In-Hilt Bluetooth LED driver experiment

[JediXIX]

Well I like to tinker with things, and over the last months Lord Canterbury and I have been chatting about this and that, and during those chats this idea came up . . . . What if we could use a component in a Bluetooth enabled LED product thats available out there and adapt it for use in an LED saber . . . . could be an idea ?

I looked around and stumbled across this image on eBay . . . had me intrigued


If by some fluke we could take out the Bluetooth board of this LED light globe and use it in an LED saber . . . ? ? ?

So I ordered this one just for fun (http://r.ebay.com/K5GyjA) . . . here’s what I found when I dismantled it . . .











A small / thin board with 2 VIN wires, an antenna wire, and it was even labeled for the RGBW + & - connections . . . It’s soldered to its own LED plate, so first I just connected up 7.4v Li-Ion & 1000ma BuckPuck, and it all worked . . . The app worked fine and it controlled all the LED colours from my phone over Bluetooth . . . great . . . next step, connect an RGBW LED module from US, so I cut the LED plate away and just tested 1 diode on the US module, and it dimmed when using the app . . .



Soldered connectors to each pin for RGBW and connected up to an US RGBW LED module, everything worked . . . .







Quickly (a bit messy) installed it in a hilt and this is what we’ve got . . . (video using my phone, so installed the app on an iPad)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj_UNQo-DVI" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj_UNQo-DVI</a>

I found this works best when using a vented pommel, and my iPad / phone connected when near the hilt (up to about 30cm), the Bluetooth did still connect with a solid pommel but it was intermittent . . . This Apprentice hilt has a momentary av switch with m/l converter, 7.4v Li-Ion & BuckPuck . . . I’ve been playing with this for a few weeks now and there’s been no problems with it, but I’m still experimenting with this . . .

So for around $22 off eBay, a little soldering and an US RGBW LED module I can select any colour from the app via Bluetooth to change up the blade colour . . . This app version doesn’t have preset colours, so you have to slide the wheel to change, but It’s a lot of fun so far 

I’m not sure if any other Bluetooth LED light globes will work like this, but so far the board from this particular model is working great . . . . cheers 

[Obese Wan Kenobese]

This is awesome!

[BurceChuat]

That is AWESOME! And as always, your blade colors are always so pretty-looking.

How does the brightness compare to regular US LEDs?

[Seano]

As they say in the UK, that's the dog's bollocks (meaning excellent - the absolute apex!)
Your brain must run at 100 km's per hour, with all these different ideas you have!

[GQtattooed]

My mind=Blown! Great work!

[Goose2944]

This looks awesome! Gotta love it when a moment of 'I wonder' pays off.

Question for you, what is the name of those white Quick-disconnects for the wire? I recognize the red JSTs but the white ones I'm not familiar with, I like how compact they are.

[ExoticKazama]

Dood. This is amazing.

[Bulvoy]

Mad scientist Clever !  Very intriguing. Nothing better than seeing an idea evolve and become reality. +1 for ya's both

[Darth Justicar]

WOW.  You should approach US with this.  No idea what they'd say but this was one of my suggestions for new features too.  Amazing that you guys were able to make it a reality!

[Kouri]

Curuous how a LumiLeds Luxeon Hue bulb would do -  though I imagine its board would be optimized for a RedOrange/Lime/RoyalBlue star. Good fortune landing on an RGBW bulb.

[Tsubasa]

I just bought a light alot like this that has a built in speaker. Ive thought about doing this as well, and im glad to see it funtions well. If I end up doing it ill reply and post my own.

[GregG124]

Wow. I sense a summer project coming.

[JediXIX]

Thank you everyone . . .  

How does the brightness compare to regular US LEDs?

I'm using US Li-Ion 7.4v / BuckPuck as power source and an US RGBW LED module, and the brightness is pretty much the same as US blade colours . . . This Bluetooth driver board is just in between, mixing the colours . . .

Question for you, what is the name of those white Quick-disconnects for the wire? I recognize the red JSTs but the white ones I'm not familiar with, I like how compact they are.

