The IKEA SMÅSNÖRE is a flexible silicone rod with an embedded LED strip, attached at each end to a base. It’s eye-catching enough, and it has the useful property of providing a diffuse light from multiple angles that makes it a promising candidate for a work lamp. That’s enough for [Daniel James] to create his own lamp on a similar vein.
The electronics of his lamp are straightforward enough: a 12 volt LED strip whose brightness is controlled by a Pi Pico in response to a potentiometer as a brightness control. It’s not quite stiff enough to form the arch itself, so he’s created a 3D printed chain that forms the structure of the lamp. Similar to a bicycle chain in the way it’s constructed, it has individual links that slot together and pivot. The electronics are in the printed base at one end.
We like this lamp a lot, for the light it gives on the bench and for the ingenuity of the printed chain. We might even make one for ourselves.
nice : ) now we wait for the 555 comments
Forget the 555 comments…
Wouldn’t all the comments as to why a microprocessor would be used to control LED brightness provide more than enough entertainment?
depends entirely on what what in stock at the work bench. Having an extra Pi may have been the deciding factor compared to having to go buy a 555.
That said.. For anyone else wanting to build something similar.. there are pre-made motor speed controllers that work well for adjusting strip-light brightness.
Yep, that was my primary deciding factor. I also figured I’d eventually want to tinker with swapping out the Pico for a Pico W/Pico 2W and integrating with Matter protocol.
Some day I’ll finally add some 555s to my stock of parts for tinkering 😉
Could have used an Arduino.
I thought you were suggesting we comment 555 times haha.
My problem is oddly enough with the aesthetics. The last addressable one of these I saw used a graceful bow. This is a bit clunky and unappealing, if very functional and able to form to the task at hand.
I found it ironic Ikea was mentioned as Ikea is known for pleasing aesthetics.
Not only that but there are so many cracked LED TV’s with good backlights as well as the best diffusing panels for the purpose of lighting a workspace desk. Brand new 4K cracked siting out with the box it came in. Many 4K screens have a video wallpaper so they stay on once turned on. Mine goes to half brightness after full startup so it should last a long time. 65″ of benchtop covering daylight skylight!
Strips of the screen diffuser would be useful in this project. Could one heat LED channel strips and slide the diffusers in place to mimic this IKEA light? Ideas. Wavy strips suspended above things! Sky snakes?
That’s the nice thing about leds, they’ve opened up so many design possibilities without all the heat and voltages.
Just most of the heat and voltages 😅. Many TV backlights are 80-100v, and use aluminum as a heatsink. LED studio lights could have a massive 10-pipe cooler that wouldn’t look too out of place on a CPU.
Another cool LED arch from prior Hackaday coverage:
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/26/its-not-an-arc-lamp-its-a-lamp-arc/
Wouldn’t a low voltage version of a normal household dimmer switch be simpler?
There do exist dimmers made for ‘under-cabinet’ LED (down-)lamps; they tend to be manufactured to used with a specific brand of lamps. Nothing says one couldn’t use them in a more general application, however.
Now, the “…low voltage version of a normal household dimmer …” is a bit
more problematic.
A ‘normal household dimmer’ (being designed as inexpensively as possible) uses devices which can be turned on / off at different phases of the 120 / 240 vac line—SCRs, Triacs, Diacs (you get the idea). Sometimes, just the simple, inherent characteristic that the device turns off when the AC line swings negative is used.
But, this (“making a low voltage version of a normal household dimmer”) does seem like a good hacker project; a great hacker challenge.
Hackers, given a proper challenge, can do anything.
“The most damaging phrase in the language is: ‘It’s always been done that way.’ “
Grace Hopper
From [nicolas]:
“…now we wait for the 555 comments”
The LM555 being a lot smarter device than a Pi Pico, I’ve done it with a 555 since this article was posted. (a TLC555CP, actually…)
Hope the wait wasn’t excessive….
I wonder if instead of making the chain to stiffen the structure one could use a length from a tape measure.
It could also help a little with heat dissipation.