In this article, I will discuss how to write custom patterns for your snowflake decoration. This is a rather advanced topic, and there are a number of prerequisites that are required and listed below. Nevertheless, it is rewarding to you see your very own pattern displayed on the decoration. You must solder a 5-pin programming…
Tag: snow-flake
Programming the Snowflake Decoration
In this brief article, I will discuss the requirements to flash a custom firmware to your Pimoroni snowflake decoration. I assume you have some programming knowledge and have previously worked with an Arduino Uno or Adafruit Feather. Required Hardware For the Pimoroni version:5 pin programming header. One for each snowflake. SWD programmer. Jumper cables or adapter…
How to Wire the Snowflake Decoration
If you own an original snowflake kit or produced boards from the sources, you have to wire them by yourself. The pre-assembled kit from Pimoroni comes with some nice flex-cables, but you may want to replace them with more decorative ones. Here I explain how to create a custom wiring for your snowflake decoration. Layout…
Snowflake Configuration
In version 1.2 of the snowflake firmware, I added a configuration mode, using a button attached to the data in of the first element. The States The attached button can issue two actions: a short press and a long press. A short press is anything from 50ms to approximate two seconds, and a long press…
Recreating the Human Perception of the Snowflake Sparkling Effect
The sparkling lights on the real snowflake decoration are stunning and beautiful. Yet, it seems to be impossible to capture the effect with a video. After some experiments, I created a new video with a simple effect applied. It does not resemble the tiny, spiky and beautiful corona around the lights you see with your…
Snowflake Project Videos
From the beginning of the snowflake project, I tried to create photos or videos which capture the actual beauty of the decoration. Here are the two more recent videos I created: Differences to the Real Impression I am not happy with the videos and photos so far, because the effect looks dull and flat compared…
Snowflake Decoration Available on the Pimoroni Store
We have some great news about my Snowflake Decoration: Starting today, you can buy an assembled version of the project from Pimoroni that can be shipped worldwide. Pimoroni did an excellent job on this project. No soldering is required at all, meaning this is the user-friendliest version of the project ever released! The project comes…
Snowflake Project Documentation
I wrote a short page about the snowflake project from the end of 2017. On the page, you will find a summary of the project and the link to the repository with all the required files. Everything is open-source, including the design files for the hardware and a base version of the firmware for the…
Snowflake Power Converter
I designed a very simple power converter for the snow flake decoration. The snow flake boards require 3.3V, a voltage which is not commonly available in a household. Therefore the power converter takes 5V USB power and convert it into the required 3.3V. There is no fancy circuit inside of this box, lazily I simple…
Snowflake Component Side
Today I show you a little bit longer video about the assembly of the component side of the snowflake panel. Compared with the very small 0402 LEDs (1mm x 0.5mm) on the front side, the component side contains just regular 0805 resistors and capacitors. The first part of the video shows how I apply the…