Embedded Files
Contents of one of two smaller controllers - Sandevices E6804
The basic principle of the lights is fairly simple.
The display is designed in a sequencer application. This tells the pixel controllers what to do, which in turn sends the appropriate signals to the connected LED pixels to light them at the right time and at the right colour.
The reality is, of course, slightly more complicated.
Some terminology
Some terminology
Pixels - these are the LEDs, the lights. They are called pixels as they can be controlled individually both on their colour, and their intensity. The pixels I use are either WS2811 or WS2812, on a strip/tape (pixel strip), or on wires like more traditional Christmas lights (pixel nodes)
Controller - the pixels need a controller to drive them. The controller provides the hardware interface between the sequencer, and the actual pixels.
Sequencer - To create the display, we use a piece of software called a sequencer. This allows us to design the display by sequencing the lights to the music. The software we use is Vixen to create the displays, and Falcon Pi Player on the Raspberry pi to execute the display.
HARDWARE
HARDWARE
The controllers used in our display are made by SanDevices, and consist of a single E682, and 2 E6804 boards. Each board is housed in it's own watertight enclosure with a power supply.
Each enclosure is supplied with 230Vac, and ethernet (using neutrik waterproof connectors).
The sequenced display is loaded onto a Raspberry Pi which simply acts as a player. The Pi communicates to the 3 controller boxes via ethernet. The Pi also drives the small audio amplifier that supplies the music via 2 marine speakers (waterproof!).
<more soon>
How it fits together
How it fits together
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