Particle Photon/Spark Core RGB WS2812B

jjhtpc · September 23, 2015, 5:56pm

The title says it all. I have created a device type to interact with the Particle Photon/Core. I have also created a Photon/Core firmware that will interact with this and use the Neopixel.h library.

Firmware and device type can be found here:

This creates an extremely cheap set of RGB lights that can interact with Smartthings.
What you will need:
Photon/Core $20

WS2812B rgb light strip
These worked great for me http://www.amazon.com/Addressable-Strip-WS2812B-meters-meter/dp/B00JSJSBZK/ref=lp_9219252011_1_1?srs=9219252011&ie=UTF8&qid=1443029994&sr=8-1
Bread board or soldering iron

Notes:
The WS2812B is a great rgb for dev boards as it runs at 5v and in the case of the photon can run directly off of vin if you are supplying usb power or you can split an outside power supply to support both the strip and photon.

To setup wiring

Run ground wire on strip to ground on photon
Run data line on strip to D2 on photon
Run +5v on strip to VIN on Photon

It is good to note that depending on your wall wart or power supply you will need to do some caclulations based on the amperage of your ps. Typically the WS2812B 30 led/m strips use around .6 amp per meter. So if you have a 2amp wall wart you should be able to comfortably run about 3 meters off of the VIN without an additional power supply. 9 feet of light is a good amount in my opinion and puts out a lot of light, so I feel this is very acceptable.

I have setup “ON” to display a color wash and then set to a slightly off white (Feel free to change the firmware code as you see fit) Additionaly there are pick colors that you can modify to your hearts content.

This is a first version of this code I would actually like to make this a little more variable with an RGB color wheel, but my home theater desperately needs some accent lighting and it told me I needed to have something up and running. I am always welcome to changes so feel free to pull and request merges based on improvement to code. (I’m not the best coder out there and I know it!

Credits:
I have taken tidbits of code from @dome, @juano2310 and Phil Burgess for the neopixel.h and neopixel.cpp.

Oh and I am really excited about this. As I can now do interactive under cabinet lighting and home theater lighting for under $30 per strip.

Please let me know any feedback or thoughts. I am always open to that. (now that my basement(home theater) is done I should have some more free-time (oh wait we are having a baby in 3 weeks so maybe a little free-time).

Benji · September 23, 2015, 6:06pm

Those strips are EXPENSIVE! Hell I think even Adafruit’s strips are cheaper but yes otherwise this is awesome!

jjhtpc · September 23, 2015, 6:09pm

It’s 5 meters of strip. 15 feet of light. That is about the cheapest you will find for WS2812B. And adafruit while I do try to support them have only 1m strips for around $16 I believe.

Luckily for me that is enough to supply about 4 -5 photon/core setups. Which when you break it down is about $30 per setup. Which is way less than even the z-wave or fibaro RGB controllers which are still way less in price than Phillips Hue.

Benji · September 23, 2015, 6:19pm

Yep they’re about $17/m but that being said with the Fibaro/Dresden setup you can get strips with twice the density of LEDs for a lot cheaper, i.e. 60leds/m and 5M for about $15

That being said if I was shopping for WS2812B or APA102 strips it’s the one time I’d shop on Ebay or more likely AliExpress. If you shop smart you can get 5m WS2812B/APA102 strips for MUCH less.

jjhtpc · September 30, 2015, 2:46pm

Updated some code. I cleaned up the spark firmware as well as I believe the while statements were causing a memory leak that was causing an error on Spark.

I am really happy with this solution. It works extremely well and I have tied the on/off function to a z-wave wall switch. I will put up some video later tonight (hopefully).

My next steps are to incorporate the kodi/xbmc callbacks scripts to send commands to dim these lights on play/resume and to set them to full brightness on pause/stop. The home theater is getting a fun automated upgrade with this.

jjhtpc · October 1, 2015, 1:26am

Here is video. I set the lower to have a chase sequence and the uppers to just turn on.

dome · October 23, 2015, 6:17pm

@jjhtpc, nice work! Looks great. At some point I might play with addressable strips. Right now my priorities are elsewhere (like finishing my basement remodel). That, and trying to get a Photon working with incoming events.

jjhtpc · November 5, 2015, 10:07pm

I have updated the code for this and added the enerwave 7 button scene controller with a modified smart app to control the Particle Photon.

Here is a video of a terrible cinematographer capturing the button presses, basement kitchen waiting for countertops and the under-cabinet lighting powered by the photon:

a6pack · February 19, 2016, 10:23pm

@jjhtpc - Have you been successful with receiving data from the Photon? Using your code as an example, I’m now comfortable with sending commands from ST to the Photon. However, I’m not able to receive variable data that from devices the Photon is controlling like a sensor. It might be useful to report on something like a confirmation status letting me know if a pin is HIGH or LOW. Anyway, I’m interested to hear if you’ve made progress in this area. Oh, and the lighting looks great! Thanks again!

jjhtpc · February 21, 2016, 3:51am

I have not worked on it mostly because from a use perspective I have used the particle rgb as home theater accent lighting. In these cases my usage calls for commands to be run and I am present and see the result. Also I call these commands through KODI cinemaexperience and I am not using the smartthings app to interact. I do see a usefulness in the status if you are using the app or using a dashing display to interact with them, but for my purposes thus far I have been only command driven. I am planning on adding three sets of these as undercabinet lighting in my main kitchen and while the basement kitchen has the enerwave 7 button to control it(again very command driven) but I could see using a combination of the echo and a dashing display to interact with the upstairs kitchen lights. So this may be something I take on in the next month or so.

bert269 · May 9, 2016, 11:05pm

HI

I am at a lost to try this for my Photon.
Where do I start and what files do I flash?

