LattePanda LED Matrix Enclosure
Mukesh Sankhla's PixelPanda uses a Wemos D1 mini and 144 addressable LEDs as a luminescent case for the micro x86 compute module.
The newly released LattePanda Mu is a small but powerful x86 compute module, with impressive capabilities including an Intel N100 processor and 8GB of RAM. Perhaps inspired by these specs, creator Mukesh Sankhla decided to make a case befitting such a module with 144 addressable LEDs shining out of its top.
More information on the aptly named PixelPanda can be seen in the video below. The enclosure was designed in two pieces using Fusion 360 and printed mostly in matte black PLA. Cleverly, the lid was printed in two colors: white PLA forms a printed diffuser on top, while the black portion includes a grid to keep the light from bleeding from pixel to pixel.
The LED matrix can be made using strips attached side by side, or Sankhla also designed an all-in-one lighting assembly in EasyEDA as an alternative. The matrix is controlled by a Wemos D1 mini board running WLED firmware, which connects directly to the input/power/ground pins of the matrix. Power and ground are supplied via the LattePanda carrier board, but it is not otherwise involved in LED control.
While the enclosure is largely separate from the LattePanda electronics-wise, it does feature an external power button to keep users from having to open it up for activation. One could, however, see the LattePanda interacting with the Wemos device via Wi-Fi to set colors/patterns using its web interface.
Of course, if the LattePanda isn’t your cup of… latte, Sankhla's PixelPanda could serve as great inspiration for other luminescent computing device enclosures! Project files are available here.