NeoPixel Lightsaber for Only $60 | Full Tutorial
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- Опубліковано 29 січ 2025
- Today we’re going to create a Neopixel Lightsaber for only $60! It will have awesome customizable effects including the activation and deactivation animations and full color selection.
Here's the code: github.com/D4Q...
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(Some of the following links are Affiliate Links, meaning that I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!)
SUPPLIES (for following along with the series):
Ultrasabers Cheapest Blade: ultrasabers.co...
RGB LED Strips (you’ll need 2): amzn.to/3pKYyHC
NOTE: While I use the ATTiny88 board in the video, I recommend using the Arduino Nano instead, as it's much more user friendly and has more room for the program. You can get it here: amzn.to/3QbOu5B
Packing Foam (Warning: this is WAY more than you need): amzn.to/49yoZl5
Buttons: amzn.to/3XOyQP5
Switch: amzn.to/3JSb8M3
9V Battery Clip: amzn.to/3D6zQod
Wire: amzn.to/46KA4io
Breadboard: amzn.to/3NJMsqg
Jumpers: amzn.to/43eRq3X
MY TOOLS:
Soldering Iron Kit: amzn.to/3K1CnnJ
Helping Hands: amzn.to/3MJRgvZ
Multimeter: shorturl.at/yVW29
MY SETUP:
Computer: amzn.to/49AhmLd (16GB RAM, RTX 3050)
Monitor: amzn.to/40OafKF
Mouse: amzn.to/42AdHdO
Keyboard: amzn.to/3G5tc3y (Black Keyboard, Brown Switches)
Microphone: amzn.to/3SXyWD6
Mic Arm: amzn.to/3I0fm33
Camera Kit: amzn.to/3K1N34Z
Subscribe so Electricity doesn't run out 👉 / @danovation
Timestamps:
0:18 Parts list
1:29 Testing begins
2:20 Coding
12:22 Assembly
15:34 Hilt construction
18:14 Finished lightsaber
nice work man! I appreciate the help!
If it is true, video is INSANELY underrated. Because, who dont wanted to make his own lightsaber in childhood after watching Star Wars? And wit this guide this dream becomes true!
Thank you! I can assure you it's true - I've done it! If you need any help, be sure to let me know here or on our Discord!
i've got my hand on my chin, as i nod with a focused expression. meanwhile my chimp brain fails to comprehend or process 90% of what it's witnessing.
lol that is a hilarious description
Don’t worry though, it took me some time to understand it too
I am a college student studying coding, i gotta say, Bruh this is too much for my two tiny brain cells
my brain hamster fell off its wheel
I am going to combine this technique with 3d printing a hilt. By far the best video on how to make a saber. Well done chad.
Thank you so much! If you’re interested, I do plan to one up it very soon, making an even better saber!
@@danovation Hell ya there brother!!!
@@CaptainPantys did u make it??
I’m sorry but I have to admit I’m stoned and this is beyond….just beyond cool.
Thank you!
What if I just send him cash......too baked to deal with wires 🤘
Excited for the sound update! Great work man!
Thanks so much! I'll get it done as soon as I can!
Liked and subscribed! Vader would be proud.
“Impressive... Most Impressive”
This will be a great project for my brother and I to do. Can’t wait to see how this project evolves!
Thank you! Be sure to let me know if you need any help and I'd love to see how your lightsaber(s?) turn out!
You were right I am proud
excellent video well written and recorded. only critique make sure your music is quiet enough and your voice is loud enough. the music usually needs to be 20% quieter than you think it does.
Thank you so much! I know the music is too loud, I really wish I could fix it after upload! Thanks for the number though, I love a good number.
@@danovation if you need video support, maybe i could help you :)
It is really nice how polite novastorm is. I also agree with what he is saying.
awesome video, good work!
next up program some flickers and other effects (maybe battle mode where it strobes a bit (would look cool when swinging it).
Also, consider an accelerometer and some sound effects.
one note:
the bg music needs to be down a bit, it's way out of balance with your voice.
If you need more music like that tho, you can use any of my tracks for free if you are so inclined, the music stood out because parts of it is in line with my style.
Thanks! I am planning on adding an accelerometer+speaker for smooth swing, hit sounds and flash on clash, but adding some flickering is a great idea, I'll definitely look into that!
Just re-listened to it and I think you're right about the music, especially when it swells at some points. Unfortunately YT doesn't allow you to fix that after upload, but I'll definitely note it down for future videos!
Thanks for the music offer as well, I'll check out your channel some more later for sure!
Awesome video, was looking for a good tutorial for a pixel blade. This entire walkthrough has sparked some ideas 👍🏼
Thanks, that's exactly what I was hoping for!
That's amazing! Thanks so much for making this doable for me. There's so many possibilities with this. I already have 2 hilts that I 3d printed that would work great for this. You should put together a tutorial for how to add sounds.
That sound awesome! I'm hoping to put out a tutorial on a sound-equipped saber, but I haven't found anything affordable and high enough quality at the same time...YET!
This just proves that your only really paying insane prices for the pre-made factor of it, but honestly if you trust yourself enough to make something sturdy making it yourself is much more fun
I agree! If you know how to do it, you’re literally paying to not have as much fun!
Awesome video! This might have just helped me a lot in my project to create ahsokas blade.
I do have a few questions for you tho.
1. Can I make the saber white?
2. What app did you use to modify the Board
3. How do you even modify a board? I've never done stuff like this.
Yes you can make the blade white, it’s especially awesome as white is the brightest!
To modify the board code, you’ll need the Arduino IDE: www.arduino.cc/en/software/
If you want to learn about coding an Arduino board, you can check out this video which covers the basics: m.ua-cam.com/video/PLwluZ0m6PM/v-deo.html#dialog
Also I can help you out more specifically and easily in the Discord if you’re interested: discord.gg/ux9jEyhKVJ
@@danovation yooo bet! After I’m done with the newest Ahsoka episode I’ll join! Rn my big project is to build Ahsokas sabers so yeah 😎
Excellent! I’m just about to start watching myself lol
I honestly had no idea I even wanted a Lightsaber, but you've fully convinced me now!
