Pi-Light

View More Like this at my website jamespoole.me where I have other projects similar to this! 🙂

***Github Repo For This Project***

pi_light

I built this project a few months ago but never got around to documenting it until now. The idea for this project is to have an RGB light strip that can be turned on and off and have the colours changed from a phone app. It’s a simple idea with a relatively simple solution. While it is not fully supported, I think it is possible to get a Neopixel light strip working with a Raspberry Pi. But for this I used an Arduino Nano to operate the light strip and a Raspberry Pi to serve the website.

Components:

  • Raspberry Pi
  • WiFi Dongle
  • 5v 3A Power Supply
  • Jumper cables (male to male and female to female)
  • Block of wood and metal strip

Setting up the Hardware

I installed standard Raspbian on the RPi and set it to boot to the command line in the raspi-config menu. The “arduino_lights” folder in the Github repo contains the file that is to be placed on the Arduino. Use the Arduino IDE to load the file onto the board. The wiring is as in the Fritzing diagram. I will include photos of my setup but it is a real mess due to a lack of female to female jumper cables and my poor soldering skills!

fritz-png

Not Included is the DC Barrel Jack that splits the power supply into Positive and Negative lines that can be connected to the NeoPixel.

 img_20161009_144609(Because I didn’t have any female to female jumper cables, my setup was needlessly complex. Just follow the fritzing diagram above and you should be fine ? )

For extra info on the Adafruit NeoPixels visit the Adafruit tutorials .

Programming

***Github Repo For This Project***

Like in previous projects I used Python and the Flask framework to create the server to host the controls for the light.

First clone the repo of my code down to the Raspberry Pi. Everything will be used here except the arduino_lights folder as this is the code for the Arduino.

Read More: Pi Light


About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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