This is one crazy 8*8*8 LED Cube Build. We have seen other LED Cubes here before but I have never seen one documented as well as this one, if you are looking for some pointers when you build your own this project would make for a great resource. Latches are used to provide the large number of outputs needed to interface to the cube. Check out the video below for the great results.
Thanks Christian
“To get get the required 64 output lines needed for the LED anodes, we will create a simple multiplexer circuit. This circuit will multiplex 11 IO lines into 64 output lines.
The multiplexer is built by using a component called a latch or a flip-flop. We will call them latches from here on.
This multiplexer uses an 8 bit latch IC called 74HC574. This chip has the following pins:
- 8 inputs (D0-7)
- 8 outputs (Q0-7)
- 1 “latch” pin (CP)
- 1 output enable pin (OE)
Here is what you need to make a LED cube:
- 512x LEDs (plus some extra for making mistakes!)
- 64x resistors. (see separate step for ohm value)
- 1x or 2x large prototype PCBs. The type with copper “eyes”, see image.
- 1x ATmega32 microcontroller (you can also use the pin-compatible ATmega16)
- 3x status LEDs. You choose color and size.
- 3x resistors for the status LEDs.
- 8x 74HC574 ICs
- 16x 2n2222 transistors
- 16x 1k resistors
- 1x 74HC138 IC
- 1x Maxim MAX232 IC
- 1x 14.7456 MHz crustal
- 2x 22pF ceramic capacitors
- 16x 0.1uF ceramic capacitors
- 3x 1000uF electrolytic capacitor
- 3x 10uF electrolytic capacitor
- 1x 100uF electrolytic capacitors
- 8x 20 pin IC sockets
- 1x 40 pin IC socket
- 2x 16 pin IC socket
- 1x 2-pin screw terminal
- 2x 2wire cable with plugs
- 9x 8-pin terminal pins
- 1x 4-pin terminal pins
- 2x 16-pin ribbon cable connector
- 1x 10-pin ribbon cable connector
- Ribbon cable
- 2x pushbuttons
- 2x ribbon cable plugs
- 9x 8-pin female header plugs
- Serial cable and 4pin female pin header
- Piece of wood for template and base
- 8x optional pull-up resistors for layers
- 5v power supply (see separate step for power supply)”