Good, gooood. Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen.
Man you replied to every single comment. Your a real one +1sub
Yeah I try my best! Thanks for the support!
Great work man!!!
Thank you!
One of my recommendations would be to make a link with an explained diagram since many times it is difficult for some to guide themselves through a video, an idea on my part, I hope you take it into account
You mean like a schematic?
@@danovation Yes, just that
Good idea, I'll see if I can create one for the lightsabers, if not then hopefully my next project!
Dude I am so thankful for this video. I really want to get into electronics and this seems like such a cool project to start on. Instructions are very clear, I'm gonna make a really cool hilt as well.
I’m really glad it helped, and if I helped you get started with electronics, I consider it a job well done!
Right after this I watched your other videos and saw you got one. Good stuff!
Thank you so much!
this is criminally underrrated. well done my friend.
Thank you so much!
@@danovation welcome! i'm surprised you actually responded! also i'm def gonna make this lightsaber. maybe a darksaber or something tho....
@@TheTeenMentat28 ooh yeah a dark saber would be epic!
@@danovation ik right?
Mum: Where are all the bathroom lights?
Me: On my new light saber!
Hahaha! I mean, the lightsaber works just fine as a light for the bathroom…
At first I thought everyone was being dramatic about the volume of the background noise but then I looked at the time and it’s 11:15 pm local time and my infant daughter just started screaming while I’m jamming in the living room to this video giving future me some real lightsaber building skills
Aha sorry about that, I did make a new video about a saber with sound and I didn’t make the same mistake with super loud background music this time 😂
can you add sound to it like smooth swing
I plan to add a speaker and gyroscope for sound and smooth swing, clash effects, etc. for the next build! It's currently in development so it will be a little bit before that video comes out, but I'm working on it as fast as I can!
@@danovation that would be sick
It is!
Can you use one of those recharchable usb batteries used in stuff like airsoft gun? If so do you have a sort of guide showing how on an arduino nano
Yeah you can definitely do that. If you get a USB power bank it would be super easy because you could just plug the Arduino’s USB into that
@@danovation damn you actually replied thank you for the help
Of course, happy to help! Let me know if you need anything else
If you've got two RGB strips in the saber attached at the top to effectively doesn't that mean lights should travel up and then back down the other side of the blade? It seems like you'd want to activate each light and it's corresponding LED on the other side, unless I'm misunderstanding how the addressable LEDS work, which is a definite possibility.
No you’re actually correct, I didn’t realize at the time, but you can wire the LED strips in parallel, simply connecting the power, ground, and data wires for both at the start of the blade because they both need the same information (as you said). It even saves some extra program space on the Arduino!
Just make sure you have the arrows on both strips going up the blade for this
I've always wanted to build a hilt basically for display only.
lol if you're interested I actually JUST made a video about making a hilt that looks like metal off a 3D printer: ua-cam.com/video/Kk2hqF99Y1c/v-deo.html
it's Obi-Wan's hilt, which I think is one of the best looking
I bought the stuff and on my way to making 2 of them, it would be helpful if you put images to your github page about the soldering of the cables or the connection of the breadboard. Thank you for making this tutorial!
Glad I could help and I hope you enjoy the build process!
As for the pictures, that's an excellent idea and I should've definitely done that, but as of now the build is long done and unless I were to make another one I don't have a great way to get those pictures.
@SaberCPP ok 👍, I'll find out ways like stopping the video at the right moment. Very nice channel you got right there!
Can I program the board with out the breadboard
You don't need the breadboard, I just like to use them for prototyping. Since I've already done the prototyping for this build, you can go straight ahead with the programming and final assembly (soldering, etc.)
I've thought about also building a lightsaber, but it seems you are connecting 9V directly to the led strip. Won't this damage the LEDs?
Yeah I haven't had any trouble with it, but it could have longer-term consequences as it's outside of what's recommended. If you wanted to do like a battery holder with 3 AAs or AAAs (for a total of 4.5V) that would probably be better.
I'm also hoping to work something out with rechargeable 18650 batteries, but as they have a voltage of 3.7V that may be a bit tricky. (I might do something with two of them, 7.4V, but that takes a bit of space.)
What is the point of the switch in the lightsaber? And could I do it without the switch, and how would the wiring change if I didn't use the switch?
Could I also make the lightsaber without the battery clip? So I would have it be powered by the usb-c port to like say a laptop
The point of the switch is to avoid wasting battery, so if you didn’t have it, even when the blade is off the Arduino would still be on, burning through your battery. You could remove it by simply running the power directly from the battery to the Arduinos VIN, but I wouldn’t recommend it as the saber battery wouldn’t last very long even with it in its ‘off’ state
As long as you power the LEDs from the 5V port on the Arduino to the LED 5V pin and from the Arduinos GND to the LED GND, you can just power the Arduino via its USB port and you won’t need a battery. And then you won’t need the power lines, so there won’t be a switch or anything
@danovation Thank you, I have one more question could I use an arduino nano instead of an arduino tiny?
Yes, I actually recommend doing that as the tiny is super finicky and annoying to use!
wow men this is amazing, would it be possible to add sound to the lightsaber?
I’m working on a build with sound and flash on clash! Hopefully I’ll have a video in the next couple of weeks!
@@danovation thanks men I will be attentive to your next videos🤙
this is awesome! Is there some sort of circuit diagram for me to follow? i wasnt quite able to understand what get soldered where... Thanks!
Not exactly, I've sent what I have to you on Discord. (Feel free to ask if you have any questions on that though!)
Add sounds and smooth swing
Yeah for sure. I'm working on it and will get a video out ASAP
Quick question: can we ad a speaker for the sound effects?
Yes!
But you do have to keep in mind that the Arduino doesn’t really have enough storage for sounds or enough power for even a pretty small speaker. I recommend using a DFPlayer module that can hold an SD full of sounds and can also drive a 3W speaker and combining that with a small round 3W speaker.
