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PixiFlood

Turn any Floodlight into a WS2811 Pixel

aj-reynoldsAJ Reynolds
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A LED Driver that will allow a 10W flood light to be controlled as a WS2811 Pixel. Allows up to 170 flood lights to be controlled with a single universe.

My goal was to enable placement of a flood light without having to deal with different controllers or wiring needs. By using WS2811, place a flood light at the beginning or end of a pixel string and maintain complete control.

The additional wireless version allows the driver to function as its own controller and communicate via wireless connection using the E1.31 Protocol. It will contains an ESP8266 module .

Designed for LED Modules:
Model: 10W
Color: RGB
DC Forward Voltage (VF): Red 6-8V, Green 9-12V, Blue 9-12V
DC Forward current (IF): 300MA
Out put Lumens: Red 120-150LM, Green 200-300LM, Blue 70-100LM
Wave Length : Red 620-625nm , Green 515-520nm, Blue

The SMT and PTH (Plated Through Hole) versions are complete and tested. I have the PCBs available for those interested.

Work continues on the RF version of the board, Prototype boards were order this week.

Mouser BOM: http://www.mouser.com/ProjectManager/ProjectDetail.aspx?AccessID=f755be257e

I acquired my LEDs from:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251347073083?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I use the 10W New Floodlight cases which can be found here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231209873694?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=530670264723&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The standard 10W floodlight cases work as well.

  • 1 × L78l05ACZ Power Management ICs / Linear Voltage Regulators and LDOs
  • 1 × WS2811S Pixel Controller IC
  • 3 × 2N3904 Discrete Semiconductors / Transistors, MOSFETs, FETs, IGBTs
  • 3 × PT4115BE89 LED DRIVER
  • 3 × 1N5819 Dodes, SS16 (SMT Version)

View all 15 components

  • New Board Developed

    AJ Reynolds • 02/11/2019 at 04:50 • 2 comments

    Its been a while since I reported on what was happening with the Pixiflood board.  I wanted to expand to powers higher than 10w and had created boards to support 20w and 30w leds that only required 24 volts which was within the component specs.

    I've ran into 2 issues, one the pin spacing is different between the various LED Chips and a trend for the LED Chips moving to 30-36 volts which are outside of the 30 volt max of the PT4115, so I set out to solve those two issues and also addressed being able to connect to wifi directly from the board using an esp-01.

    The esp-01 uses opensource firmware created for a device called ESPixelStick and works with E1.31 lighting software or directly with MQTT for home automation.

    Last year I created a 10w version of the Pixiflood with a built in PixelStick that worked very well.  I started with that circuit and swapped out the PT4115 for another constant current driver, I've also eliminated the direct attachment of the LED to the board since this caused issues due to varied spacing requirements. By removing the direct connection and now connecting to the LED via soldered on wires, the new board is able to drive any led chip from 10w to 100w (or Higher) as long as the voltage requirement is under 60v.  All current LED chips are 36v or under so my circuit has plenty of headroom.


    One of the other advantages of removing the direct connection is the trace length is less than 15% of the previous design which has yielded a significant drop in EMI and noise which has greatly improved the range of the ESP-01 wireless capabilities.  Some of the other changes was moving away from a linear voltage regulator to a switching configuration to address connections to higher voltage sources and overheating issues for the 5v circuitry.

  • Revised PCB underway

    AJ Reynolds • 01/05/2016 at 18:44 • 0 comments

    Another year has come and gone, so appears has the Slim 10W floodlight housing I was using. It appears it has been replaced with a smaller version and the PCB as currently designed has issues with using connectors.

    I am working on a change that will better fit in the new housing and still enable the use of the wafer connectors that I have been using. I am also moving away from the nRF24 version of the board and exploring using the ESP8266 chip instead. This will offer direct WiFi capability.

