How to make an LED module with your own hands. DIY LED screen - is this task feasible? How to control the LED display

LED screens, or, as they are often called, LED displays, became available for mass use relatively recently. It would be more correct to call this electronic device an LED display (light emitting diode) instead of the Russian abbreviation. Along with these names, the term “LED screen” is often used.

The first video screens appeared more than 20 years ago, but their brightness (individual pixels were on gas-discharge lamps) was not sufficient for reproduction high-quality image, especially on sunny days. Besides Maintenance These devices were very complex and expensive.

Rapid progress in the technology for producing bright, high-quality and at the same time inexpensive LEDs in primary colors (red, green and blue) has made it possible to take a rapid step forward in the LED screen production industry. A huge range of possibilities for creating video images, managing color, brightness and dynamic images has made a real revolution in the outdoor and interior advertising market (small screens - from 1.0 x 1.0 m, where display of large-scale images is required).

In large Russian cities, littered everywhere over the past 20 years with faceless 3 x 6 m billboards, the gradual introduction of this modern technology. Modular assembly principles and Arduino hardware and software allow you to assemble an LED screen with your own hands.

Modules for assembly

A screen of the required dimensions is assembled from ready-made electronic blocks (modules) of standard sizes, equipped with pixels from LEDs or RGB assemblies, connected on a common board and having the necessary connectors and cables for integration with neighboring blocks. Modules are usually made in China and have more low price, are purchased from specialized companies and stores. The P10 modules have a set of typical parameters:

size, mm – 320 x 160 x 20;
module weight, g – 600–700;
pixel pitch, mm – 10;
resolution (number of pixels per 1 m2) – no less than 256 x 192;
LED screen brightness, cd/m2 – 6,000–7,000;
half-brightness angle, degree – 120;
service life, hour – up to 50,000;
maximum power consumption (for outdoor screens), W/m2 – 500;
distance of comfortable visibility of images, m – from 7;
All light and electronic components are protected from moisture, dust, and mechanical influences.

If there are no modules, you can assemble an LED screen based on an LED strip. But this option is more labor-intensive to assemble and does not have the necessary reliability under harsh conditions of outdoor use: a wide range of temperatures, humidity, UV exposure, dust, dirt, etc.

How to assemble an LED display

At the first stage of manufacturing a homemade video screen, it is necessary to make a reliable supporting metal structure to place on it large quantity electronic units (modules, controllers, power supplies - drivers that convert AC mains voltage 220 V to DC - 12 V). The design is a frame made of a square profile pipe. A typical frame option is shown in the photo below.

At the second stage, P10 modules are assembled, attached to the frame close to each other and connected using cables with high-quality male-female connectors. Modules are often fastened using reliable magnets, which greatly simplifies the assembly stage and especially disassembly during repair work.

Next, on the back side of the frame, power supplies and controllers are located, which are responsible for processing video information and distributing it to specific modules and small pixels. Back wall The video screen is made of metal sheet or aluminum composite panel. How to install an LED screen is shown below.

How to control the LED display

It is clear that today almost anyone with basic knowledge of electrical engineering and skills in handling tools such as screwdrivers and screwdrivers can assemble an LED screen with their own hands. However, in order to “breathe life” into the assembled hardware, you need to understand how video files are supplied to the LEDs and how a program is created to operate the video screen.

Video files are managed and replaced via a USB port (via a flash card) or using a Wi-Fi router via an Internet connection. The video, previously created using specialized software, is translated into * .avi or * .mpeg format. It is then converted by a microcontroller or computer into a digital stream that is sent to DC driver chips, which supply voltage in accordance with the algorithm included in the program to the display LEDs.

The quality of the screen made is determined by the capabilities of the LED screen control system, which can be synchronous or asynchronous. The figure below shows the LED screen control diagram.

LED screen control circuit

A synchronous control system means that the same information is displayed on the screen as on the computer, that is, there is a live broadcast. For example, you can broadcast an image from a television camera installed at a stadium or concert. Such a system consists of a transmitter card and several receiver cards. The computer that controls the screen contains a transmitter card, and on the screen there are receiver cards connected by a UTP cable (twisted pair).