I actually did a video on that pretty recently if you want to check it out
was about to make one, then realized that shipping for the blade itself cost $60... dreams crushed I guess lol
$60 is INSANE 😭
Ultrasabers does offer free shipping with an order over $50 (at least in the US, not sure if it applies wherever you are that shipping is that expensive) so you could try that (especially if you know a couple people who also want to make sabers, you could all order together and pay $0 shipping)
Can't you buy a hilt with the electronics ready and just make the black with the LEDs?
Oh like buy a cheap saber and swap out the internals?
Yeah I did that once before and it worked pretty well, the problem is that most cheap sabers have pretty small hilts (so it’s hard to fit all the electronics) and they tend to come with very thin and cheap plastic blades (materials like acrylic that break super easily, especially when they’re that thin, rather than the 1/8 inch thick polycarbonate you get from Ultrasabers)
will a motion sensor fit? and whats a good speaker for it?
I think this video about making a saber with sound will answer both questions: ua-cam.com/video/FhlplOZJapk/v-deo.html
BUT if you don't feel like watching it,
a) a motion sensor will certainly fit, I recommend the MPU 6050, a popular gyroscope to use with Arduino (like this: amzn.to/3MM3hRc)
b) you can use any speaker that will fit in the hilt, but you need to find a speaker driver board that can power it, I used this speaker driver: amzn.to/3zbAsLb with this little 3 watt speaker from The Custom Saber Shop: www.thecustomsabershop.com/Electronics/Speakers/22mm-Speakers/3w-22mm-Speaker (there are plenty of options on Amazon as well, but since I was ordering a few things from TCSS already and they had a very powerful speaker that was this small, I went with this one and was not disappointed)
edit: added links, these links are affiliate links so I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you if you do end up using one of them.
This is awesome, so glad ive had a few programing classes so i could follow along!! One suggestion, maybe at the end of each function you could insert more examples of what the function is doing.
Also i wonder if adding a light sensor to the tip could allow for "tip drag" from some of the fancier sabers? I havent had a lot of practice with sensors on arduino, but it would be cool to add, and theoretically if you figure that out, a string of them may let you note when two sabers are crossed so you could add flaring colors there to emulate the flash when dualing
Yeah it actually wouldn’t be too hard to add a light sensor to the tip that’s a great idea!
Although since people use sabers in the dark mostly, that might not work…
@@danovationhaha actually after a quick googling this was the top reply for tip drag on a reddit post.
"There aren't any special sensors. You configure how many LEDs are in the Pixel blade to the soundboard. So if your blade has 130 pixels you tell the board the blade has 130 pixels.
Then it detects:
The angle of the board, if it's pointed down
Check for a clash on the board
If those are met then trigger some effects near the end of the 130 pixels and play a tip drag sound"
@@danovationlooks like the flash on hit is a gyroscope program too, so I think you could program both into your kylo build and it would act similarly to the very high end sabers
Interesting…
@@danovation hope it helps! If it does I would love to see it in your next video!!! I plan on making my own lightsabers for me my son and my wife.... (Eventually lol) But I want to make each slightly differently, maybe one with an exposed kyber crystal, and maybe a "zweihander" or hand and a half version haha
what would be a good cheap solution to adding sound to this i was personally thinking using an esp32 dev board as they have wifi for remote sound upload and if you could make an image for it that does the lights sounds and possible clash effects that has its own wifi network (similar to wled) then possibly hooking up a speaker to it im not as experianced with making programs for them though was thinking maybe you knew of a good image or library to make this a reality
I responded over on Discord (it's much too long and too many links to send here)
I have a cheap metal hilt lightsaber i got off Temu for like $20. Im going to try this with it. Thank you.
Haha 😂. You seem to have read my mind! I’m just about to try this with a cheap saber from TEMU once it arrives! Be careful though as TEMU is still seems suspicious in the information stealing area.
@@danovation I've done a few orders. I have three lightsabers (~$20 each) and two more on the way (one $20 and the other ~$40). I've noticed that the USB-C type charging hilts should be avoided. They have the USB-C charge rotated 90 degrees from what all the Proffie/Xeno boards have.
I've never owned a saber that has smooth swing or any of these neopixel features, but the hilt seems about the right size. Although the blades are the thinner 22.2cm instead of 25.4cm common.
I plan to order a cheap VHC part and see if the threads and size are compatible. If so, I'll probably buy a cheap $10 board/battery frame that I've seen on vire sabers and see if I can get it to fit.
I'd rather do that instead of just buying an expensive xeno board and hope it fits.
If you can, please see if it works. I haven't found anyone on youtube or elsewhere that's tried this yet.
And feel free to hmu for photos and measurements of the current sabers I have. I can also grab the links I used on temu.
@@supreme84x Yeah I just got a couple at $18 each with DC charging ports (whew!) and they're actually not bad for that cheap, but certainly no smooth swing and there are only two sounds (one for clash and one that repeats over and over and over). Of course I can use the button and charging port, and I think I can reuse the batteries and speakers as well, which would make it a great deal and make these the best lightsabers yet with my modifications!
@@danovation If someone wants a 22cm blade, getting it with the hilt and everything is cheaper than ordering it from a US or UK supplier.
Smooth swing and other missing features are why I want to upgrade these.
Have your's arrived yet? I am wondering if their hilts are the same inner diameter and threading as other VHC parts. I'd love to add customization and easily fit a soundboard chassis without dealing with 3D custom prints.
Mine have arrived and they're not standard, also the blades are extremely short, so I'll probably swap them out, but I can't use the blades I usually use due to the inner diameter being less than an inch 😢
I don’t have a sauturer is there an alternative
I don't think so, unfortunately. However, you can pick up a good one for as low as $40, here's my preference: amzn.to/48gQBL4
(Note: it's an affiliate link, so if you do end up buying that one, I may get a small bonus at no extra cost to you. But if you want to buy a different one, that's perfectly fine too.)
could you possibly build the blade out of PBC/PVC pipe? or would it dim out the light too much
I've never heard of PBC but PVC doesn't let nearly enough light out unfortunately (structure-wise it would be almost as good as polycarbonate, it's a bit softer so honestly it would hurt less but it would break more easily - that polycarbonate is STRONG).
