Step 1: Gather the Material
Step 2:Digitally Creating Mandala Design (Optional
Step 3: Drawing out the grid & making the mandala
Step 4: Solder them together
Step 5: Making the connections with the controller
Step 6: Let's code it
#define PIN 4
// NEO_KHZ400 400 KHz (classic 'v1' (not v2) FLORA pixels, WS2811 drivers
Step 8: Enjoy

Published December 6, 2020 © LGPL

Christmas LED Mandala Installation

Arduino based huge LED Mandala setup for your Christmas lights installation. Numerous Patterns, Audioreactive & much more.

IntermediateFull instructions provided8 hours3,022

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Arduino Mega 2560

AC 100-240V to DC Led Strip SMPS 600W Switching Power Supply 12 V 50A

12v ws2811 3 led RGB light module

Hook Up Wire Kit, 18 AWG

Software apps and online services

Arduino IDE

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Tape, Velcro® Stick On Tape/Strip

Black PVC Flex sheet

Soldering iron (generic)

Wire Stripper & Cutter, 18-10 AWG / 0.75-4mm² Capacity Wires

Story

This LED Mandala was a part of the Light Show. This Mandala was an Audioreactive installation made on 10ft x 10ft scale. The Mandala can serve as a dancing stage/ A static interactive installation & also a Christmas / Diwali Light setup.

Step 1: Gather the Material

Material List: You will need all the items mentioned below, in order to make this mandala. You might try some alternatives of Non-Electrical components as per your convenience.

1 / 8

Black PVC Flex Sheet (10ft x 10ft)
Chalk (For drawing)
Velcro tape half inches wide ( 50 m )
12 Volt WS2811 Addressable LED modules ( 500 modules )
18 AWG electrically insulated wire ( 20 m )
Arduino Mega Board ( 1 board with programming cable )
Jumper Cables ( 10 of each type )

Step 2:Digitally Creating Mandala Design (Optional)

1 / 2 • Mandala Design Created on Adobe Illustrator

In this step, we will create a digital design of our mandala. You can choose any software of your choice. I have selected Adobe Illustrator for my design.

We need to create one grid for our PVC flex which will guide us to scale the design from a small image to 10ft x 10ft size.
Once the Grid is completed, we can start designing your mandala art on software. The design is totally subjective & you can choose any design based on your preferences. Note: Try to make/choose a design with fewer curves so that the LEDs will be placed easily.
Once the design is complete you can take out a print & move to the next step.

Step 3: Drawing out the grid & making the mandala

1 / 3 • Marking the Grid lines with Chalk

In this step, you have to get your flex rolled out & use some muscle power :p You have to draw out a grid of step size of 1ft by 1ft. Cover the sheet in a grid design first & then start drawing out the Mandala art.
Once the Drawing is complete, start taping the Velcro on lines. Use the Female side of Velcro tape on Flex Sheet so it won't hurt you when you walk over them.
Next step is to stick LED Modules on Velcro Tape. The LED modules usually come into a group of 20 modules in one pack. You can start cutting out pieces of Velcro Male side & stick it on the backside of the LED module.
Once all the LED modules are done with Velcro Tape. You can start sticking them on to the Mandala drawing.

Note: The Thanos figure you see in the middle, we actually made it sing some songs. We will also create one project on it. Do follow us for more such projects.

Step 4: Solder them together!

1 / 3 • Soldering the wires & making the rings complete

Now it's time to join all the LED modules, Strips to make their shape complete. There is a total of 4 outer ring shapes. You can join their Ground/Negative wires together & Positive/VCC wires together. Don't short Positive & Negative together. Note: Use 18 AWG wire to make the connections for positive & negative voltages.

There are total Four rings of LED modules, Let's name them 1, 2, 3 & 4 going from outward ring to inward ring.

Now you have to connect the Data Out of last led module in ring 1 with the Data In of first led module in ring 2 & so on.

So the connection would be in series for data lines :

Ring 1 Last LED Data Out >> Ring 2 First LED Data In
Ring 2 Last LED Data Out >> Ring 3 First LED Data In
Ring 3 Last LED Data Out >> Ring 4 First LED Data In

Step 5: Making the connections with the controller

Note: The circuit image shown here is just a reference of connections. The LED rings used in this image is Neopixel rings which are not suitable for this project. However, you can take the reference to connections.

Connecting the positive & negative wires to SMPS. Connect the Positive/VCC wire on V+ terminal & Negative/Ground wire on V- terminal.
Connect the Input power supply of SMPS (Live, Neutral & Ground) to the AC power outlet in your home.
Connecting Arduino pin 4 with Data In of LED Module Ring 1.
A Ground connection is common between Arduino & LED modules/Power Supply.
You can connect the Data ln of LED Module Ring 1 to digital pins of Arduino. You can select any digital pin & make changes accordingly in the code.

Step 6: Let's code it

https://www.tweaking4all.com/hardware/arduino/arduino-ws2812-led/

The code I generally prefer to test my setup is attached to this step. You can make changes to a few lines according to your setup.

The number of Pixel Modules :

Adafruit_NeoPixel strip = Adafruit_NeoPixel(250, PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800); Here in this line I have written number 250. That represents the number of LED modules used. You can change this number according to your setup.

Pin Number: You can change the number based on your pin selection. I have selected digital pin 4.