The asynchronous method of displaying information on the screen involves pre-loading it into the microcontroller memory. To do this, use a flash card or cable. An asynchronous system requires the presence of several microcontrollers, the number of which depends on the geometric dimensions of the LED display. This system allows you to work independently according to a given program without an external computer.

Arduino hardware platform

To create a program for controlling LED video devices (screens, tickers), there is a large selection of different products on the market. One of the most popular is the Arduino hardware and computing platform, which includes an I/O board and development tools.

Arduino is used both for developing stand-alone interactive objects and for connecting to software products executing on a computer. The boards have analog and digital ports to which they can connect different devices automation: sensors (temperature, humidity, pressure, etc.), buttons, motors, motors, video screens, tickers.

We can say that Arduino is a design tool for various electronic devices. The software platform is made with open program code based on the C/C++ programming language. Projects implemented using Arduino can function both independently and interact with a computer software(MaxMSP, Flash, Processing).

After reading our article, you will know how to make an Arduino LED screen with your own hands, what are the features of the work when creating an LED module.

Any amateur radio enthusiast can assemble a full-fledged ice screen with his own hands. There is an element base for every taste on sale: individual addressable RGB LEDs, ready-made module blocks, tape, etc. A variety of controllers are used for control. Solutions from Arduino are quite popular.

Making an LED module with your own hands

The first stage is matrix assembly

You will need a set of RGB LEDs controlled by addressable chips like WS2811. Depending on the size and resolution of the assembled screen, you will need from hundreds to several thousand.

There are 4 options for choosing components:

LEDs in bulk, which are connected manually. Advantages - there is no reference to the distance between elements. Disadvantages: painstaking work on connecting the cables using a soldering iron (this tool must be mastered to perfection).
These are the same LEDs, with already soldered cables. Available in sets of 50 or 100 pieces. The price is a little higher, but installation is much easier. There are restrictions on the length of the cable between LED elements.
LED strips. Installation is very simple, but for outdoor use you will need a sealed housing. In addition, on a short distance, such LED screens do not look aesthetically pleasing (when turned off).
SMD LED matrices. This is a ready-made module with the correct geometry. All that remains is to solder (pointwise) the connecting contacts - and the screen of any size is ready. Protection is also required for outdoor installation.

Important! Diodes on addressable chips can be powered by 5V or 12V. So, be careful when choosing components.

Every 50-100 diodes (along the chain) it is necessary to duplicate the power supply (in parallel) so that there is no attenuation in brightness.

Connects to control the screen Arduino controller. We simply connect the diode panel with the required contacts. For use external source information (video card, DVD player, etc.) will require an additional module.

Second stage - programming

Typical software environment: Arduino Software (IDE). Control programs, so-called sketches, are written in it. For convenience, there are ready-made libraries: AdafruitNeoPixel, FastLED, etc. They can be embedded in your sketch, or converted at the discretion of the program developer.

The Arduino control and programming language is simple. Any novice amateur can easily figure out the logical commands.

Based on materials from the website Apex-led.ru.

A LED is a semiconductor device that allows you to convert electric current into light radiation. One 220 volt LED lamp allows you to save a huge amount of electricity. The savings are 2 times more than a fluorescent lamp and 10 times than an incandescent lamp. If you use parts from a burnt-out lamp to make such a lamp, you can significantly reduce costs. You can assemble an LED lamp with your own hands quite simply. But do not forget that for this you need to have the appropriate qualifications, since you will have to work with high voltage.

Advantages of LEDs

Nowadays you can find a huge number of types of chandeliers with LED lamps in stores. They have different advantages and disadvantages. Modernization of energy saving lamps allows you to take full advantage of fluorescent light. This applies to the most common lamps with an E 27 base. And the old representatives of this family were endowed with an unpleasant flicker. Fluorescent light sources are truly a miracle. Compared to them, incandescent lamps are losing ground very much. Their high energy consumption and low light output do not offset their high color rendering index.