@@danovation okay, thank you for explaining that
@birdinback of course!
You nailed it!! Thanks man
I’m glad I could help!
Thanks for your video. I was amazed how coding worked you made it look really easy but the one detail i did not see was the sound. Have consider of making a video how to add sound ?
Thanks! I’m working on a build with sound but getting good quality sound is actually quite difficult! Hopefully soon though!
Basic question but how did you connect the switch to the wires while prototyping?
While prototyping, I think I just didn't, I just had the wires connected to be constantly powering the Arduino and LEDs.
Hello! Seriously great video, just today I just received my LED strips to make a lightsaber and I came across your channel and your videos and they will be of great help to me, but there are a couple of doubts that I want to solve, for example The total number of LEDs that you use are 265, in my case I will use less, like 112 more or less. Does the number of LEDs that will be used affect the code in any way?
And the other thing is that I see that in the future you will add sound effects and more, I had bought an MPU-6050 accelerometer, I don't know if it can help me in the future to add all that, it would be cool to know. waiting for new updates :D
Greetings from Chile!
Thank you so much! You should just be able to change the NUM_LEDS constant in the code from 265 to 112 or whatever it ends up being. I'm planning on adding an MPU6050 to my next build along with a speaker for smooth swing flash/sounds on clash, etc. so you should totally add that (It connects on 3.3V, GND, and whatever the SCL and SDA pins for your board are.) Also awesome that people from other countries are seeing this!
what would you add to the code (and the saber) if you wanted sound for ignition and turning it off? no need for the other sounds, just want to know how to do that.
as well, would an arduino uno work (and what changes to the breadboard would you have to make)? i only have experience with those but i dont mind buying the tiny or nano if you think it wouldnt work well.
The second question is easy: the Arduino UNO and Nano are basically the same thing just in a different shape, so if you can somehow fit an UNO into your hilt, you can use it just the same as you would the Nano. Also your experience with the UNO will pretty much carry over to the Nano, as it has the same controller, the same number of pins (I believe), etc.
The difficulty with adding sound is that the Arduino isn't very well equipped to play sound out of itself (it doesn't have enough power, it has limited storage, and it just isn't designed very well for sound). So you typically want to get something like the DFPlayer (Item: amzn.to/4dW956Y Tutorial/Example: maker.pro/arduino/projects/how-to-use-the-dfmini-player-mp3-module-with-arduino) that can take sound from an SD card and play it on a speaker. Then all the Arduino has to do is tell the DFPlayer what track to play when it's time to play something.
Hope that helps!
@@danovation alright thank you! thats very helpful
What’s the average inside diameter of the hilt you find works best?
Usually it's around 1 inch, but the bigger it is the easier to work with, and I have done some a little smaller than 1 inch. Of course, it's hard to have a hilt with an outer diameter of more than 1.25 or 1.5 inches without it looking silly, so you kind of have to strike a balance between style and the difficulty/possibility of cramming electronics into your hilt.
What’s the programming software it’s my first time doing something like this
It’s called the Arduino IDE and you can get it (for free) at www.arduino.cc/en/software
Is there an rgb/ baselit with sound version similar to this?
I haven't done an RGB baselit as it wouldn't be very cost effective I don't think, you'd still have to include an Arduino or something to control the colors. I did do a single color baselit once: ua-cam.com/video/07BX3gMovIc/v-deo.htmlsi=msIcGUsnJl9hpgdP
What about programming a rainbowed blade?
It's actually quite easy. I did that on an LED strip in this video here: ua-cam.com/video/lILwrXv2VMk/v-deo.html (WARNING: I made this video a while ago, so the quality is, let's just say, a bit lower 😳. If it doesn't make sense, feel free to ask me anything or join the Discord so we can talk easier and I can send code and stuff: discord.gg/QuARc66rAE)
Is the led 5 volt and did u use a resistor?
The LED is a 5V one and I would recommend just using a 5V power bank off Amazon (you can find some ~1 inch round ones that are perfect for a lightsaber), it will give you much brighter LEDs and last longer and the 9V was not a great plan.
I couldn't find those power banks where i live so im planning on using a capacitor
I just bought a rgb lightsaber from saber vibe and its sick but the blade isnt super bright and that bums me out...could i potentially use the blade it came with and follow your video to where it would work, or would i need a specific blade in order to have it work? Either way, great video!!! Thanks for being a real one and showing that we over pay for what seems like really just the hilt
if you mean just re-use the plastic of the blade then definitely! (NOTE: as long as the LEDs and foam will fit in that blade and of course that blade might not be as strong as the ones I was using depending on how cheap it was)
also I'm glad you enjoyed the video, thanks! and yeah the saber shops definitely have a high profit margin, but also they do have to pay for labor, while I took the labor on myself here, so that definitely reduces the cost!
@Saber C++
how long was the batterie running?
About an hour
Hey, is it possible to use this design for a crossguard lightsaber? I'm not that technologically inclined so i'm just wondering if the tiny can take 3 rgb strips or some cheaper alternative.
Yeah you definitely can! The LED strips can be cut so you can take two 1 meter led strips and cut four 5 inch cross guard strips and two 30 inch main blade strips!
I did another saber build more recently with that design (and sound, but that adds a bit of cost)
@@danovation Omg i was not expecting a response, thank you. I did see that video, but i'm trying to keep costs down atm since i'm aiming for a splitsaber design and i don't really have $400 to spend. Thank you so much for the reply.
Of course! Yeah you shouldn’t need to spend any extra on LEDs because you already have to get 2 meters for this project t anyways.
