Quad-strip zig-zag blade

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with lots of LEDs

In most lightsaber blades, the two data lines are hooked up in parallel. In a zig-zag blade, the strips are hooked up in series. This makes each individual LED controllable, at the expense of frame rate. In a quad-blade, there are four strips, so the data goes up one strip, down another, up a third one and then down the fourth. In my quad-strip zig-zag blade there is a total of 529 LEDs.

What you will need:

Foam diffuser
Trans white polycarbonate tube
pixel blade tip
6x6mm wooden dowel
2 x 2 meters of 7mm wide sk6812, 144 leds/m strips
blade PCB
blade PCB holder

Assembly

Assembly is pretty straightforward. Prime the dowel and let it dry. Now figure out which led is doing to go on the top of the dowel and start gluing there. Make sure to align one side of the strip is aligned with the edge of the dowel, and when you go down the other side, you align the other side to the edge of the dowel. Then you do the same with the other strip, but on the other two sides. Now trim the strips, and solder wires to the pads. The data out of one of the strips should go to data in on the other. The other data in should come from the data pad on the blade PCB. All the + and - pads should attach to + and - pads on the blade PCB.

Once the guts of the blade is assembled, you go use this video from TCSS which shows you how to assemble the blade and foam. Note that if you're using my blade PCB connector from above, you'll need to make notches in the side of the blade for it.

Problems? Questions? Suggestions? Check out The Crucible.

This page has been accessed 3,979 times since September 21st, 2020.
Last modified: March 29th, 2021 - Design by Monica & Fredrik Hübinette