Thanks

jjhtpc · May 10, 2016, 12:37am

Did I not include the github for this?

bert269 · May 10, 2016, 12:51pm

Hi Justin

No, you have. But I am getting compile errors trying to compile the code. There are many files in this Github.
Which ones should I use to compile with and to get all the LEDS to light up?
I do not care so much about the different colors (yes, that’ll be a bonus), but I just want white leds under my kitchen counters.
Sorry to bother you with this stupid question, but I really am lost.
Thanks for your help.
Bert

jjhtpc · May 10, 2016, 1:20pm

Sure let me see if I can help.

Fit the photon you will need the kitchen rgb firmware:

github.com

jjhtpc/Photon-RGB/blob/master/Kitchen Photon firmware

// This #include statement was automatically added by the Particle IDE.
#include "neopixel.h"

/*
 * This is a minimal example, see extra-examples.cpp for a version
 * with more explantory documentation, example routines, how to 
 * hook up your pixels and all of the pixel types that are supported.
 *
 */

#include "application.h"
#include "neopixel.h"

SYSTEM_MODE(AUTOMATIC);

// IMPORTANT: Set pixel COUNT, PIN and TYPE
#define PIXEL_PIN D2
#define PIXEL_COUNT 47
#define PIXEL_TYPE WS2812B
#define brightness

This file has been truncated. show original

The neopixel.h:
https://github.com/jjhtpc/Photon-RGB/blob/master/photon%20neopixel.h

And the neopixel.cpp:

github.com

jjhtpc/Photon-RGB/blob/master/Photon neopixel.cpp

/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Spark Core and Photon library to control WS2811/WS2812 based RGB
  LED devices such as Adafruit NeoPixel strips.
  Currently handles 800 KHz and 400kHz bitstream on Spark Core and Photon, 
  WS2812, WS2812B and WS2811.

  Also supports:
  - Radio Shack Tri-Color Strip with TM1803 controller 400kHz bitstream.
  - TM1829 pixels
  
  PLEASE NOTE that the NeoPixels require 5V level inputs 
  and the Spark Core and Photon only have 3.3V level outputs. 
  Level shifting is necessary, but will require a fast device such as one 
  of the following:

  [SN74HCT125N]
  http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/SN74HCT125N/296-8386-5-ND/376860

  [SN74HCT245N] 
  http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/SN74HCT245N/296-1612-5-ND/277258

This file has been truncated. show original

Those three files make up the photon firmware.
It is good to note you will need to change the number of pixels in the kitchen photon firmware to represent the number of pixels you are using.

Then the only other thing you need is the device type code for ST.

bert269 · May 10, 2016, 1:38pm

Justin

This is GREAT ! Thank you - I REALLY appreciate your help with this.
I am currently in the office, but will try this out as soon as I get home this afternoon and report back.
One last question. you mention ‘…the device type code for ST’ - what is ST? The Strip?

jjhtpc · May 10, 2016, 1:51pm

No ST is SmartThings. The device type you setup as a device handler in the SmartThings ide.

bert269 · May 10, 2016, 1:53pm

AH-ha, 'cause. (I knew that but was just a little overloaded with info). After I get the Photon flashed, I’ll define the ‘device type’ in ST from the device type file also in your github.
I’ll try later today and let you know. Thanks for your time

bert269 · May 10, 2016, 10:56pm

OK.
I compiled the code and it compiled fine.
I flashed the code, the LED flashed a few times and then just went dead…no led - is that he proper behavior?
Even after I reset / power down , the led goes blank and stay off. it first flashed a few times green, then a couple of magenta flashed and then just dies.

I even unassigned the device and re-flash Tinker again…it works fine. I can access it from my phone, but when I flash your code again (sometimes it times out when its in flashing-yellow mode)

When I flash the code while its blinking blue, it flashes, but after it re-cycles, the led is dead again…

What am I missing here?

Thanks

jjhtpc · May 10, 2016, 11:43pm

Yes the LED on the front should turn off, I coded that so you didn’t have a cyan light blinking.

bert269 · May 10, 2016, 11:45pm

OK. Thanks!!
So there is no other way for me to ‘test’ it accept through ST?

OK - so i get it setup as a device in ST…but how do I find it on my ST app?
I tried to put the device again into blinking blue led state and scan for it in my ST app - but it does not pick it up.
Did I miss anything in the defition?
Should I have enable OATH (or whatever that’s called - I know I did not do that.

Ideas?

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Particle Photon/Spark Core RGB WS2812B

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