What will cost extra is covering those LEDs with blades, because you’ll need around 40” of blade for what I did in that video. There is a store called TCSS that sells 40 inch blades but you do have to cut it up yourself and it costed me I think like $20 for the blade, maybe $10 for the diffusers (1 foam diffuser and 1 plastic diffuser) and $10.50 for the tips, so a bit more expensive than a $15 blade off Ultrasabers
@@danovation Thank you, you've saved me a ton of trouble, have a great day
the button cover you talked about? im currently building a lightsaber hilt and i cant fihure out how the button works... and i can still take the hilt out of my hilt yk
For this one I used a button like this: amzn.to/3Lvq7Ml (affiliate, though I assume you already have this)
and then I glued a piece of paper (painted) onto that and the hilt on both sides of it, so the button was invisible but you could press the paper and it had enough flex to press the button.
Awesome tutorial! I am planning on doing a lamp with 10-20 lightsabers synced. LED strips doesn't draw that much power but I am still afraid i might run into some limit in the Arduino board. Do you think it will be an issue?
Also, does the lamp cylinder become hot? How long can it be turned on before damaging the foam? I wont be using a battery, i will use a power outlet.
Thanks and I’m glad you liked it!
As far as power, the LEDs actually do draw a lot of power (supposedly 20-60mA per LED, but I don’t think k it’s really that high as that would be like 5 amps for the saber and I definitely haven’t provided that), so I doubt the Arduino will be able to handle it. It’s a bit difficult to say exactly what the Arduino can handle (you can look up the max current for the 5V pin which is what’s powering the LEDs and it says around 500-800 mA).
So it’s hard to say, but I doubt one Arduino could power 10 or especially 20 sabers.
As far as heat, I have heard of other people having issues with heat, so if you’re powering it off the wall for long periods of time you might have issues. But you could set the brightness in the code to something lower like 20/255 instead of the full brightness 255/255
@@danovation Thank you for the quick reply and valuable information, I probably have to go back to the drawing table and think about the heating :)
Of course! Let me know if you have any other questions, I’m happy to help!
I followed your steps for setting up testing on the breadboard. The LED strip will not light up except for one LED at the very base of the strip where the connector is, but only for about 5 seconds when the switch is flipped before it fades out. Pressing the button doesnt do anything either, Im not sure what Im missing, any advice?
I would try using one of the example programs (you can get them by going to File>Examples>DemoReel100 or whatever the name of the example you want to try is). Upload that and if it works, it must be a program issue, if it doesn't, it's a wiring issue. That'll help us narrow down the problem.
Also, it may be easier to communicate on Discord if you want to do that: discord.gg/qcpKpWedmj
I’m trying to do it double sided, do i just run two boards or run two blades in parallel?
Yeah you can control two blades with one board, but you’ll probably need/want more power for double the LEDs. (And of course you’ll have to modify the program a bit)
Ok question: why do we need the second on/off switch? And is it possible to modify this build to work without it?
One of the switches is for power and the other is for control, so the power switch keeps battery from being wasted and the other switch allows you to have the LEDs animate up and down the blade and change color.
You could have a momentary switch be used for power with a little PCB that makes it act like a latching switch and then also be connected to the Arduinos data, try searching something like this on Google/Amazon: ‘momentary to latching converter’. You need to find one of those where a tap won’t turn it off/on, only a hold, so that you can have holding bturn the saber on/off and tap to animate the blade or double tap to change color.
How did you get the arduino ide to recognize the board as a nano?, im using the same attiny board and im only finding info on seting it up as MH-ET, which doesnt seem to like the fastled library. Also i wad having some issues getting the computer to recognize whens its plugged in, found some information on digispark usb drivers, but ide still doesnt reconize the port. It seems im only able to run simpler arduino code, like i got blink running, but havent tried really anything else.
Sorry about the miscommunication but you can't get the Arduino IDE to recognize one board as another (or if you could it wouldn't work, different boards have different storage sizes and different processors that mean they have to be communicated with in different ways).
I'm guessing that for some of the recordings where I needed to show uploading from the Arduino IDE to a board I used a Nano, as that's what I had lying around. I do recommend using a Nano, as the ATTiny boards are very troublesome, especially for beginners. Also they don't have enough storage space for a full-sized lightsaber.
If you do use an ATTiny board, you have to install a package that will let you talk to an extended catalog of ATTiny boards and then you can select the ATTiny88. Basically you add this url drazzy.com/package_drazzy.com_index.json to the Arduino IDE Preferences where it says Additional Boards Manager URLs. Then you go to the boards manager (on the left, second tab from the top) and search for ATTinyCore by Spence Konde. Install that and you'll be able to select various ATTiny boards, including the ATTiny88
BUT I DON'T RECOMMEND DOING THAT because as I mentioned above, they don't have enough storage space to be able to handle a full 100+ LED-per-side lightsaber, as they can only handle like 50 LEDs. And again, they are very finicky, not at all as polished as an Arduino Nano (even an Arduino Nano clone, which you can get for like $6, not too much more than an ATTiny88).
@danovation okay that makes a lot of sense, I appreciate the quick reply and ill get the other board otw, guess i can keep the others around for future projects, thanks again.
@@caseydeckers9394 no problem!
I'm having an issue where, if I set the color to a blue, then the ignition is much dimmer and flickering and once the ignition is done, the color instantly "snaps" to either a different shade of blue or a dim red. I don't think it's a problem with my soldering, but it could be. What do you think?
That's very odd, sometimes stuff like that happens when the Neopixels aren't getting enough power...does this still happen if you're running it off a computer port or wall power?
@@danovation it still does, yes
This is bloody amazing and think you are incredibly talented I doubt I could pull this off even with the tutorial but nevertheless is there away to get audio with smooth swing without paying to much?
Depends on how much is too much! I did a tutorial on how to make it with sound, but it was in the hundreds of dollars: ua-cam.com/video/FhlplOZJapk/v-deo.html
You’ve convinced me to do this.
Yes!
What’s the program you used for the programming and is it free?
Yeah it's the Arduino IDE and it's free! You can get it here: www.arduino.cc/en/software
@@danovation Thank you! You are so underrated earned a new sub👍
@@BerttheNonsolid Thank YOU! I really appreciate that!
