I found some files. Do you want a design files? I’m using Eagle for Pcbs.
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I’d love to see the design files…
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Sure! I can open eagle files, I think.
Very nice design I like it 
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This is a really neat PCB. I hope I am not bothering you with all these questions. I am looking at it very closely to see if I missed anything in my board, and also, just to learn. These are some things I noticed. Some of which I guessed. I would love it if you corrected anything I got wrong:
- SN74AHCT1G125 - This is on the GPIO2 pin. I am guessing this acts as a logic level converter to go from 3.3V to 5V. I didn’t add this on mine, and I have had trouble in the past. Hopefully it will work well enough. Otherwise, there is always another version
. or rework 
. - MCP1826ST-33 - 3.3V power supply for the ESP. I don’t know how to pick these things. Somewhere in my past I used LM1117-3v3, so that’s what I added to my board.
- GPIO14 - This looks like it goes to a footprint, and in the picture, maybe it is an ambient light sensor, or an IR remote receiver?
- GPIO12 - This looks like it just goes to a through hole, but then GPIO12 controls the relay on the power board. So I’m guessing you soldered a wire inside the pyramid to connect these?
- The relay connects the 5V (for the MCP power and the ESP) to the LEDs. There is a CUT-IF-RELAY trace that you would cut if you were using the relay. Or short if you weren’t. Did you end up using the relay? Is there anything else on the 5V?
- Fused 5V input. Pretty smart. I did not install a fuse on mine.
. If I have to make another one, I will definitely add that. - There is another fuse on each side of the pyramid, just for the 3.3V. Is that because you wanted a smaller fuse to protect the 3.3V power supply?
- There is a way to cut the DOUT from the last LED. The out is also tied to a through hole. Is that in case you wanted an external MCU?
- There are through holes for CAP+ and CAP-. I am guessing that would let you add a capacitor to the boards that didn’t have an MCU. Did you end up using those?
- The Reset pin is tied to a through hole. Did you end up using that? Seems useful for programming. Seems like a good precaution, considering the trouble of disassembling it if there was an issue.
I also found some errors in my board. GPIO15 is tied straight to 3.3V (instead of through a resistor, like I intended) and GPIO0 is tied to a resistor and not to 3.3V. So it looks like I will at least have some rework wires on my board. I am optimistic that I can get this version to work though. And I have a todo list started for the next version.
It was much easier to see these when comparing it to your design. So thank you so much for sharing.
- It is a shifter for a good signal form.
- In reality it’s doesn’t matter which one to use.
- IO14 for IR sensor.
- There is a main board with relay on which pyramid reside. Wire connected inside.
- I’m using relay, so trace is cut.
- Fuse is PTC. Actually you can use fuse in line with power supply.
- No fuses for 3.3V
- Last LED is not connected. No external MCU was planned.
- Cap is for power conditioning 1000uF on any of the board.
- Reset and GPIO0 is on top just for programming.
I don’t understand why you can’t use my design to make pyramid? Is it worth to spend a lot of resources for it? Actually it’s up to you
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I am designing the PCBs myself for fun and to keep learning. Your PCB isn’t perfect for my application (because I am looking for a little larger, 70mm on a side, and in a different pattern).
It is very close though. If there were available to buy, I would be very tempted to just order them and make my project fit your PCBs, but since I would have to order them anyway, I would rather just make them to my spec.
But it is still super useful. And I really am considering ordering some of your PCBs just to make a pyramid to sit on my desk. It looks like fun, and I have a few home automations that could use a fun indicator.
Just to give you a better idea of my project, this is a terrible picture of what it looks like now. This has some NeoPixel Jewels installed, and the photo is terrible (very hard to photograph LEDs). I will be replacing those three circle PCBs with the triangle ones I’ve ordered. One MCU will control all three.
I use this as a tree topper at Christmas time, and I leave it on a shelf in the living room for the other 49 weeks of the year. It turns red when my garage is open, or yellow/green when my internet slows down. It is sort of rainbow color at dinner time, and it is purple in the morning until someone has fed the fish.
