LED Cube 3x3x3 - Velleman MK193

I was interested in the colorful LED cubes and bought a kit in the Far East. Unfortunately, this came with no instructions and so I put this kit aside and looked around: at Velleman I became aware of the mini-kit MK193. 3 times as expensive as the Far East, but I wanted to look at the method of construction. So today I can share my experience with you here:

What is included in the mini-kit?

It comes in a plastic box and contains multilingual information on the back.

On the back is an OCR code, which links to the Velleman project page. Here are 2 videos offered, hosted on Youtube: one for the assembly of the LEDs and another rather as a product concept.

Preparation

In the run-up to the purchase, I had watched the videos and had set myself to 30 minutes: in the end it has been 3 hours. The precise bending of the LEDs and their alignment has taken me longer. A pair of needle nose pliers is highly recommended. To solder the 3 individual levels together, I asked a family member to assist. In itself a well suited for beginners soldering project, but at some point I ran out of patience.

At the beginning I have put the items on the illustrated flyer to check the completeness. Moreover, on the flyer the quantities and the PCB positions are indicated as safety. A polarity hint of individual components is also to be found! Exemplary!

It started with the functional test of the LEDs with an (additional) 3V button cell. Are the (at least) 27 functional?

Even an additional page outlined the sequence of the individual steps of the bending and soldering process.

As further assistance, the manufacturer has selected the hole of the PCB so that the LEDs can be inserted therein to have a uniform spacing.

According to the masses, the usual 3 mm LEDs were used. The kit came in my case monochrome with red LEDs. Other desired colors are available as an alternative.

The picture shows the WRONG orientation of the PINs. Check the text on the silk: "On final assembly this side faces down!". The long PINs will connect with the second PCB. I soldered it out and again on the other side.

Execution

At some point, the LEDs were all bent, soldered in the correct order, and the three floors were on one of the PCBs.

Test it!

Operation is possible with a 9V block battery as well as with a USB cable via Powerbank / PC.

Some simulation modes are selectable via a button and run continuously.

With a little practice, I would also build a little square succeeded: there are now more kits with 5x5x5 and 8x8x8 LEDs available. The "kink-method" I have successfully acquired and a drilling template for the kits from the Far East could also be made. Community, we are prepared.

Outlook

Not tested, but a nice feature should not go unmentioned:

You can create and upload your own light simulation with software offered for download. There's nothing standing in the way of your own creativity.

You will find also Manuals, Driver, Cube Animator 1.4 for Windows and Datasheets.

My wish would still have an optional, transparent housing, so it is protected from all possible influences (the cat, the fall of the sideboard,...).

Also on the PCB "SK3" is not in use. What the hell...