Is it problem if LED type i bought is WS2812B. The code does not work for me sadly. It starts to blink on both ends of the LED strip as soon as i switch ON/OFF button. And the button for effects does not seem to work. Some advice? :(
WS2812B is fine, that’s what most of them are!
As for the specific problem, I haven’t seen that before but I would try running an example program and see if that works. You can get one by going (in the Arduino IDE) to File>Examples>FastLED>DemoReel100
This should light up 100 LEDs. If it doesn’t, you’ll know it’s a wiring issue (maybe with the wires going to the LEDs) and not anything with the program.
If it does work, it could be a problem with the program or the button wiring
Feel free to join the Discord so we can communicate more easily if you need more help troubleshooting this: discord.gg/uj7yGF7eVK
i'm not clearly understand how the light could travel from the hilt to the top when two strips have different arrow directions, do we need to solder the end of the arrow line ( which is the female connector you desolder at 13:06) to the hilt male connector? what should i do with that? i'm really scared to mess this up, i hope you will answer my question. Love your work man
You have two options: the one I went with in the video is to solder the arrows so the go up the blade on one side and then back down on the other. Then all of the LEDs are in order so the Arduino can control them.
The other option is to have both strips with arrows pointing to the tip and solder the wires from the Arduino to both strips. Then both strips will do the exact same thing (as they receive the same data) which is fine because both sides of the blade should do the same thing
@@danovation thank you for the explanation
Can I use neopixel led strips please
Yeah for sure. I just used an off brand version of the same thing because it’s cheaper!
@@danovation also I don’t have a soderer and I’m inexperienced in this field. Would you say the process is difficult
@@marleygraybay431 Not really difficult, per se, but it may take some time to learn the skill of soldering, just like learning to sew or something would take time.
@@danovation okay thanks for help I might leave the saber with the slow animation because it looks cleaner
@@marleygraybay431 Yeah that's cool too. A lot of people prefer slower!
Hey, I may be a little late to ask this but I have a question. I followed through the tutorial and I used the code from the description. I have ws2812 leds (not quite as many per meter as this is all I had) but for some reason when I turn it all on and hit the button, only a few lights come on and they're stuck on orange. I can't even get them to turn off without turning off the main power switch. Any ideas on how to make this work better?
Hmmm. I'd try using one of the examples (in the Arduino IDE go to File>Examples>FastLED and pick like DemoReel100). This'll narrow it down: if it works, you know it's an issue with the program. If it doesn't, it's probably a physical/wiring issue.
It'll be easier to communicate and figure this out on Discord, if you want to join the server: discord.gg/N6zuUuTRUg
Was this only when connected to an external power supply?
If so that is the problem I am running into atm
@@maverickbeckmann9220 Mine worked when connected to the computer or an external power supply (though I believe I only tested with AA batteries and 9V batteries), but when the batteries are close to dead they don't really produce the proper results, so definitely make sure you're using batteries with enough charge.
Do you think running it off of a 9V battery would be better than using a external power bank straight to the port on the arduino? @@danovation
@@maverickbeckmann9220 Probably not. What are the specs of the power bank?
Is there a place i can copy the code?
Yeah it should be in the description, if not: ua-cam.com/users/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazJHUFNmTEtLRUN3dURsekl2eG1hdmxsMm9kd3xBQ3Jtc0tucThDNVpWblI2U1FqeW04V0Y5OER6dUd4amlnYkpDM0p1TExqZGdEM2p4dEtjSzJ4aTlzVFJuSkpkdnZnclhDbDZwaDdNU2k5Sm5MSXZwWlgxMzM3dV9sVGh5bDMtdXMzSzJxWHZjUjQ4cDI0aUs0Yw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2FD4Q2%2FRedSaberLightSaber%2Fblob%2Fmain%2FFinalLightsaberCode.ino&v=ZKYb_dgEIXs
@@danovationit is i didnt see it lol
@@calebsmith4455 Yeah no worries!
How long does It take to upload the program in the Arduino nano board?
Not very long, you just have to download it from the link, open in the Arduino IDE, hit upload, and it'll verify and upload in like less than 10 seconds probably, it's not very big.
This is really isefull for people who are making their own original star wars story
Glad I could help! Also if you make a cool video I'd be excited to see it!
Using a 9v battery can't damage the LED?
It definitely can, in this case I didn't have any issues but I haven't used it that much (compared to the typical lifespan of an LED like that) so this is probably a case where it reduces the lifespan of the strip rather than instantly destroying it. I would recommend using a different power source, whether it be a 5V power bank off amazon or a 3.7v lithium ion battery with a boost board to get to 5v as those would be better for longer term use.
@@danovation Thanks for the info. I used a 9v battery and my strip didn't turn on. Maybe it's amperage, how many amps did you use?
@@MarcosPaulo-pm8ut like it didn't turn on at all or it just couldn't power the LEDs? (if the lights on the Arduino turned on then yeah it probably just didn't have enough current to power the LEDs, but if the Arduino didn't even turn on, it could be a wiring issue or a dead battery)
I never measured how much current the battery was supplying so I don't know exactly...
@@danovation At first it just doesn't turn on, but the Arduino LED lights up. Then I tested it with a 3.7v and 30a battery. It seems to have turned on, thanks for the tips! I'll try to assemble it again.
@@MarcosPaulo-pm8ut awesome, I hope that works out!
Awesome but how i charge it or change batterie
Fair question
In my care I used a 9V and that wasn’t a great choice
A better option would be to use one of those round USB power banks off Amazon and then you can pull it out and charge it very easily
Ok but can you make video about it I’m suck at it (I’m still 13 lol)
@@Rachakitsangthong which part seems to be the problem?
for the USB power bank, all you do is take the cable you use to program your arduino and connect the power banks USB port to the Arduino's USB connector and you have power!
for a 9V you will need to solder, but you just want to take the wires from your 9V battery clip and solder the red one to the VIN pin on the arduino and the black one any of the GND pins on the Arduino
As far as being able to take the battery in and out (to change it) I believe what I did was create a plug with a piece of cardboard that was about the same size as the PVC (so it could slide in and out pretty easily) and then add hot glue around that plug, let it dry (it basically becomes a rubbery seal) and then it was a nice, tight-fitting plug that would stay in the saber pretty well.
does any of that help?
