In the past, without experience on printed circuit boards (PCBs) design, I developed a WiFi-enabled LED strip controller utilizing the ESP8266. Although it functioned, grounding issues caused interference with other devices.

Currently, I aim to revitalize this project to illuminate my desk. To prevent interference, I have opted for a four-layer PCB, which is quite affordable these days. While a two-layer design is feasible, I see no reason not to utilize a four-layer configuration if the cost remains the same.

Hardware

The hardware design is meant to be as simple as possible:

  • 4-layer stackup with aim to eliminate unwanted emissions
  • 3.3V low quiescent current LDO that powers the MCU
  • no additional ESD protection (only built-in)

Software

The software is C++ based and powered by ksIotFrameworkLib and is going to:

  • support HomeAssistent over MQTT protocol
  • have multiple operational modes (breathing, snake, rainbow etc)
  • have an ability to switch to direct control (UDP based) mentioned earlier

Inspiration