Nate Miller
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EXCLUSIVE - Addressable LED Ring Array Setup for Cyclotrons
🕑 Added 2022-01-09 20:18:37 +0000 UTCAUTHOR'S NOTE 1/23: I recently updated the attachments of this post with Arduino code that does a "gradual spin up" effect for the cyclotron ring light - the spinning cycle starts slow and then gradually increases speed over the course of a few seconds. It looks pretty cool as part of a pack startup sequence!
These last two weekends, I've been working on some electronics for my game pack. I wanted to try out a different kind of cyclotron effect - instead of 4 blinking lights, I wanted to installed a cycling array of lights to replicate the spinning effect from Ghostbusters Afterlife and the custom build by Adam Savage.
I found some addressable LED ring arrays on Amazon that looked like they fit the part. This is the set I picked up. It includes various WS2812B ring sizes that can be connected together or you can have them work individually. It's a nice kit if you have projects in mind - you can probably search for a specific size in places other than Amazon, of course.
For my immediate project, I selected a 32 LED ring which is sized nicely for my Spirit "game pack". (I would recommend stepping up to a 40 LED ring for a full size)
Included in this post is the Arduino code for creating a "cycling" effect and a simple wiring diagram below. The Arduino code exposes variables allow you you to adjust the speed, color, and number of LEDs in the array. I also wrote the code to avoid using the "delay" function and instead uses a loop with a millisecond timer - this will allow you to integrate the code in parallel with other light effects you may be using.
In the end, I LOVE the effect - it definitely makes my cyclotron on my Spirit "game pack" stand out.
I am making this material and content for the 3D Printed parts available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. License text is included in the attachment!
Comments
decepticon hero
tried uploading your startup effect code but all it does is run the same speed. it doesnt start slow then speed up
Aaron Berg
Since the LED rings are individually addressable, I'm hoping to install a ring in my pack, then use arduino programming (if I can figure it out) to switch between Afterlife style spinning and lighting up small sections of the ring to replicate the original lights. As someone with very little to no coding experience, do you think this is possible to do?