Ty
okay, i have completed the saber by following your instruction❤, can you show me how to make it color white like ahsoka’s
Awesome! Unfortunately white can't be selected through the color wheel system (which is what happens when you double click) but you can just set it as the default color by setting each of the float r, float g, and float b at the top to 255 and then you'll want to remove the if statement in the setup function that goes like if (!(EEPROM.read(0) and so on. (The whole thing from the if to the '}' a few lines below.)
You have to remove that if statement so it doesn't load a different color if you saved one previously.
Could you maybe make an updated part list since some of the links are not working?
Thanks for pointing that out! I've updated them, they should work now!
@@danovation Thank you so much, now I can finally order the parts and start the series :D
@@70aon Awesome! Let me know over on Discord if you need any help or to show off your lightsaber once you finish it!
@@danovation Sure! Ill probably already need help before ordering the parts since im buying them from Germanys amazon since it has cheaper shipping to here lol
@@70aon yeah!
The LEDs don't bright as Much as we expected when we puted the foam, any tip?
Well you can use as little foam as possible while making sure the LEDs aren’t individually visible from outside the blade and you can change the BRIGHTNESS variable I. The code up to 255, though the actual brightness will depend on how much your battery can supply AND cranking this up will drain your battery.
@@danovation did you use 255 brightness as well on the video? We are using the same LEDs as you.
@@marsi1084 I think I used 64. It's also possible your power source can't provide enough power for the LEDs, which would cause them to be dimmer. What are you using for power?
@@danovation a 9v battery from Amazon basics
@@marsi1084 yeah that's the same as I was using. I'd make sure you're using a fresh one, but other than that it's important to note that sabers do tend to look better on camera, so you could compare a video of yours to the video of mine.
Awesome project! I have searched for something like this for a long time, and finally found it! I do have one problem though. My LED:s just don't seem to be as bright as they could get... How could i potentially fix this?
Thanks! Try changing the FastLED.setBrightness(64) to 255 instead of 64.
@@danovation Thanks! I will try that!
I have a problem and that is that when I connect the button to pin 4, the leds start to turn off and on again and again, the only way I can make it stop is by connecting the button to pin 3, but this doesn't work.
It sounds like you might've connected the button with the 5V wire going to the wrong place so port 4 is constantly getting a positive signal, which would cause the lightsaber to think it should activate and deactivate over and over again. I don't know how easy it is to see, but the button should be like this (Button: [()], Button lead: |)
| |(Maybe GND Resistor)
[()]
5V| |SIGNAL PORT
Sorry about the drawing, I can explain better with a picture on Discord server or something.
@SaberCPP Do you have a Discord server? An image would help me a lot as a guide now, since I still have this problem and I am already in the assembly section and I still cannot correct this problem
Hey@@vegelgamer8568, did you find a solution to this one. I am doing this project now and I have the same happening.
Great vid, but the music was a bit overwhelming at parts.
Thanks! Sorry about the music, I’ve since been informed that it’s too loud but I can’t change it after upload. 😢
When I was looking online with what you recommended the total price I'm looking at is almost $150 did I do something wrong?
I was not looking at the grab bags and I also had the price of a soldering iron added in, your price is still slightly off but not nearly as high as mine
Yeah it will probably cost more than $60 buying just 1, I tend to get packs and stuff which bring down the price, and with Ultrasabers I try to buy enough grab bag blades or whatever to get free shipping ($50+ gets free shipping) because their shipping is SUPER expensive
I also didn’t include the soldering iron (or any tools at all) so it will cost more if you don’t have those
And it’s possible prices have gone up, they tend to do that and I haven’t bought supplies for one of these in a while
The LED strips say that anything over 5V will damage them, but you are sending 9V to them, correct?
Correct. I don't think I've had any issues, but there could be more long term problems. If you can supply something closer to 5V, better safe than sorry. If not, I mean, it's working fine for me!
I want a neopixel lightsaber so bad but considering I'm in middle school I can't sodder or understand any programming. I also don't want to buy a neopixel lightsaber considering the cheapest good one seems to be 160 dollars by imperial workshop. Idk what to do, make one or buy one. Any recommendations on what to do or if there are cheaper good neopixel lightsabers available.
Yeah neopixel lightsabers are super expensive, that’s why I made these (I’m actually surprised by the one on Imperial Workshop, might be the cheapest I’ve seen). I would definitely recommend making one if you can find someone to do the soldering, I also recently did a video on some other ways to make cheap sabers without soldering (not neopixel, but pretty good and cheap too), if you want to check it out: ua-cam.com/video/dzagQAo-MQ0/v-deo.htmlsi=1yBq4FVaZv1TcHtI
@@danovation thanks so much for the reply. That helps a lot.
MANY of the online sellers are actually resellers, you can get a pixel lightsaber with a simple hilt for around 100$ [shipping included]
also if you are worried about toughness, you might want to consider a baselit. you can get a solid baselit SRGB saber for about 60$
If you want to make a baselit, you can do that for like $40 (I have a video on it and I’m sure you could find others with a quick search)
When i try to make the prototype only 1 led is on, the one just above the connection. And the botton wont work if i press.
There could be a couple of issues here. One possibility is the program could be messed up. To check that you can go to File>Examples>FastLED>DemoReel100 and upload this program, if it works, it'll light up the first 100 LEDs (assuming there are enough).
Another possibility is I've heard of some people having trouble with using 9V, you could try it with 5 or so volts instead if possible.
@@danovation ok thanks, btw is there any problem if I use the oficial nano arduino board?
@@laiasimon2809 Not at all, that would be even better!
you're such a great person
Thank you so much! 😊
Is there any code to make the led orange?
So the double click will make it go thru the colors and you can select orange or (if you haven’t uploaded the code and saved the color to EEPROM yet) you could set the default color to like 255, 165, 0 which is orange
Thanks I really appreciate
@@sillyboz0 Of course!
