instructables

4x4 Led Cube Using Arduino

by lgerontius

In this tutorial I'll show you how to make a 4x4x4 LED cube. The cube has 64 blue LEDs which make up it's 4
layers(positives) and 16 columns(negatives). These are all wired to a Arduino Uno. An Arduino is a single-board
microcontroller, intended to make the application of interactive objects or environments more accessible. The hardware
consists of an open-source hardware board designed around an 8-bit Atmel AVR microcontroller, or a 32-bit Atmel ARM. I
programed code(sketches) for the Arduino Uno to controll the individual LEDs to display patterns for this captivating
desktop light show.

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 https://vimeo.com/573300350

Step 1: What You Will Need

1. 64 Di used LEDs
2.100 OHM Resistors
3.Pin Header
4.Slide Switch
5.Wire
6.Perf Board
Tools/ Adhesives:
Arduino Uno
Knife Straight
Edge Needle
Nose Pliers

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Soldering Iron
Solder
Hot Glue Gun

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Step 2: Making the LED Jig

First, Start by printing out my 4x4x4 LED Cube Template and paste it to a cardboard box.Make sure that the printing
settings are set to actual size and landscape orientation. Next, punch out all 16 LED holes(grey dashed circles) using a
pencil. Insert a LED into the individual holes to test the t.

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Step 3: Making the LED Cube

Take the 64 LEDs and test them to ensure that they all work using a button cell battery. This may sound tedious but in the
end this will safe-guard your your project! Next, insert 16 LEDs into the holes and bend the leads to the direction of the
arrows using needle nose pliers. The red arrows represent the positives(anodes) likewise the blue arrows represent the
negatives(cathodes). Solder all of the positive leads together and trim o the access of the leads. Now, you might have
noticed that there are two gaps in the layer of the positive leads. This can be solved by straightening a length of craft
wire by pulling both ends of the wire with pliers and trimming two 1" sections that are then soldered in place. After the
hole positive layer is soldered together, ip the box over and start pushing the tips of the LEDs out of the holes in the jig.
Make sure to do this evenly to avoid bending or damaging the layers structure. Now your rst LED layer is nished!
Follow this step three more times to end up with four layers. Next, take the four LED layers and solder the negative leads
together by stacking the individual layers on the top of each other. Start by soldering the leads in the center, then work
out to the leads on the edge. The 4x4x4 LED cube is starting to take shape! Straghten another length of craft wire and cut
and bend four sections that will later connect the four layers to the perf board. Finally, solder them in place.

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Step 4: Installing the LED Cube

Start by marking an outline of a square with a Sharpie that is slightly smaller than the interior sides of project box on the
perf board. Use a straight edge and a knife to score the outline along the lines, then break o the access material by
placing the perf board in a vise or on the edge of a table, then apply pressure till the scored sides snap o .
Make sure that all 20 holes line up with the holes on the perf board. Next install the LED cube by carefully inserting each
lead through the holes on the project box. Finally, solder the leads in place, then trim o the access wire.

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Step 5: Wiring the Circuit

First, snap the pin header in to 3 pieces that t the Arduino Unos digital and analog plug-ins. Strip and start soldering
wires to the 16 digital leads(columns) on the perf board. For the 4 analog leads(layers), solder 100 OHM resisters to the
leads then solder wires to each resisters lead. Next strip and solder the opposite ends of the wires to the 3 pin headers.
The wiring is setup to resemble a graph with a 3rd dimension. For the columns, there are two axes X and Y. In addition,
the layers serve as the Z axis. If you look straight down from the top of the LED cube it looks like the 1st quadrant on a
graph except that the origin is (1,1) on the cube. Likewise each LED can be named using the fundamental graphing
technique. Lets try an example; look at the demonstrational picture and nd A(1,4). "A" means that it is on the rst layer
and "(1,4)" is X=1,Y=4 on the graph.
Connection Setup:
Columns
[(x,y)-Pin]
(1,1)-13
(1,2)-12
(1,3)-11
(1,4)-10
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(2,1)-9
(2,2)-8
(2,3)-7
(2,4)-6
(3,1)-5
(3-2)-4
(3-3)-3
(3,4)-2
(4,1)-1
(4,2)-0
(4,3)-A5
(4,4)-A4
Layers [Layer-Pin]
a-A0
b-A1
c-A2
d-A3

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Step 6: Installing the Arduino/ Power Supply

Take the sliding switch and cut the mounting tabs o with the wire snips on the needle nose pliers. Next, cut and strip
the positive wires of the power supply and solder the switch to the positive leads.

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Step 7: Code

I found this sketch online, then I edited it to work for my LED cube. Soon, I'll have my own sketch that will be posted right
here, on this i'ble. But for now, if you have any improvements or add-ons to this current sketch, let me know so I can keep
it updated:)
Download

https://www.instructables.com/FPH/0G42/KQWCN2L5/FPH0G42KQWCN2L5.ino

Step 8: I Made It! Gallery

This is a gallery of the 4x4x4 LED cubes that members of the community have made by following this instructable. If you
would like to have your LED cube featured, click the "I Made It!" button to post it in the comments and I will add it right
here, in the "I Made It!" gallery.
Thanks for sharing :)

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