  • Revised Video for Attaching LED

    AJ Reynolds • 09/24/2015 at 18:01 • 0 comments

    I have uploaded a revised video on attaching the LED to address the quality issues with the 1st video,

  • Second RF PCB Ordered

    AJ Reynolds • 08/13/2015 at 21:18 • 0 comments

    Cleaned up a few issues with the initial prototype and with only minor exception converted the remaining components to SMD. Goal is to minimize any chance of shorting the driver against the Floodlight case.

    I added the capability to jumper the Data Signal to be sourced from the nRFL24 or the input wires. This will allow testing without having to deal with the wireless.

  • Stage 4: Testing and Troubleshooting (Revised)

    AJ Reynolds • 08/11/2015 at 14:59 • 0 comments

    There was an issue with the volume in the third video. I had to rework the content since I couldn't fix the volume on the previous video.

    The new video can be found at::


  • Final Testing and Troubleshooting Video

    AJ Reynolds • 08/09/2015 at 09:56 • 0 comments

    The last video on the PixiFlood Testing and Troubleshoot process is available on youTube:


  • New Video Uploaded to youTube

    AJ Reynolds • 08/09/2015 at 01:31 • 0 comments

    Just uploaded the second Testing and Troubleshooting video to youTube. It can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL9qjLBShj0

  • Gerbers and Eagle Files are Available on Github

    AJ Reynolds • 08/06/2015 at 05:36 • 0 comments

    As I have been planning on doing for some time, I have made the files available on GITHUB. There are 3 versions of the board, the 1.7 version is the board I have been working with for the last few months and is the only one in circulation.

    The 1.9 version is an improved version which I will be using going forward. Changes are covered in a youTube video you can find in the project logs.

    The 1.10 version is a work in progress and has not had the initial prototype completed. There are additional changes planned.

    The RF version of the board I am still working on, it is near completion and is working but before I make it available I want to make sure.

  • Board layout modified

    AJ Reynolds • 07/27/2015 at 15:10 • 0 comments

    Based on feedback from the users I have modified the board to make it easier to build and test. Changes are covered in the following video:


  • Testing and Trouble Shooting Videos

    AJ Reynolds • 07/27/2015 at 15:07 • 0 comments

    I have create a series of youtube videos that walks you through the process of testing and trouble shooting issues with the LED Driver.

    It also should provide insight into the design since it walks through every connection and specifieds the expected voltages and behavior

    Part 1 can be found at: .

View all 14 project logs

  • 1
    Step 1

    THE FOLLOWING PICTURES ARE FROM THE V1.7 VERSION OF THE PCB.

    I have begun shipping a new version, V1.9. Assembly is identical, the location a couple of components is slightly different but the instructions are the same. The version number is located on the bottom of the PCB.

    The following tools and materials are required to assemble the PixiFlood Driver:

    • Soldering Iron
    • Solder
    • Flush/diagonal cutters

    Additional tools that might be helpful, but not required:

    • Solder Paste
    • Hot Air Station or Reflow Oven

    Additional tools and supplies required to install driver into Housing:

    • Philips Screwdriver
    • Thermal Paste
    • Pliers / Wrench to remove wire retainer

    Due to the fact this board has SMD/SMT components a good flux is mandatory. I recommend using a re-flow method for SMT components. I used solder paste and hot air (SMD Rework Station).

    Verify and gather all components associated with the BOM (See Component List)

    Sorry, you may have to sort the 2N3904 transistors from the L78L05. Both are TO-92 and look identical. Check the the back (Flat) on each, depending on eyesight you may need magnifying glass. The ratio is 3:1 of 2N3904 to L78L05.

    If you order Pre-Soldered, the next three steps have already been completed.

    Your first assembly step will begin with (Step 4) the 1N5918 Diodes.

  • 2
    Step 2

    STAGE 1 ASSEMBLY:

    Solder: PT4115BE89 (3) to PCB. Use VERY LITTLE SOLDER ! A fine gauge solder would be helpful and check for bridged solder joints before applying power to the board.

    There are several tutorials on "Drag" soldering of SMT components available on YouTube. Recommend practicing on something else if you have never attempted SMT soldering before. The PT4115B ICs can be found on eBay and Alibaba for about .20 a piece but may take up to 6 weeks shipping time.

