Hey guys, I need suggestions for a mini sized build.

Hey guys, I need suggestions for a mini sized build. I work with ws2812b and apa102 strips mostly using an ikea cable wrapper as a diffuser and protector. I use arduino nano’s and mega’s along with standard mobile phone powerbanks with no issues so far. I have built 5m long jump rope, and a spin the bottle game so far borrowing and modifying code from the g+ group.

Now I want to build a simple HALO which is basically a 30cm strip wrapped as a circle along with microcontroller and battery also safely housed within the ikea cable wrapper.

Before I begin, I wanted to ask you guys how would you go about this project, using which microcontroller and especially a battery solution so that it is easily housed within and easily programmed?

Maybe a little stretch of the imagination, but use a concept of something like the “Bone Phones” sholder pack with lipo batteries as source and nano as controller… add a rotary encoder on one side for pattern selection… include battery charger(s) and boost supply to strip (with level shifter and good filter caps),if wanting to make it portable

Personally I really do favour the Nodemcu as the controller … it’s arduino compatible, has built in wifi so you can upload sketches OTA , much more storage, a faster processor than most…and much cheaper…

I do agree with @Lawrence_Clark esp8266 or esp32 are great board with WiFi and wifi/Bluetooth really cheap and fast. You can even find some board with power management on board.

If you use an esp8266 and APA102, you can power both straight off a single cell lipo battery. You don’t need a booster or a level shifter for the LEDs

@Jeremy_Spencer (and the same goes for neopixels / ws2812)
(But make sure you add the DMA interrupt line at the top of fastled based sketches to stop any flickering or glitches )

@turgan_s Could you post a photo of the active strip in the Ikea cable wrapper? I am curious how good this looks in the end?

@Christoph_Wempe that ikea wrapper is the best diffuser money can buy I think. missing/deleted image from Google+

Looks great. Thankd

@Lawrence_Clark what is this command ? DMA interrupt line.
Thx

@Yves_BAZIN put this line right at the top (BEFORE the include fastled line)

#define FASTLED_ALLOW_INTERRUPTS 0

@Lawrence_Clark ah oki i know this :wink: thank