Learn how to design your own LED project, from the first ideas, to making a PCB design - and beyond.

1. How to design &
build an LED project
From idea to KiCad & beyond

2. marco@
git.
events.
glowingkitty.com
glowingkitty.com
glowingkitty.com

3. glowingkitty

4. glowingkitty

5. How I got into LEDs
hackspaces
&
Burning Man
2016
2018

6. Getting more professional
has been a long process
2019 2020 2021 2022

7. Getting more professional
has been a long process
lot of failure
lot of successe
lot of frustratio
lot of joy

8. Sharing is caring
my recommended development proces
incl. key learnings I made
My topics today:

9. Spoiler alert
Learning something new means you also
gonna do mistakes. That’s normal.

10. Spoiler alert
Learning something new means you also
gonna do mistakes. That’s normal.
But more important:
IT’S FUN!

11. Good news:
You are not the first one!
So you don’t need to reinvent the wheel

12. My development process,
for building LED projects
Simplified, in a few steps:
That involves custom PCB designs
(Don’t , it’s easier than you think!)

13. Define your project
requirements
Step 1:

14. write them down, maybe even make sketche
you can’t have it all
think about use case
ask other people
(prioritize core features
Define your project requirements

15. Make use of AI:
Ask ChatGPT
openai.com/blog/chatgpt
Define your project requirements

16. Make use of AI:
Ask ChatGPT
openai.com/blog/chatgpt
But always remember:
AI will never be 100% right.
Define your project requirements

17. Make use of AI:
Use Midjourney for
inspiration
midjourney.com
Define your project requirements
“RGB LED lamps with beautiful diffuser”:

18. Plan the diffuser & case
Step 2:

19. Diffuser:
Plan the diffuser & case
acrylic 3D print (FDM/SLA) epoxy resin & more
silicon
cotto
fabri
hot glue

20. Case:
Plan the diffuser & case
lasercut:
wood/acrylic
3D printed:
FDM/SLA
CNC milled:
wood/aluminum ... & more

21. Plan the diffuser & case
More inspiration?
Check out hackspaces!
Noisebridge,
San Francisco, USA
xHain,
Berlin, Germany
TAMI,
Tel Aviv, Israel

22. Select your electronic
components
Step 3:

23. Select your electronic components
Test first,
with a dev board +
breakout boards
Can save a lot of time,
money & frustration.
For example with GlowCore:

24. Select your electronic components
To the rescue!
/LEDs-by-glowingkitty
/adafruit

25. Select your electronic components
Need advice?
ask around at hackspaces
Discord groups
ChatGPT
(WLED, Unexpected Makers, glowingkitties)
(oh yes, it can help with electronics as well)

26. Select your electronic components
Where to search (& buy)?
AliExpress... sometimes
DigiKey , LCSC , Mouser
or directly on JLCPCB
(China, Europe
(USA) (China) (USA)
(China)
Any good german stores?....

27. Select your electronic components
Datasheets are
a blessing!

28. Select your electronic components
Confusing?
Ask your fellow
hackers or ChatGPT:

29. Select your electronic components
Just remember...
AI will never be
100% right.

30. Design your PCB
Step 4:

31. Design your PCB
+

32. Design your PCB
PCB files for USB-C
powered & battery
powered LED projects:
pcb-workshop.
glowingkitty.com

33. Design your PCB
Add what you want,
remove what you
don’t want.

34. Design your PCB
Sketch a PCB shape,
place components.
Just a draft,
to get an idea for
space needed.

35. Design your PCB
Want a more in depth
workshop about this?
Jan 19, 2023 6:30 PM
at xHain
events.glowingkitty.com

36. Design your PCB
Export 3D model,
import into CAD
software, 3D model
case around it.
I wish I could
recommend FreeCAD
here... if only the usability
would be better...
My recommendation: Fusion360

37. Design your PCB
Export real PCB
shape (a 2D sketch)
as DXF file &
import into KiCad
to Edge.Cuts

38. Design your PCB
Export real PCB
shape (a 2D sketch)
as DXF file &
import into KiCad
to Edge.Cuts

39. Design your PCB
Finish routing,
use the Design
Rules Checker,
export your PCB in
Gerbers format.

40. Build your prototype
Step 5:

41. Build your prototype
Make your PCB:
Order assembled PCBs
Option 1 (my advice):

42. Build your prototype
Make your PCB:
Order PCBs + parts +
order/make stencil +
assemble yourself
Option 2 (cheaper):

43. Build your prototype
FDM 3D print
SLA 3D print
Laserutter
Resin casting
CNC machine
Make your case:
Build it yourself
Option 1:

44. Build your prototype
JLCPCB
PCBway
Make your case:
Order the cases
Option 2:

45. Build your prototype
Software:
WLED
My advice (for LED projects):
or VScode + Plattform.io +
Cpp for coding

46. RELEASE YOUR PROJECT!!!
Step 6:

47. RELEASE YOUR PROJECT!!!
Be careful, it’s a trap!
There is always something to improve.

48. Common mistakes
endless developmen
wrong tolerances between PCB & case -> consider
tolerances are different for FDM, SLA, lasercutte
“I am sure the PCB works, so I better order 10 of
them assembled now, since it’s cheaper per unit
getting demotivated by failures/slow progress

49. Want to support my work?
Want to see the slides again?
/glowingkitty
slides.glowingkitty.com
glowingkitty.com