Raspberry Pi Pico USB LED Controller

This project creates a uses a Raspberry Pi Pico to create an LED controller with a USB interface to PC.

Supported Animations

• Solid
• Stream
• Scroll
• Pulse
• Spectrum Analyzer

Usage

To get started, download PicoUsbLedStrip.uf2 and PicoUsbLedStripClient.exe.

Flashing PicoUsbLedStrip

Put Pico into USB Mass Storage Mode by holding the BOOTSEL buttton while plugging it in, then release BOOTSEL.

Copy PicoUsbLedStrip.uf2 onto the Pico.

First time set up

With the PicoUsbLedStrip plugged into your PC, do the following.

To find the PicoUsbLedStrip, run PicoUsbLedStripClient.exe ls. This will print the PortId and DeviceId in this format: PortId:DeviceId. If the name has not yet been set, it will appear as null.

$ PicoUsbLedStripClient.exe ls
COM3:null

Next you need to set the number of LEDs on your LED strip and give your PicoUsbLedStrip a name. To do this run PicoUsbLedStripClient.exe config -p PortId -d <DeviceId> -n <NumLeds>. Run this command, adjusting the value of NumLeds, until your LED strip displays exactly one green led on the last pixel.

Running PicoUsbLedStripClient

Example Commands:

• Solid red: PicoUsbLedStripClient.exe solid -d <DeviceId> -c red
• Scrolling rainbow: PicoUsbLedStripClient.exe scroll -d <DeviceId> -l 0x3000 -c FF0000,FFFF00,00FF00,00FFFF,0000FF,FF00FF

Manual

PicoUsbLedStripClient.exe:
    Send a command to the PicoUsbLedStrip.


    List: PicoUsbLedStripClient.exe ls

        Lists all available PicoUsbLedStrips in portid:deviceid format.


    Configure: PicoUsbLedStripClient.exe config [-p <Port>] [-d <DeviceId>]
               [-n <NumLeds>]

        Applies configuration options to the PicoUsbLedStrip. This must be
        run to set the number of leds on the led strip and the device id.

        Options:
            -p  --portid    The name of the port of the PicoUsbLedStrip to
                            be configured.
            -d  --deviceid  The device id to assign to the PicoUsbLedStrip.
            -n  --numleds   A 16 bit unsigned integer representing the number of
                            LEDs on the LED strip.


    Display: PicoUsbLedStripClient.exe <DisplayMode> [-i <DeviceId>]
             [-c <Colors>] [-l <LoopTime>]
        DisplayModes:
            Solid:              Shows a static color or gradient.
            Pulse:              Shows colors while pulsing from minimum to
                                maximum brightness over looptime.
            Stream:             Shows a static color or gradient without saving
                                to flash memory. This is useful for streaming
                                data to the PicoUsbLedStrip.
            Scroll:             Scrolls colors across the LED strip with a
                                period of looptime.
            SpectrumAnalyzer:   Displays an audio spectrum analysis as
                                brightness over the colors while the colors
                                scroll.

        Options:
            -c  --colors    A comma delimited list of colors. Each color may be
                            in hexadecimal or plaintext format (ex: green). Each
                            color will fade into the next in a circular pattern.
            -l  --looptime  A 16 bit unsigned integer representing the number of
                            milliseconds in an animation cycle. May be in
                            decimal or hexadecimal format (ex 512: or 0x200).
            -d  --deviceid  The id assigned to the PicoUsbLedStrip to which
                            the command will be sent.

Wiring Diagram

Connecting the TRS (aux) cable is optional, and will enable the Spectrum Analyzer function.