This was very informative! I run a Christmas lightshow using Light Show Pi but it doesn't allow me to build my own sequences and I'm thinking that next year I am going to try doing my own sequences.
Hey Bill. This video is great! I have been using nodemcu chips to expand my lightshow over the years because of you, so thanks! One thing I've been curious about is how you went about creating the outline for the lights? Is that a metal structure you made?
Thanks Joshua. Yeah the little esp8266 chip is great. I bought the wire frame. I can’t remember from whom now, but maybe www.holidaycoro.com/default.asp - I’ve bought some of there sequences that I customize. My original Halloween face was made by drilling holes in a 4’x4’ sheet of plywood and punching lights into the holes, but that wasn’t very attractive during the day, so I googled wire holiday frames and think I got the 4’x4’ wire frame for ~$200. I’m sure you could weld something together, but the cost wasn’t bad to buy it, so I did. Once I got the wire outline, I zip tied my LEDs around the frame. In some cases, I cut the LED strand to fit, but you could just skip bulbs in your sequence instead with xLights. I used a custom object and numbered all the LEDs and drove the light strand using my little nodeMCU box as in the video. Happy holidays.
Yeah I run about 150 LEDs per NodeMCU. The LEDs I have run serially and the latency over 150 LEDs causes timing issues. You could slow down the music timing, but for me 150 proves good for about 25ms timing. I also use these NodeMCUs to drive solid state relays for regular incandescent lights/trees/snowmen/etc. and usually have one NodeMCU for 8-16 devices. In xLights, I just add each NodeMCU's IP address (assign each a unique IP). xLights then broadcast out the DMX packet to all the NodeMCU units. Good luck and happy holidays.
@@billgriffith8123 How do you assign the nodemcu to certain decorations, think they are called channels? I am slowly figuring xlights out, but still hitting some snags. I am using WLED as the program to run xlights by the way. Any info would be appreciated Thanks
@@MrArod1207 Each NodeMCU has an IP address and a number of channels. I map display lights to the channels. xLights does the synchronization and sends out DMX commands every 25ms (adjustable) and each NodeMCU receives the DMX command for the lights attached and sends that out to the lights. The NodeMCU works like any other DMX controller, so just google on xlights and DMX over E1.31. Good luck.
Hello @Bill Griffith, just ask favor... Im just a newbie here and i dont have any clue about this arduino coding or something... And i want to know and last of all i can save more money for adding more pixel.. (sorry bad english) If you can... Would you mind to make another video on "how to setup the e1.31 esp8266 pixel controller??"
This was very informative! I run a Christmas lightshow using Light Show Pi but it doesn't allow me to build my own sequences and I'm thinking that next year I am going to try doing my own sequences.
Hey Bill. This video is great! I have been using nodemcu chips to expand my lightshow over the years because of you, so thanks! One thing I've been curious about is how you went about creating the outline for the lights? Is that a metal structure you made?
Thanks Joshua. Yeah the little esp8266 chip is great. I bought the wire frame. I can’t remember from whom now, but maybe www.holidaycoro.com/default.asp - I’ve bought some of there sequences that I customize. My original Halloween face was made by drilling holes in a 4’x4’ sheet of plywood and punching lights into the holes, but that wasn’t very attractive during the day, so I googled wire holiday frames and think I got the 4’x4’ wire frame for ~$200. I’m sure you could weld something together, but the cost wasn’t bad to buy it, so I did. Once I got the wire outline, I zip tied my LEDs around the frame. In some cases, I cut the LED strand to fit, but you could just skip bulbs in your sequence instead with xLights. I used a custom object and numbered all the LEDs and drove the light strand using my little nodeMCU box as in the video. Happy holidays.
@@billgriffith8123 Great to know 😊 Thanks again for all the info and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Hi, great video! Quick question, do you use a nodemcu for each individual decoration? If so, do they sync well together?
Yeah I run about 150 LEDs per NodeMCU. The LEDs I have run serially and the latency over 150 LEDs causes timing issues. You could slow down the music timing, but for me 150 proves good for about 25ms timing. I also use these NodeMCUs to drive solid state relays for regular incandescent lights/trees/snowmen/etc. and usually have one NodeMCU for 8-16 devices. In xLights, I just add each NodeMCU's IP address (assign each a unique IP). xLights then broadcast out the DMX packet to all the NodeMCU units.
Good luck and happy holidays.
@@billgriffith8123 How do you assign the nodemcu to certain decorations, think they are called channels? I am slowly figuring xlights out, but still hitting some snags. I am using WLED as the program to run xlights by the way. Any info would be appreciated
Thanks
@@MrArod1207 Each NodeMCU has an IP address and a number of channels. I map display lights to the channels. xLights does the synchronization and sends out DMX commands every 25ms (adjustable) and each NodeMCU receives the DMX command for the lights attached and sends that out to the lights. The NodeMCU works like any other DMX controller, so just google on xlights and DMX over E1.31. Good luck.
Hello @Bill Griffith, just ask favor... Im just a newbie here and i dont have any clue about this arduino coding or something... And i want to know and last of all i can save more money for adding more pixel.. (sorry bad english)
If you can... Would you mind to make another video on "how to setup the e1.31 esp8266 pixel controller??"
I have questions
The video is great, thanks for the information