...this video is giving me PTSD fladhbacks to my coding courses in college. 🤣😂🤣
Ok prof, what grade did I get?
@@danovation I don't know. I blocked out those years. 😂🤣😂
But definitely better than I got.
@@danovation when I see C++ my right eye just starts to twitch, uncontrollably. 😂
@@noneyabidness9644 ahaha well in this case the code is freely available, so if you want to make a lightsaber you can minimize the eye twitching 😆
Hey great video, will this work with raspberry pi pico?
I think the Pico should be able to do this stuff, but it does only run at 3.3v so I'm not sure if it can control the LEDs, and it definitely can't power the LEDs. Also I don't believe the Pico can be powered off of 9V.
Also the exact code would probably be a bit different (FastLED may or may not be available on the Pico but if it isn't there are presumably other replacements)
So, if you have some experience with the Pico and/or Arduino and want to do some messing around, I'm sure you could pull this off. If this is your first project, it will probably be a lot less confusing to use an Arduino board that runs at 5V, so you can get a more similar setup to what I did here.
@@danovation thanks very much, its my first project i have a pico laying around but i think i will just buy a arduino it will be easier for me.
As soon as I can afford 60 bucks imma do this, the only thing I don't particularly like is the hilt and accent quality but it should be pretty simple to grind out my own using something like aluminum and a Dremel, although it's gonna take ten years lmao. That's fine, it's gonna take forever to save up anyway, I have time to think on it. Anyway, amazing video thank you!
Yeah I was very pressed for time and obviously didn't do the hilt justice. I hope you can make something cool, be sure to let me know if you need any help!
@@danovation i will, thank you! And thank you again for such a great video!
for 60$ you can also get a really nice baselit SRGB lightsaber, not a pixel blade but very fun
@@MarkyJayTX where from? I think I could scrape up sixty bucks in the next few months so
@@misterfedorattv TXQSaber their alibaba store has tons and tons of sabers. I highly recommend any of the SRGB one, they have smooth swing and an sd card slot so you can customize your soundfonts. I have complied a pretty good list of their cheaper options if you wanted suggestions
Hello. I got the materials needed for this build.
Problem is , I can not for the life of me get the ATTINY 88 programed.
Alot of other posts say is trash and others say its the best .
BUT..... i cannot get it to do a simple blink program.
please help..
BTW it seems my computer does not recognize it.
Ok so thé ATTiny88 works a little differently than most Arduinos, you have to install a separate package to interface with it, I believe I have a video about it on the channel which I can try to find for you.
I don’t really recommend the Tiny because of its jankiness and it has very little storage so you may have issues from that…
So the code is set to red how to I make the blade color blue? Will I have to remake a brand new code?
No you can change it to any color by double clicking, then it will start to fade through all the colors and you can single click whenever you want to pick a color, it will stop at that color and save it
@@danovation oh thanks!
How long did it take you to complete this great project?
Well, this is my third lightsaber, so the design certainly took a while, but once you know the process and components, it can be done in a day or even a few hours.
@@danovation ok Nice thanks
The lathe went over my $60 budget. Where did you get on so cheap?
Well I was actually given it, so I guess it fits on the budget, but you don’t need a lathe, you can certainly add details by hand
(I’m no expert, just look at my finished hilt 🤣)
Nice call that after 2 min of video, you used the nail clipper for a better finishing 😀
lol I get more comments about clipping my nails than I'd like to admit, but at least this ones positive!
I want to make somw for my brother my dad and me, could you give me a parts list?
yeah there's a list of the parts in the description but a lot of these are already packs of 3+, so it'll hopefully be cheaper than expected, here's the quantities you'll need:
Ultrasabers Cheapest Blade (x3, I prefer the white ones as the clear ones don't diffuse that well, so you can select UltraEdge from the dropdown for an extra $3 if you want. You also get free shipping over $50 so you might have to get some spares as they charge a lot for shipping): ultrasabers.com/product/fullsize-grab-bag-blades/
RGB LED Strips (you’ll need 2 per saber, 6 for 3 sabers): amzn.to/3pKYyHC
Arduino Nano (this is 3): amzn.to/4hCrSGn
Packing Foam (this is PLENTY): amzn.to/49yoZl5
Buttons (enough for 3): amzn.to/3XOyQP5
Switch (enough for 3): amzn.to/3JSb8M3
9V Battery Clip (enough for 3): amzn.to/3D6zQod
Wire (enough for 3): amzn.to/46KA4io
Breadboard (not necessary, but can be helpful for testing. you don't really need more than 1): amzn.to/3NJMsqg
Jumpers (again not necessary unless you want to test before soldering, this is plenty): amzn.to/43eRq3X
Can you put the code in the description fully so I can copy and paste it
I have a link to it in the description but I can see if it will fit, I believe there’s a limit to how many characters you can have
Really good vidéo
Thanks you! I really appreciate it!
Damn bro this is incredible. Very serious questions, how do I get smart like you? Like I want to start to learn how to code and do electronic so I can make cool shit but I honestly don’t even know where to start. Like how did you learn all this stuff?
Thanks so much!
I mostly learned by following UA-cam tutorials and doing tutorial-guided projects. I think my first intro to it was one of the starter kits on inventr.io which came with some pdf tutorials.
An awesome project to check out is the MicroCade, which is the newer version of a little arcade thing I learned a TON of programming on and it comes with a soldering iron, which I definitely recommend getting and learning how to use! It has a bunch of written tutorials and I’ve done a few video tutorials (the tutorials that say 8BitCade and MicroCade are interchangeable, the MicroCade is just newer hardware, same software).
If you’re passionate about it and you just start following projects, learning the basics (I do have an Arduino basics video), you’ll get there faster than you think.
Also let me know if you have any questions or need links to some of this stuff and I’ll be happy to help!
WTF with that nail, my guy!?! other than that, all props to you. video's pretty good.
Thanks so much! Don’t worry, I’ve cut my nails since then 😬
my brain after i finally finish it , "chimpi chimpi champa champa
lol