They are white Micro JST 1.25 connectors used in RC Hobby . . . I buy them thru eBay (http://r.ebay.com/KKy7IS), and they come pre wired with 28AWG wire, and available in 2, 3 & 4 pins . . . They're working great for my projects, and I like how compact they are too . . .

Curuous how a LumiLeds Luxeon Hue bulb would do -  though I imagine its board would be optimized for a RedOrange/Lime/RoyalBlue star. Good fortune landing on an RGBW bulb.

I just bought a light alot like this that has a built in speaker. Ive thought about doing this as well, and im glad to see it funtions well. If I end up doing it ill reply and post my own.

I have no idea if any other Bluetooth LED light globes would work, I only ordered this one because of that pic showing the Bluetooth module attached to the LED plate separate to the other electronics that I assumed handled the 110/240 voltage . . . Fluked it big time, I was actually shocked that this experiment worked during each test, lol, but its working great . . . I have ordered another cheaper LED globe so when that comes in I'll share what I find inside, lol . . .

WOW.  You should approach US with this.  No idea what they'd say but this was one of my suggestions for new features too.  Amazing that you guys were able to make it a reality!

When I first got this working, my mind was racing and dreaming of what could be . . . Part of this experiment was just to see if a Bluetooth signal could work, when, as Lord C pointed out, the aluminium hilt could be acting as a "Faraday cage" to block a Bluetooth signal . . . So far, this is working best with a vented pommel and the antenna wire close to the vents . . . When I put a solid pommel on, the connection was not consistent . . .

But yes DJ, my mind was racing on what would be the perfect in-hilt setup . . . Many have imagined just that . . . A small component to handle colour LED mixing and sound with a wireless connection to make changes on a smartphone etc . . . would be very cool  


This is a lot of fun, but a bit quirky . . . It saves the last colour selected, but when turned on quickly flashes white, then a pale version of the selected colour, then settles on the colour . . . You can only select colours on the wheel, and this app has no preset colours (that would be great) . . . the primary colours of red, blue & green are a little fiddly to get right because the wheel is sensitive and wants to mix to the next colour, but not too hard . . . and it's also funny, has a party mode (all colours flashing), alert mode (red & blue flashing), even a candle mode, hehe . . .

This has nothing on the AWESOMENESS of an Emerald driver, no pulse mode, no FoC, no fine colour mixing, etc, and I have no idea how this would stand up with heavy duelling . . . but it is fun . . . and someday perhaps US could have a board that had Emerald, Obsidian & Bluetooth . . . . that would be very very cool . . .  

Wow. I sense a summer project coming.

I'm more than happy to share anything I've learnt with this experiment . . . just let me know . . .  cheers  

[Bulvoy]

This is a lot of fun, but a bit quirky . . . It saves the last colour selected, but when turned on quickly flashes white, then a pale version of the selected colour, then settles on the colour . . . You can only select colours on the wheel, and this app has no preset colours (that would be great) . . . the primary colours of red, blue & green are a little fiddly to get right because the wheel is sensitive and wants to mix to the next colour, but not too hard . . . and it's also funny, has a party mode (all colours flashing), alert mode (red & blue flashing), even a candle mode, hehe . . .

This has nothing on the AWESOMENESS of an Emerald driver, no pulse mode, no FoC, no fine colour mixing, etc, and I have no idea how this would stand up with heavy duelling . . . but it is fun . . . and someday perhaps US could have a board that had Emerald, Obsidian & Bluetooth . . . . that would be very very cool . . .  

I'm more than happy to share anything I've learnt with this experiment . . . just let me know . . .  cheers  

It doesn't matter what it " can't " currently do this this is a Huge Leap to me, This is exactly how all prototypes  of anything start out. You got my respect on tthis. Ya Never know , with more readily resources at hand might be something of the future if it can maintain a cost effectiveness, and stand up to dueling. + a few , but its Lord Canterbury's turn 

[Lord Canterbury]

but its Lord Canterbury's turn 

Ha - I'm busy with family stuff, Bulvoy, but if you send me a prototype for a "greeblie" antenna to mount on the outside I'll get right on it!