Durability is their main advantage. Mechanically it is strong and reliable. It is known that its operating life can reach up to 100,000 hours. They are also considered environmentally friendly light sources, unlike fluorescent lamps, which, in turn, contain mercury. But as you know, fluorescent lamps have some disadvantages:

The vapors contained in the pipes are quite poisonous.
Due to frequent switching on and off, they can quickly fail.
The design itself requires some disposal.

The LED lamp can be considered the second revolution in the field of lighting. It works 5-10 times longer, is more economical and does not require any special disposal. Although there is a minor drawback - it is much more expensive.

In order to remove this small minus and turn it into a good plus, you can build a lamp from an LED strip with your own hands. In this way, the cost of the light source can be reduced. It will be much lower than that of luminescent analogues . And also this lamp will have a number of advantages:

The lamp life will be a record 100,000 hours, but only with proper assembly.
Price homemade device no higher than that of a fluorescent lamp.
The watt/lumen efficiency is far superior to all comparable products.

But there is also one drawback - there is no warranty for this product. It must be compensated by the skill of the electrician and strict adherence to the instructions.

Homemade lamps

There are a huge number of ways to create a lamp with your own hands. Using an old base from a burnt-out fluorescent lamp is the most common method. Such resources are available in every home, so there will be no problems finding them. You will also need:

In some schemes, one or two elements from this list may not be useful. However, in others, on the contrary, new chain links may be needed, for example: drivers or electrolytes. In each specific case it is necessary individually draw up a list of necessary materials.

How to make an LED lamp with your own hands

To begin installing the lamp, you need to prepare two damaged fluorescent lamps with a power of 13 W and a length of half a meter. There is no point in buying new ones, it is best to find old ones that don't work. But they must be checked for cracks and chips.

Next, you need to purchase an LED strip in the store. This must be approached responsibly, since the choice is very large. Tapes with natural or pure white light are best. Since they do not change the shades of surrounding objects and are super bright. Typically, these strips contain LEDs in groups of three. The power of one group is 14 W, and the voltage is 12 volts per meter tape.

After which you need to disassemble the fluorescent lamps into their component parts. You must act very carefully - do not damage the wires or break the tube, as this will release toxic fumes. All removed entrails should not be thrown away. They may be useful in the future. Next, you need to cut the tape into sections of 3 diodes. After this, it’s worth getting expensive and unnecessary converters. Large, sturdy scissors or wire cutters are best for cutting the tape.

In the end there should be 22 groups 3 LEDs or 66 LEDs, which must be connected in parallel along the entire length. To convert alternating current in constant voltage, it is necessary to increase the standard voltage of 220 volts to 250 in the electrical network. This is due to the straightening process. The next step is to figure out the number of LED sections. To do this, you need to divide 250 volts by 12 volts (voltage for 1 group of 3 pieces). Having finally received 20.8 (3), you need to round up - you get 21 groups. It is best to add another group, since the total number of LEDs will be divided into two lamps. And dividing an even quantity is much easier.

Next, you will need a DC rectifier, which can be found in the removed insides of the fluorescent lamp. Using wire cutters, remove the capacitor from the common circuit of the converter. This action is quite easy to perform, since it is located separately from the diodes; you just need to break off the board.

Using superglue and soldering, it is necessary to assemble the entire structure. Don't try to fit all 22 sections into one lamp. As mentioned above, you need to find 2 half-meter lamps, since it is simply impossible to place all the LEDs in one. There is no need to rely on the self-adhesive layer, which is located on the back of the tape. It won't last long. Therefore, it is better to use superglue or liquid nails to secure the LEDs.

To summarize, we can analyze all the advantages of the assembled product. The amount of light in the resulting lamps is 1.5 times greater than in analogues. But the power consumption is much less than that of fluorescent lamps. The service life of this light source will be approximately 10 times longer. And also one of the advantages - this is the direction of light. It is directed straight down and has no ability to dissipate. Therefore, it will be best used at the desktop or in the kitchen. However, the light emitted is not very bright but has low power consumption.

Constant use of the lamp in the on state will consume only 4 kW of energy in a year. The cost of electricity consumed per year can be compared with the cost of a ticket in public transport. Therefore, such light sources are often used where constant illumination is required, for example:

Street.
Corridor.
Utility room
Emergency lighting.