And thanks for answering all my questions. That is great info.
Did you end up using the power conditioning capacitors on the boards?
The fuse I thought might have been for the 3.3V DC/DC converter is on the main pcb and is labeled “F1”.
Yes, I have one cap 1000uF and Fuse is for 5V input from power to the main board with relay.
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That is one board all wired together. Version 0 actually works fine.
This is three of them wired in a 3D printed front piece:
I need to reprint the front cover. It had some adhesion problems. I also want the front to be thicker, so it has more distortion.
It is really hard to photograph. But it looks and works great. No problems with the wifi reception, or any of the minor missing elements I would fix in a v1.
I even made an ledmap.json that wraps the leds from the center out, which makes some patterns look much cooler. bpm looks especially neat that way.
Really hard to photograph .
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and designs. It was a super fun project. The fun was doubled by sharing it.
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Try to print cover in white. Thickness 1mm. I used ABS and result is much better than transparent.
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For ABS, I prefer natural. PLA is white for sure.
Jeff, looks great! Did you solder everything yourself or did you have the pcb maker populate the leds and SMD conponents? Also, will you offer the boards for sale, or, perhaps, release the gerbers?
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See link above
I soldered them myself. They were pretty easy to solder for an smd project. Not as easy as through holes. Having the LED side populated would have saved the most time, but I didn’t design it to be made by a machine.
I linked the easyeda project, where you can download the files, or import them straight into jlcpcb.
I should try white. I don’t have any, ATM. I won’t ever print ABS again. That stuff is nasty. I haven’t reprinted it yet. I printed a smaller test in gray PLA and it is really neat looking for a single triangle. Many options.
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VERY cool. It wouldn’t be a huge stretch to use 4 of them and make a 3D pyramid with lights on all sides too - you’d just end up with a wire coming out of one corner…
The same shape as a 4-sided dice.
Also, when printing in transparent using Cura, I’ve found you can get cool effects when you modify the infill/shell line angles like I did here. Photographing LEDs does really suck!
Video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/DGXfWbU13heBSG6U9
I reprinted the front with 1mm solid front. I made sure to clean the PEI very well and I got a perfectly clean front surface this time.
It looks awesome. I’m very happy with it.
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Thanks Jeff!
Jeff, awesome, just awesome! My Zelda loving kids will get a kick out of this. Cheers for sharing your build journey.
- What LEDs did you use and solder?
- What LED config do you use in WLED? I’ve tried WS281x and 400kHz, but am getting flickering and inactive LEDs.
- Did you order standard 1oz copper, or pay the premium price for 2oz? Looks like you ordered tasty HASL.
Noticed your BOM https://oshwlab.com/jeffeb3/triforce2 references WorldSemi’s 3535 WS2812B-Mini RGB LEDs C527089. I used exactly the same on my board. Used EasyEDA to design, used jlcpcb to fab and their SMD assemble service. Unfortunately many of the LEDs are flickering, unreliable or partially/completely broken. For several LEDs one or more of the R, G or B color elements will not light up.
Trying to figure out what I did wrong in HW design and/or SW before trying again and sending off v2 revision. Am increasing trace widths from 0.254mm to >0.5mm, and improving my VCC and GND pours.
My code using Adafruit’s NeoPixel library (with flags NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800) behaves in the same partially broken way as WLED. Making me suspect HW issue, am assuming you didn’t tweak WLED code, and just use WS281x in WLED’s config settings?
Am new to WLED, sorry if I’m asking rookie questions. Am visiting from V1Engineering forum, thanks again for sharing link to this topic from forum .v1engineering.com/t/pcb-design-good-or-bad-idea-to-use-multilayer-gnd-pads-to-stitch-plane-and-connect-led/34635.
Have soldering iron, basic multimeter and janky $30 scope. My initial goal was to tinker and learn about PCB. However, am currently trying to resist the urge to get a cheap hot plate (~$80) and/or hot air rework gun and try repairing/diagnosing further, and salvage/scavenge parts.
Worried where this is going, concerned 'll end up with a LumenPnP if I don’t exercise self restraint.
Cheers!