Hobby Components 4x4x4 64 LED cube kit (HCKITS0041 to 44)

Hobby Component self build kits
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admin
Site Admin
Posts: 866
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:02 pm

Hobby Components 4x4x4 64 LED cube kit (HCKITS0041 to 44)

Post by admin » Wed Jun 24, 2015 3:00 pm

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LED light cubes are a hugely popular and fun project and with this kit you will have all the parts to build your very own. Building on the popular 8x8x8 cube kit (HCKITS0022), we decided to create an easy to build through-hole version for those of you who are better suited to this kind of soldering. The kit includes all the components necessary to build the Arduino compatible driver base board and 64 3mm LEDS to build a 4 x 4 x 4 cube.


The kit is available with 4 different LED colour versions:

64 x 3mm BLUE LEDs (HCKITS0041)
64 x 3mm GREEN LEDs (HCKITS0042)
64 x 3mm RED LEDs (HCKITS0043)
64 x 3mm WHITE LEDs (HCKITS0044)



Demonstration Video


The kit also comes preloaded with several demo patterns so once constructed simply connect the cable and your cube will immediately jump into life. But the fun doesn't have to stop there. If you like to tinker the kit is compatible with the Arduino development environment and we have also created an Arduino library which is available for download from the software section of our support forum. This library makes it as easy as possible to create your own LED cube sketches and add your own patterns.



What you get in the kit:

4x4x4 Cube PCB
64 x LEDs (kits available in blue, red, white)
16 x 100ohm Resistors
4 x 220ohm Resistors
1 x 10K Resistor
1 x Tact Switch
4 x White 5mm LEDs
3 x 100nF Capacitors
2x 20pF Capacitors
1x ATMega328 IC
1x 16MHz Crystal
1x ULN2003 IC

Plus: A USB to serial interface cable that can be used to power and reprogram the completed cube.


Please note that some familiarity in soldering is recommended to construct this kit. A soldering iron, solder and some tools will also be required.


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Build Guide
A full build guide is available on our blog here.



Customer contributions:

For customers with access to a 3D printer user SpoonUnit has very kindly created a jig for accurately bending the legs of the LEDs to create the cube. This can be found on thingiverse here:


https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3612602


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FAQ:

How to I reprogram the cube?

To reprogram the cube you will need to have a copy of, and be familiar with the Arduino IDE which is available for free download via arduino.cc:

https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software

Connect the cube to your computer via the supplied serial cable as follows:

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An Arduino library and example sketches are available for download via the software section of this forum here: http://forum.hobbycomponents.com/viewto ... =58&t=1860

When programming the cube via the Arduino IDE select "Arduino Nano" as the board type. If using the supplied serial cable you will also need to manually reset the cube when the sketch is uploaded. To do this reset the cube via its reset button as soon as the Arduino IDE finishes compiling your sketch and reports that it is "Uploading" it to the cube.


WINDOWS 8/VISTA/10 USERS:

The latest Prolific of the drivers for the supplied cable breaks compatibility with newer version of windows. If you have problems getting the driver to work please see the forum post for this cable for a solution.

http://forum.hobbycomponents.com/viewto ... =79&t=1815

ILYBTodd
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2018 6:20 pm

Re: Hobby Components 4x4x4 64 LED cube kit (HCKITS0041 to 44)

Post by ILYBTodd » Sat Jan 26, 2019 1:24 pm

The build was simple and straightforward. The green LEDs are beautiful. The preloaded sketch worked fine.

I had some challenges getting to the point where I could reprogram a sketch myself. Something to do with the Prolific USB to TTL Serial chip in the supplied cable I'm guessing. Never quite figured it out. It works fine on my 8x8x8 cube. So who knows?

I ended up using an FTDI breakout board and took advantage of having a reset line so I didn't have to time pushing the button and was able to change the sketch successfully. :-)

Andrew was fantastic support through the whole process and deserves a raise. Thanks a million times Andrew!
I'll definitely be buying more from HC in the future.

ILYBTodd
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2018 6:20 pm

Re: Hobby Components 4x4x4 64 LED cube kit (HCKITS0041 to 44)

Post by ILYBTodd » Wed Feb 10, 2021 2:09 am

So, just finished my second 4x4x4 board build. LEDs soon to come.

