My first Mega Tree. - GAtesz

GAtesz

New elf
Joined
Sep 16, 2020
Messages
10
Welcome everyone!
I'm Attila from Hungary.
I’ve been planning for 5-6 years to build a Mega-Tree. I will finally have a chance at it this year. I plan to have 20 strings and 75 pixels per string. That would be 1,500 pixels. (I know not too mega, but this will be the first) I have already bought the LED strips. 10pcs 5m WS2815 30LED / m IP67. I tried them one by one with Arduino, they work well.
I'm in trouble with the controller. It is difficult to get something like this here in Europe. The Holidaycoro website, for example, cannot be opened in my country. The Falcon 16v3 controller is very popular, but it is not shipped to Europe. And what I could order is quite expensive and the shipping cost is also high. So I decided to do the controller for it. I found a description that I might be able to build.
Link: https://www.hackster.io/jasonspiva/esp8266-e1-31-multiplexing-pixel-controller-002072
But with that, I can only drive 1360 pixels. Either I have to reach with less than 1500 pixels or I need to find a more knowledgeable controller. Can anyone give an idea or advice?
Thanks. Hi, Attila
 

LawrenceDriveLights

Senior elf
Joined
Jan 16, 2018
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581

GAtesz

New elf
Joined
Sep 16, 2020
Messages
10
Thank you. But £222.98 the price with shipping. It's too much for me. Maybe next year, if there are more pixels, I'll buy a Falcon. I will stay with the control build. I hope I succeed.
 

GAtesz

New elf
Joined
Sep 16, 2020
Messages
10
Yes, that's what I thought. I've already built a controller, it works, but it's not perfect yet.
 

Baldwin

New elf
Joined
Nov 17, 2020
Messages
2
You can use 2 esp8266 controllers, just use one for each half.
Hi marmalade. I am new to all of this. I would be very interested in building a tree using only 2 ESP8266 controllers. I plan to just run 16 strings of 50 pixels. I currently have a 3-pack of this controller. since there would be a total of 800 pixels, would I have to link 400 together for each Controller? I think I can figure out how to develop the light show, but I am lost at how to run the lights. I will be using holidaycoro pixel mounting strips. Would be very grateful to know how to setup and what the best approach would be. Thanks for your time.
 

marmalade

cats & pixels
Joined
Dec 1, 2015
Messages
284
Location
newcastle
You could actually run the whole 800 pixel tree from one ESP at a reduced framerate. Try it first and see if you are happy with how it looks.

Otherwise, split it in two.

For xlights... I've had most success using unicast and assigning each ESP device it's own IP address, and I believe most would be doing it this way. In xlights just do the tree as 8 strings of 100 zigzagged, and split the channels for it across the 2 IP's. Happy to post up an xlights file for this arrangement if you are just beginning.
 

GAtesz

New elf
Joined
Sep 16, 2020
Messages
10
Hi marmalade. I am new to all of this. I would be very interested in building a tree using only 2 ESP8266 controllers. I plan to just run 16 strings of 50 pixels. I currently have a 3-pack of this controller. since there would be a total of 800 pixels, would I have to link 400 together for each Controller? I think I can figure out how to develop the light show, but I am lost at how to run the lights. I will be using holidaycoro pixel mounting strips. Would be very grateful to know how to setup and what the best approach would be. Thanks for your time.

647/5000



Hi! 2 pieces control the tree. 1 piece of star on top. (not ready yet) The wood consists of 20 strands. A thread is 75 pixels. Two threads are tied in a row. Thus 150 pixels. I use 5 outputs on each controller. 5x150 pixels is one half of the tree. and once again this other half of the tree. For some unknown reason, all 8 outputs do not work reliably at the same time. You can read my conversation with the author at the bottom of the article.
I built this controller: https://www.hackster.io/jasonspiva/esp8266-e1-31-multiplexing-pixel-controller-002072
Unicast setting with unique IP addresses. xLight software. Falcon Player with raspberry Pi3 drive. So far, everything is working fine.
 

Adam V

Apprentice elf
Joined
Nov 28, 2017
Messages
85
Looks great! This is my first year also, my tree only has 860 pixels /180 degree but already planning twice as big next year haha
 

mr;amoyse

New elf
Joined
Dec 14, 2021
Messages
1
Hi marmalade. I am new to all of this. I would be very interested in building a tree using only 2 ESP8266 controllers. I plan to just run 16 strings of 50 pixels. I currently have a 3-pack of this controller. since there would be a total of 800 pixels, would I have to link 400 together for each Controller? I think I can figure out how to develop the light show, but I am lost at how to run the lights. I will be using holidaycoro pixel mounting strips. Would be very grateful to know how to setup and what the best approach would be. Thanks for your time.
Any luck last year getting yours together?
 
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