Figure out what LED for project

EL Wire/Tape/Panels, LEDs, pixels and strips, LCDs and TFTs, etc products from Adafruit

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keveh
 
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Joined: Mon May 13, 2013 8:46 pm

Figure out what LED for project

Post by keveh »

Was hoping to get some ideas for a project

I essentially want LED/NeoPixel/fibre optics/el wire/ etc
To
- wear length of an arm (shoulder to hand)
- obviously needs some flexibility and powered by battery
- changing colour (RGB) is a bonus, but not required
- prefer to have the ability to animate. Less intense from start down to more intensity at the end. Think of charging up and a bolt of expelled power at the end.

El wire would be an obvious choice, but falls short for changing the intensity across the length, nor does it offer the ability to change colour
The fibre optics at adafruit would probably do the trick. But can’t animate them, much the same short comings as EL
I feel like a strip of neopixels would work, but would need to figure out how to diffuse the entire length. Maybe if it’s under fabric it would achieve the diffused effect?
I found a 1m flex strip - https://www.adafruit.com/product/3869 - but it seems a bit thick.

Any other possible solutions? As I said, a strip of neopixels is probably right, but it’s figuring out the diffusion and how many per metre would I need? (And there are lots to choose from. I’m most comfortable with circuit Python, so I guess I’d want compatibility with that)

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dastels
 
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Re: Figure out what LED for project

Post by dastels »

It sounds like you've thought this through. I agree that NeoPixels are probably the best fit for what you want to do. Be sure to read https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neopixel-uberguide and especially https://learn.adafruit.com/sipping-power-with-neopixels since this is a wearable (i.e. battery powered) project..

As for strips. There's this https://www.adafruit.com/product/4310 that has the builtin diffuser, and is thinner side to side, but is still quite thick top to bottom. This might work: https://www.adafruit.com/product/4915. It dosn't diffuse as much as the others but is the thickness and width of a "normal" strip.

Keep bending direction in mind when working with NeoPixel strips... they bend quite a bit one way, but not the other.

And everything you've mentioned can be driven by CircuitPython.

Dave

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keveh
 
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Joined: Mon May 13, 2013 8:46 pm

Re: Figure out what LED for project

Post by keveh »

Thanks, Dave. Decisions. Decisions.
I love the 96 per metre diffused, but am skeptical if I can make it work from the side.
I’ll need to dwell on this for a little…..thanks again!

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