A simple LED light bulb

There is another way to create a lamp. A table lamp, chandelier or lantern needs an E14 or E27 base. Accordingly, the diodes and circuit used will differ. Compact fluorescent lamps are now common . For installation you will need one burnt cartridge, as well as an altered list of materials. Necessary:

Let's move on to creating an LED module with our own hands. First you need to disassemble the old lamp. IN fluorescent lamps the base is attached to the plate with tubes and secured with latches. The base can be disconnected quite simply. It is necessary, having found places with latches, to pry them off with a screwdriver. Everything needs to be done quite carefully so as not to damage the tubes. When opening it, you must ensure that the electrical wiring that leads to the base remains intact.

From the upper part with gas-discharge tubes you need to make a plate to which the LEDs will be attached. To do this, you need to disconnect the light bulb tubes. The remaining plate has 6 holes. In order for the LEDs to be firmly attached to it, you need to make a cardboard or plastic “bottom”, which will also insulate the LEDs. You need to use NK6 LEDs, they are multi-chip (6 crystals per diode) with parallel connection.

Because of this, the light source is super bright with minimal power. You need to make 2 holes in the cover for each LED. The holes should be pierced carefully and evenly so that their location matches each other and the intended pattern. If you use a piece of plastic as the “bottom”, the LEDs will be firmly fixed. But if you use a piece of cardboard, you will need to glue the base with the LEDs using superglue or liquid nails.

Since the light bulb will be used in a network with a voltage of 220 volts, an RLD2−1 driver will be required. You can connect 3 diodes of 1 watt each to it. This lamp required 6 LEDs with a power of 0.5 watts each. It follows from this that the connection diagram will be formed from two series-connected parts of three parallel-connected LEDs.

Before you begin assembly, you need to isolate the driver and board from each other. To do this, you can use a piece of cardboard or plastic. This will avoid short circuit in future. There is no need to worry about overheating as the lamp does not get hot at all. All that remains is to assemble the structure and test it in action. White light makes the light bulb appear much lighter. The luminous flux of the assembled lamp is 100−120 lumens. This may be enough to illuminate a small room (corridor or utility room).

Types of lamps

LED lamps can be divided into two groups: indicator (LED) - used as indicators because they are low-power and dim. The green lights on the router are indicator LEDs. There are such diodes on TV as well. Their uses are quite varied. For example:

Car panel illumination.
Various electronic devices.
Computer display backlighting.

Their colors come in a huge variety: yellow, green, red, purple, blue, white and even ultraviolet. It is worth remembering that the color of the LED does not depend on the color of the plastic. It is determined by the type of semiconductor material from which it is made. In most cases, you need to turn it on to find out the color, since they are made of colorless plastic.

A lighting structure is used to illuminate something. It differs in its power and brightness. It also has a very reduced price, so it is often used in household and industrial lighting. This type of lighting is considered productive, environmentally friendly and cheap. Today, the level of technology development can make it possible to produce lamps with a high level of light output per 1 Watt.

Question: “Is it possible to make an LED with your own hands?” It will certainly cause surprise among ordinary craftsmen. It would seem, why invent something that has long been invented and mass-produced? However, there is a category of people who love to make something unusual. For them, designing an LED is an opportunity to repeat the experiments of O.V. Losev, held about a hundred years ago, and a chance to prove to yourself and friends the reality of creating an LED at home.

What you will need

The main structural material is a piece of silicon carbide. You can’t buy it in a regular store, but if you try, you can find it on the Internet among private advertisements. In addition, you will need a pin needle, connecting wires, two furniture nails with a wide head and an adjustable voltage source (0-10 volts). You will also need some solder and some skill with a soldering iron. For parameter measurements homemade LED A simple multimeter will do.

Preparatory work

The first step is to find an area on the surface of the silicon carbide that is capable of emitting light. To do this, the source material will have to be crushed into several pieces 2-5 mm in size. Then each of them is placed in turn on a metal plate connected to the plus of a power source with a voltage of about 10V. The second electrode is a sharp probe or needle connected to the minus of the power source.

