LED cubes are cool, but they’re usually pretty big and clunky. [One49th] set out to make one of the smallest LED cubes we’ve seen yet, and he’s shared how he did it in his Instructable!
His first LED cube was the traditional kind, and it turned out pretty nice. But he wanted to go smaller — what about using SMD’s? What he did next was no simple feat — in fact, we’d be willing to call him an artist with a soldering iron. The array is just over one centimeter across.
Using a combination of vices and pliers he soldering each SMD onto his structure one by one. Each LED anode is tied together on each horizontal layer. Each cathode is tied together on each vertical column. This allows the TinyDuino to control any one LED by knowing which of the 9 columns and 3 layers the LED is on. Send a high signal to chosen layer, and a low signal to the column to light the LED. Doing this quickly allows you to create the illusion of different LEDs being on at the same time. Take a look through his image gallery to see just how tight the soldering quarters were, it’s definitely not something we’re planning on doing anytime soon!
Looking for a bigger cube? Check out this gorgeous 7x7x7 one that is capable of 142 frames per second!
that is some impressive soldering.
Doing each “slice” on glass PCB would be the next logical step.
http://hackaday.com/2011/09/12/glass-pcbs/
This I would love to see it done
The geek gods demand that this be made into a D&D die!
That, tiny? Pah, I recently finished my 1x1x1 LED cube.
id like to try this using ito on glass or acrylic, with smd leds. seems doable, just need to decide how to integrate the power and logic, rather not have an opaque plane.
This would totally make for adorable Christmas tree ornaments.
Bah, 1210 LEDs… leaves room for improvement.
*buys 0402 LEDs*
Just ordered some 0402 leds. Wanted to see if i can make one smaller than this one.
Yeah, the 1210’s are mooses. I definitely want to see it with the 0402’s!
not yet ready but here is a sneak peek
http://i.imgur.com/JgMtnIG.jpg
This is something I could do, except for the making it light up and work part.
It’s something I’ve always wanted to get in to, though. Maybe I’ll have to get some LEDs and uhhh… whatever else I’d need to make an LED cube light up and have little animations. (chase around outline, whatever).