    If you encounter issues later, I recommended a simple "touch up" with a soldering iron to ensure proper connection.

  • 3
    Step 3

    Solder: WS2811S (IC2) to PCB. Same warnings as the PT4115B.

    That is the last of the SMT/SMD components, everything from this point forward is Plated Through Hole (PTH).

    Stage 1 Assembly is complete. At this point you are ready to conduct the first series of tests outlined in the following video:

View all 18 instructions

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Discussions

Dean Davis wrote 12/26/2020 at 22:59 • point

Just curious if this project is dead. Acquired several of your 1.7 boards and woud like to know if I need to upgrade them before I start my build. I would also eiother like to purchase more boards or have them done myself.

  Are you sure? yes | no

simon.pacey wrote 05/27/2020 at 22:30 • point

Hi, the project is great. Is it still possible to purchase the boards? 

Many Thanks...

  Are you sure? yes | no

jeremy.leroy wrote 06/15/2019 at 20:08 • point

Hi, i want to know, i tested version 1.2 pcb, and i think this pcb didn't worked. Can you confirm ? On PT4115, VIN =12V, and DIM modulate between 3.5 and 4.9v, so 10w Led is ON every time. Thanks for help, and your very good job

  Are you sure? yes | no

AJ Reynolds wrote 04/24/2019 at 20:23 • point

hello all, have a new version that will support any floodlight led from 10w to 100w with the same board. 

  Are you sure? yes | no

blabberbytes wrote 08/14/2018 at 19:37 • point

Would Like to build a few of these. How do I buy?

  Are you sure? yes | no

Dennis McCreery wrote 12/01/2016 at 05:49 • point

Hey Al, love the design.  I'd like to build about 10-15 of these.  Are there boards available?  If so, can you tell me how to get some?  Thanks!  Dennis

  Are you sure? yes | no

tcoleman wrote 10/12/2016 at 20:51 • point

Are there boards for sale anymore? Store is not working

  Are you sure? yes | no

AJ Reynolds wrote 01/16/2016 at 23:10 • point

yes

  Are you sure? yes | no

Vadim wrote 01/16/2016 at 16:31 • point

Hi, I have a little question. I am looking for what may be suitable inductor SMD version , I found this http://fr.farnell.com/wurth-elektronik/744053101/inductance-100uh-0-45a/dp/1635866

Is what it might be appropriate ?

  Are you sure? yes | no

Robert wrote 08/03/2015 at 12:54 • point

Great project and I may be interested in building a sort of a LED-Wall. Are you going to put the eagle/Gerber-Files on github?

  Are you sure? yes | no

AJ Reynolds wrote 08/03/2015 at 14:57 • point

Yes, I should have it up there this week with a link from here.

  Are you sure? yes | no

Robert wrote 08/04/2015 at 08:26 • point

THX for the quick reply. I'm wondering if it is possible to power this thing with 24V which would make chaining of several Floodlights much easier.

  Are you sure? yes | no

AJ Reynolds wrote 08/04/2015 at 17:48 • point

It will support up to 30v without issue.

  Are you sure? yes | no

AJ Reynolds wrote 08/06/2015 at 05:37 • point

They are available at this time on GITHUB.

  Are you sure? yes | no

AJ Reynolds wrote 08/01/2015 at 11:37 • point

I am using the "NEW" or slim version of the Floodlight Casing which has a large area directly behind the glass  and not covered by the reflector.  It has allowed me to use the trace antennas.   I have been successful in my testing to date.

  Are you sure? yes | no

Alex Cordonnier wrote 08/01/2015 at 06:51 • point

In your wireless version, are you using an external or a trace antenna? I've been designing a wireless lights project with the same small floodlights and also nRF24L01+. I've used these floodlights before with trace antennas (HC-06 Bluetooth modules), but I ran into a lot of connectivity issues even after moving the module in front of the reflector.

  Are you sure? yes | no

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