Then the piece to be examined must be pressed against the plate with tweezers and probed with a sharp needle. top part in search of a glowing area. Thus, the crystal with the highest brightness is selected. It is worth noting that silicon carbide can emit light in the spectrum from orange to green.

Making a LED

For ease of installation, it is better to take a nail 10-15 mm long with a large head and tin it well. It will serve as the base and heat sink for the crystal. Using a soldering iron, the tin on the cap is brought to a liquid state and the prepared carbide specimen is slightly pressed down with tweezers. Naturally, the emitting section should be directed upward. After the solder has solidified, you need to make sure that the crystal is securely fixed.

To make a negative electrode, you will need the sharp part of a pin and a single-core copper wire. As can be seen from the photo, both parts are tinned and reliably soldered together. Then a loop is made on the wire to give it the properties of a spring. The free end of the wire is soldered onto the head of the second nail. Both studs are attached to the circuit board at a short distance from each other.

On final stage Power supply of the appropriate polarity is supplied to the legs of the nails. The electrical circuit is closed with a needle, which is fixed at the point of the crystal with maximum luminescence. By gradually increasing the supply voltage, you can determine the value at which the brightness stops increasing rapidly. As a result of the measurements, the voltage drop was 9V and the forward current was 25 mA. When the polarity is reversed, silicon carbide stops emitting light, which partially explains its semiconductor properties.

I wouldn’t be surprised if experienced radio amateurs express their negativity towards the resulting unusual design, reminiscent of simplest LED. However, sometimes collecting such things yourself is interesting and even useful. An example is amateur radio clubs for schoolchildren, in which children become familiar with the properties different materials, learn to solder and learn the basics of semiconductors.

The use of decorative homemade lamps

Homemade lamps perfectly serve as decorative lighting. They are rarely used for main lighting. For manufacturing, materials that do not transmit light well are used, and light sources are limited in size or power. To avoid damage to the structure, it is recommended to use low-heat LED lamps or strips as a light source, which, unlike incandescent lamps, do not pose a fire risk.

Homemade lamps as main lighting

Homemade lamps are increasingly used as main lighting thanks to technologically advanced, powerful and safe light sources.

Homemade lamp based on Armstrong 595x595 LED lamp.

LED lamp for main lighting.

DIY ceiling lamp made of paper. safe as a light source in this design,because it doesn't heat up.

How to make an LED lamp with your own hands?

Homemade LED lamp based on the Armstrong 600x600 LED panel.

Steel is a powerful alternative for making lamps with your own hands from improvised materials. A variety of sizes and shapes allows you to create floor, wall, ceiling or pendant lamps of unusual design and high power. Used to repair an old lamp or to develop your own unique lighting design.

for repairing and replacing an old lamp or creating a new lamp with your own hands.

LED module with light temperature control and remote control remote control.

The driver and all the necessary electronics are already built into the . Unlike LED strips, the matrix (module) is connected directly to a 220 volt network. The OPPLE LED module is compact in size, has clever cooling, and each LED on it is equipped with its own lens for the most uniform distribution of light.

Lens on each LED for the most even distribution of light.

A small 12 W module (analogous to 95 W) is suitable for homemade decorative lamps:

Decorative LED lamp made of antique wood.

DIY pendant lamp made of paper (origami kusudama).

For the brightest solutions, designed (600 W analogue) with a remote control, brightness adjustment (built-in dimmer) and variable light temperature from warm light (3000 K) to cold light (6000 K).

How to make a bright LED lamp from scrap materials with a remote control, adjustable brightness and light temperature from warm to cold.

It became possible to make original lamps technologically advanced and even more unusual thanks to various light settings. Now you can play with the temperature of the light (from yellow to white) and adjust the brightness of the light.

It is important that OPPLE LED modules have a well-thought-out cooling system and they hardly heat up. This makes it possible to create design solutions from your favorite materials: lamps made of wood, pendant lamps made of paper, wall lamps made of plywood, floor lamps made of scrap materials. Now it’s easier than ever to create homemade LED lamps with your own hands.