Added a .125" spacer between the base LEDs and the board made from the outer white jacket off some hook up wire so the LEDs didn't sit on the tips of the pins. Helped to keep them even and dressed them up a little.

Can't wait to finish this one. It's red. Now I have Red and Green 4x4x4's and blue 8x8x8 all keeping my wife completely entertained. :-)
Also tried a new spacer idea that worked pretty good at keeping the leads from touching while soldering. I have to work on my soldering skills but you get the idea.
4x4x4 spacer popcicle.jpg
The below is a variation of the bend pattern that if feasible should be helpful for use on the left most column of LEDs. The offset bend may provide the needed clearance and assist in step 5 of the build instructions if performed before soldering into the 4x4 grid. I'm going to test and see if it works with the extra LEDs provided.
WP_20210211_010.jpg
ps.

It worked perfectly as far as the construction goes. Soldered up just fiine without having to bend the soldered joints or cut and patch in wires to connect across the grids.

Now it's time to trouble shoot the whole thing and see how it works.
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stewartmilby
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2021 8:58 pm

Re: Hobby Components 4x4x4 64 LED cube kit (HCKITS0041 to 44)

Post by stewartmilby » Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:40 pm

Just finished my first board and for a first attempt at any soldering project I was well pleased with the results. Second night was fun times with programming it. Not sure how forum formatting will sit with this but here's my first custom Light pattern, tis just a spiral fill/spiral empty sequence, using the provided SpiralLayers pattern as a base (I basically just kept the layers lit once the spiral had completed that layer, then reversed for the empty).

To use:
Add the second code block to your HC4x4x4_Cube_Patterns.h file between the "#define HC4x4x4_Cube_Patterns_h" and "endif" lines. Use the first code block in the script running on the Cube (feel free to vary the speed, I find they work best slightly faster than default on single play, I usually have a few iterations of the pair to give it a nice pulsing feel).

--

Code: Select all

  CubePlayPattern(SpiralFillLayers, 50, 1);
  CubePlayPattern(SpiralEmptyLayers, 50, 1);
--

Code: Select all

const PROGMEM unsigned int aSpiralFillLayers[][4] = {{0x0040, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0060, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0260, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0660, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0E60, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0EE0, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0EE8, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0EEC, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0EEE, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0EEF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0EFF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x1FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x3FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x7FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0040, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0060, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0260, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0660, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0E60, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0EE0, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0EE8, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0EEC, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0EEE, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0EEF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0EFF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x1FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x3FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x7FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0040, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0060, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0260, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0660, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0E60, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EE0, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EE8, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EEC, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EEE, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EEF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EFF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0FFF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x1FFF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x3FFF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x7FFF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0040},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0060},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0260},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0660},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0E60},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EE0},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EE8},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EEC},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EEE},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EEF},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EFF},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0FFF},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x1FFF},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x3FFF},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x7FFF},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF}};	

const _Pattern_info SpiralFillLayers = {64,aSpiralFillLayers[0]};


const PROGMEM unsigned int aSpiralEmptyLayers[] [4] = {{0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF},
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x7FFF},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x3FFF},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x1FFF},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0FFF},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EFF},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EEF},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EEE},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EEC},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EE8},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EE0},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0E60},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0660},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0260},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0060},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0040},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x7FFF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x3FFF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x1FFF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0FFF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EFF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EEF, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EEE, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EEC, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EE8, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0EE0, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0E60, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0660, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0260, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0060, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0040, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x7FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x3FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x1FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0EFF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0EEF, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0EEE, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0EEC, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0EE8, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0EE0, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0E60, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0660, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0260, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0060, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0040, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0xFFFF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x7FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x3FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x1FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0FFF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0EFF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0EEF, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0EEE, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0EEC, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0EE8, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0EE0, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0E60, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0660, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0260, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0060, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000},		
												 {0x0040, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000}};
											
const _Pattern_info SpiralEmptyLayers = {64,aSpiralEmptyLayers[0]};
--

andrew
Site Admin
Posts: 1374
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:15 pm

Re: Hobby Components 4x4x4 64 LED cube kit (HCKITS0041 to 44)

Post by andrew » Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:19 am

Just given it a try and looks great. If you like I can include it into the library and credit you in the comments.
Comments made by this poster do not necessarily reflect the views of Hobby Components Ltd.

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