Introduction
This short blog offers a simple solution for creating an LED light using WS2812 modules. The idea is meant as an example for students wanting to design their own LED light as a low-powered lamp replacement, entertainment device, outdoor garden light or any similar LED light devices.
Inspiration
It can be interesting for students to frequently mix up the electronic devices they are asked to conceptualise, design and build. From a post by the author Wech Holger on Hackster.io, a WS2812 LED software solution was sourced and updated for a different PSoC device. The post provided an idea for the LED light and a subsequent separate microcontroller project for students with varying technical capabilities.
 |
| WS2812 Connection Diagram |
Hardware
Focusing on the LED portion of the design, off-the-shelf WS2812 modules were selected. For this example design, four Adafruit #1426 modules with 8 x WS2812 LEDs were connected in series.
 |
| Generic WS2812 LED Strips with Headers |
Two interconnecting boards were used at the electrical ends of the LED modules to make the series circuit.
For the hardware layout, the LED modules are arranged on a circular circuit board as shown below.
 |
| Example WS2812 Interconnecting Circuit Board |
The role of the interconnecting boards was to provide power and to gang the series IN-OUT communication connections. Several modules could be connected in this fashion.
 |
Extract of WS2812 Light Schematic |
To
connect the LED modules, pin headers and sockets were fitted. The
design could be simplified in several ways. One solution could be to
remove the sockets and then solder pin headers directly to the
interconnecting circuit boards.
Testing
To test the LED design, the example project Outlook-LED.cywrk from Hackster.io was rebuilt for an Infineon CY8CKIT-059 development board. The communications wire bus was moved to a new pin - P1.7.
 |
| PSoC Creator Updated Pin Mapping for Outlook-LED.cywrk |
The image below shows the LED board fitted into a garden LED bollard.
 |
| LED Bollard used for WS2812 Testing |
In the clip below, three LED colours were tested. The colour selection was activated using the terminal interface provided in the example PSoC project.
