Nano Biscotte neopixel build

[Emortis]

So I just ordered my pieces for my hilt(which I added a pic of) and I am going to finish the hilt before I put anything aside of it, but I want to end up doing a neopixel build with a Nano Biscotte so I thought I would ask y'alls advice so I can make sure I get what I need when the time comes.

I want a removable 18650 battery and I will be using the bass speaker. I will have one recessed 16mm momentary switch in the default position. I am using all v1 parts. For the blade I will be using 3 strips of neopixels fixed to a plastic triangle rod running the length of the blade.


1. Would you guys recommend the modular wiring system, and if so, is there a chassis you would recommend or do I need to build one specifically for this hilt? It looks like the pre-made chassis systems don't accept the prewired Nano so I want to see what my options are.

2. Do I need a kill switch? I see that the Nano has a feature specifically made for saving power but I don't know if this takes the place of a kill switch or if it is something completely different.

3. What parts do I need for the neopixel, just the "MHS V1 NeoPixel Hilt Side Adapter" and the "Pre-Soldered NeoPixel PCB connector and pin set"?



Any tips or advice is more than welcome. I can do all the metal work(making knives is a hobby of mine so I have all the tools), I just don't have much experience with electronics so I want to make sure I have everything I need for this build.

If this is too vague to offer any easy advice let me know what info I can provide

Thanks in advance! Super excited to build some sabers for my son and I for DragonCon this year!!!

[Tom Tilmon]

Neopixels are ambitious for a first build. If you want swappable batteries, you could go with a MHS V6 chassis. With the nano, you don't necessarily need a rc port/kill key. Don't store your blade in the saber, and you should be ok.

Building the blade is a whole different adventure. The triangle strips seem like a good idea, but with an 18650, that might be a bit of an ambitious plan. I follow Spacewindu around on the youtubes and other forums. He seems pretty set on 2 back to back strips.

His public diffusion method: back to back strips, wrapped in 3 layers of clear shrink tube, shoved into foam tubes, shoved into transwhite blades.

I add cellophane wraps outside of my packing foam wraps, and I also use TCSS Strip Diffusion tubes inside my blade. You also need to remove the mirror from the blade tip, hollow it out (which is an adventure in and of itself), and you forgot the blade end in your parts list. Plus you need data line resistors, etc. Neopixel isn't quite so simple. PS, nice hilt, reminds me of one I know of.

[Emortis]

Neopixels are ambitious for a first build.

Yes, I absolutely know that I am being a bit ambitious but I am in the guitar pedal community so I think I can get some help putting everything together. I really thought about just doing a traditional tri-cree, but I just can't get past how great the neopixels look. I'm not completely inept and putting things together so I think that I can just have that be the really hard part I have to do at the end of it....and if I totally fail then I just go tri-cree!

To be honest I almost went with a crystal chamber too but I am going to work on one for a side project(I've already got a prototype made from parts I found at home depot). So I've actually scaled back a little bit...I keep telling myself I there will be plenty of other builds to go ham with.

If you want swappable batteries, you could go with a MHS V6 chassis.

Perfect thank you

The triangle strips seem like a good idea, but with an 18650, that might be a bit of an ambitious plan. I follow Spacewindu around on the youtubes and other forums. He seems pretty set on 2 back to back strips.

Ok, Yes I have watched all(well, a whole bunch of) his stuff and thought about doing the 2 only, which may still be in the cards...but I have seen a few guys do 3 and they are pretty amazing. Do you think there is a practical way to use a 26650? I already have 6 that I use for my vape(2 years no cigarettes!), so I would be really happy if I could incorporate those instead....I just figured that it would be a tight squeeze. I was planning on carrying around like 6-8 18650s at the Con and just replacing when needed.

What kind of run time are you getting with the 18650?

Maybe you are right and I should just start with 2. Fortunately I have some time to figure out what is actually doable while I design the hilt. I really appreciate the help.




I think I have seen some of your videos too! Really cool stuff man. This is a such a great community I'm really excited to start building and getting some feedback.

[Tom Tilmon]

BTW, another cautionary note: I have seen a few guys burn mosfets on the NBIV with neopixels running too much through them, another reason to perhaps dial back to 2 strips, to not kill your board. In the NBIV instruction manual, Erv suggests double strips. When they enabled neopixels on Plecter boards, i don't think they envisioned all the things people would try. I'm a soul of caution, which is why I suggested doubles.

I'm running back to back adafruit strips in my blades right now. I'm currently building a 5050 back to back, which space says draws a tad more juice.

On an 18650 in Mako, depending on the color blade I'm running, I get about 30-45 minutes of run time. My Kylo saber, which does incorporate a 26650, I can get about an hour and a half, maybe an hour and 45, if I'm not constantly running it, and allow it to cool between cycles.

Again, mixed colors and white eat juice.

My 26650, I built 2 of these, one for me, and another for a 501st buddy in FLA. (demo at 28:40 if you skip the bull, this was an instructional vid):

[Emortis]

Then I will take the advice of someone who has actually made one and go with 2

Do you think I should use a Teensy board or stick with the Nano for this build? I thought about getting the Prizm but figured I'd start with the cheaper board.

[Tom Tilmon]

nano is a good place to start. teensy can be a bit complex. Prism works too, that is what I did all my bench testing for blade diffusion tests. I did that for months. Nobody has really figured out the perfect system for diffusion yet. My blades are good, but I think there is too much stuff in there dimming them. I'm trying some stuff spacewindu is doing right now trying to make my blades brighter. My blade is brighter than in-hilts, but I think it can be brighter still. Neopixels are cool, but they are also a PITA.

Tom

[Meatsweats]

I agree with Tom, he knows what he’s talking about. Triple strips are an order of magnitude more difficult than back to back right now due to battery, wiring, and diffusion issues. Once we get narrower strips then it should be good.

My diffusion method for back to backs is MR foam, several revolutions of clear cellophane, TCSS firm blade diffuser, 1 in clear blade. It works really well, no corncobbing and extremely minimal shadowing. I could never get the heat shrink method to look good.

[jbkuma]

Triple strips are actually harder to diffuse because you are pushing your problems closer to the wall, and the 3535 LEDs on the skinny strips are further apart, so it's not like that's a perfect solution either. The biggest downside to the 3 strip blade is that your power requirements start approaching insane, you could be drawing over 20 amps depending on the color and length.

Meatsweats has the key, I haven't used the TCSS diffuser, but the cellophane/gift wrap that is typically recommended for diffusing regular blades is exceptional at smoothing out your pixel blade as well. I also prefer clear blade over white blades, I haven't found that white blades help very much, if anything I think they highlight the individual pixels, and I just just hate the way they look anyway. As Tom said, the diffusion will definitely steal some of the brightness, but in the end it's still brighter than a RGB fancy flashlight. Space Windu has demonstrated many combinations of pixels with day blades and enhanced blades that look fantastic, you can find his videos on YouTube.

[Darth_Banyon]

Ok so not to hijack this thread but I do have a neopixel question for those of you who have built them....All the NP blades I have seen videos of the activation and retraction animation seems just a tad slow to me, is there a way to speed up the rate at which the blade lights sequence on and off?

I have no plans yet to build a NP blade as I am still new to building and am still dipping my toes into LED blades but someday....someday...

[Tom Tilmon]

The animation is adjustable. Sithy sabers go out slow and dramatic. Jedis are instant out. So, its a preference thing and adjustable by the end user.

Tom