED/comments/pcoouc/using_wled_with_analog_rgb_led_strip/? You will need some additional hardware and configure WLED for RGB PWM. Alternatively you can use ESPHome to control the strip. WLED's effects might be overkill for that strip.

[@ScienceNotFaith]

@@ThisSmartHouse Thank you. I think it's is an all-or-none strip. Didn't realize that until your post. Thank you. I'll check out the link.

[@liamslegolab]

In its me Liam and thank you of saying thank you

[@oh_yeah_]

can you please cable manage your desk setup 😭

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Bro I try! Then I add something new or move something. The new desk looks a lot better, but there are still a few lose cables.

[@justinfelix6690]

When I use the esp32, do I need the extra resistor board too? I watched a lot of projects on yt and with the esp32 they never used an extra resistor. Also, I looked for bigger projects with 600leds+ where they connected the esp32 and the leds directly to the psu and just connected the Data wire from esp to strip.

[@gradmihaialexandru3445]

Hello, can you help me to have some esp32 with diferent sectors and to work acording some motion sensor... To use wled? I need for my home (aproximativ 40 m) I will offer 100 euro bonus If you cane hellp untill the end of project

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Are you wanting to have one ESP board run the LEDs and Motion sensor? Or do you already have motion sensors and you are just adding LEDs? What smart one hubs do you have?

[@KKPhotographyNJ]

Looks terribly complicated

[@ThisSmartHouse]

Not really that bad. But it is a trade off more flexible but it takesore effort than just buying a premade strip.

[@exielaws8416]

I have no idea what you are talking about

[@ThisSmartHouse]

What are you confused about?

[@guymello]

@@ThisSmartHouse I have a diploma in radio and television broadcasting. You are talking too enthusiastically. You sound like you have a limited amount of time. Remember , talk to everyone. Youth, old, dumb, intelligent, everyone. You are talking to yourself because you are confident in what you are saying. Think of who you are saying it too. You are very intelligent. Now BROADcast.

[@guymello]

Good work. You need to slow down and enunciate. Hard to follow you. Enunciate.