#define PIN 4

// Parameter 1 = number of pixels in strip

// Parameter 2 = pin number (most are valid)

// Parameter 3 = pixel type flags, add together as needed:

// NEO_KHZ800 800 KHz bitstream (most NeoPixel products w/WS2812 LEDs)

// NEO_KHZ400 400 KHz (classic 'v1' (not v2) FLORA pixels, WS2811 drivers)

// NEO_GRB Pixels are wired for GRB bitstream (most NeoPixel products)

// NEO_RGB Pixels are wired for RGB bitstream (v1 FLORA pixels, not v2)

Adafruit_NeoPixel strip = Adafruit_NeoPixel(250, PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);

If your patterns are getting messed up, Just change NEO_KHZ400 in place of NEO_KHZ800.

If your colours are getting messed up, Just change NEO_RGB in place of NEO_GRB.

It's time to upload the code & enjoy your mandala. Share, Like & follow if you like this project.

Step 8: Enjoy!

Run the code & Enjoy the cool light effects.

Code

Arduino Code

#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>

#define PIN 4

// Parameter 1 = number of pixels in strip
// Parameter 2 = pin number (most are valid)
// Parameter 3 = pixel type flags, add together as needed:
//   NEO_KHZ800  800 KHz bitstream (most NeoPixel products w/WS2812 LEDs)
//   NEO_KHZ400  400 KHz (classic 'v1' (not v2) FLORA pixels, WS2811 drivers)
//   NEO_GRB     Pixels are wired for GRB bitstream (most NeoPixel products)
//   NEO_RGB     Pixels are wired for RGB bitstream (v1 FLORA pixels, not v2)
Adafruit_NeoPixel strip = Adafruit_NeoPixel(250, PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);

void setup() {
  strip.begin();
  strip.show(); // Initialize all pixels to 'off'
}

void loop() {
  // Some example procedures showing how to display to the pixels:
  colorWipe(strip.Color(255, 0, 0), 50); // Red
  colorWipe(strip.Color(0, 255, 0), 50); // Green
  colorWipe(strip.Color(0, 0, 255), 50); // Blue

  // Send a theater pixel chase in...
  theaterChase(strip.Color(127, 127, 127), 50); // White
  theaterChase(strip.Color(127,   0,   0), 50); // Red
  theaterChase(strip.Color(  0,   0, 127), 50); // Blue

  rainbow(20);
  rainbowCycle(20);
  theaterChaseRainbow(50);
}

// Fill the dots one after the other with a color
void colorWipe(uint32_t c, uint8_t wait) {
  for(uint16_t i=0; i<strip.numPixels(); i++) {
      strip.setPixelColor(i, c);
      strip.show();
      delay(wait);
  }
}

void rainbow(uint8_t wait) {
  uint16_t i, j;

  for(j=0; j<256; j++) {
    for(i=0; i<strip.numPixels(); i++) {
      strip.setPixelColor(i, Wheel((i+j) & 255));
    }
    strip.show();
    delay(wait);
  }
}

// Slightly different, this makes the rainbow equally distributed throughout
void rainbowCycle(uint8_t wait) {
  uint16_t i, j;

  for(j=0; j<256*5; j++) { // 5 cycles of all colors on wheel
    for(i=0; i< strip.numPixels(); i++) {
      strip.setPixelColor(i, Wheel(((i * 256 / strip.numPixels()) + j) & 255));
    }
    strip.show();
    delay(wait);
  }
}

//Theatre-style crawling lights.
void theaterChase(uint32_t c, uint8_t wait) {
  for (int j=0; j<10; j++) {  //do 10 cycles of chasing
    for (int q=0; q < 3; q++) {
      for (int i=0; i < strip.numPixels(); i=i+3) {
        strip.setPixelColor(i+q, c);    //turn every third pixel on
      }
      strip.show();

      delay(wait);

      for (int i=0; i < strip.numPixels(); i=i+3) {
        strip.setPixelColor(i+q, 0);        //turn every third pixel off
      }
    }
  }
}

//Theatre-style crawling lights with rainbow effect
void theaterChaseRainbow(uint8_t wait) {
  for (int j=0; j < 256; j++) {     // cycle all 256 colors in the wheel
    for (int q=0; q < 3; q++) {
        for (int i=0; i < strip.numPixels(); i=i+3) {
          strip.setPixelColor(i+q, Wheel( (i+j) % 255));    //turn every third pixel on
        }
        strip.show();

        delay(wait);

        for (int i=0; i < strip.numPixels(); i=i+3) {
          strip.setPixelColor(i+q, 0);        //turn every third pixel off
        }
    }
  }
}

// Input a value 0 to 255 to get a color value.
// The colours are a transition r - g - b - back to r.
uint32_t Wheel(byte WheelPos) {
  if(WheelPos < 85) {
   return strip.Color(WheelPos * 3, 255 - WheelPos * 3, 0);
  } else if(WheelPos < 170) {
   WheelPos -= 85;
   return strip.Color(255 - WheelPos * 3, 0, WheelPos * 3);
  } else {
   WheelPos -= 170;
   return strip.Color(0, WheelPos * 3, 255 - WheelPos * 3);
  }
}

Credits

Random Stuff We Make!

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Christmas LED Mandala Installation