Control your RGB LED strip wirelessly with ESP8266

Hello! In this article, I will explain how to use an ESP8266 µC in order to control an RGB LED strip, for amazing color shows. 

This project relies on a 3-channel constant current driver for the RGB LED strip. Due to the WiFi compatibility of the ESP8266 we can control the lights in any way we can think of.

Blynk App interfacing with Esp8266: 

First of all, you need to download the Blynk application, which you can get from the App Store or from Google Play. There, you need to create a project and select the ESP8266 as the microcontroller, and a WiFi connection type. When you click “Create” the App sends a token to the registered email address. Keep that token for later. Now, you can add 3 vertical sliders, for each color. Assign those to the GPIO’s 0, 15 and 1. 

You set 3 pins of the ESP for each color. You want to make sure that you choose PWM pins since their voltage will change proportional to the value of the color. This value is then transferred to the MOSFET drivers, which makes a voltage out of it. This voltage is then used to control the Gate of the corresponding MOSFET. There are 3 of them, for each color.

You can also change the color of the sliders in red, green and blue. Now you hit start and adjust the sliders, but your device has not been online yet. For that, you need to connect your ESP8266 to the computer and include the board through the board’s manager and type in your network SSID and password, as well as the token you just received. Have a look at a past tutorial about how to do this if you don’t know yet.

Learning How to Use Esp8266 in Combination with Blynk App | IoT

IOT Based Home Automation by Using ESP8266 (NodeMcu) with Blynk

Now, when you hit connect again in the Blynk app, you can see that your board is connected. You can control your microcontroller over WiFi now, so let’s move on to the functioning principle of this project.

Why MOSFETs?

We use the MOSFETs in combination with their drivers to achieve a constant current so that the LED’s don’t overheat in time. If we used the constant voltage method, the LED’s would heat up in time, and their forward voltage would drop, which would mean that the current would rise. This could shorten the lifetime of the LED’s drastically. But we make sure that it doesn’t happen, by applying a constant current which is defined.

Schematic Diagram: 

Required Components:

• 1x ESP8266(NodeMCU)
• 3x 10uH inductor
• 3x 1N4007 diode
• 1x LM7805 voltage regulator
• 2x 470uF capacitor
• 3x 220nF capacitor
• 3x MCP602 OpAmp
• 4x TC4420 MOSFET driver
• 4x IRLZ44N mosfet
• 4x 10 ohm
• 3x 5.1kohm
• 3x 2kohm
• 3x 10kohm

Where To Use :

Now you can install this beautiful and friendly module wherever you would like to have any color. You can easily Embed this into your Office, Room, Party, Bed, Computer desk or anywhere you want to have some fun. 

Printed Circuit Board (PCB) : 

We ordered some PCBs for our Project from one of the best PCB manufacturer in China. PCBGOGO is highly specialized not only in quick-turn PCB prototype and PCB assembly but also medium and small volume PCB fabrication, with three factories, established over 17,000 square meters.

Placing Your Order Made Easy | Watch the Tutorial Video :

• Click here to Signup
• Provide PCB Specification
• View Your Gerber File Online
• Save it to Cart
• Upload Gerber File
• Wait for Confirmation
• Complete Payment Process | Click Here if you want to Know More about Online Order of PCB

The PCBs Arrived For Our Project :

PCBGOGO is a very qualitative Chinese PCB manufacturer with very fast shipping time. we received our my PCBs in 2 (!!!!) days, which is awesome.  PCBGOGO provides you an amazing work on PCB manufacturing and as well as PCB assembling. This website PCBgogo.com can really help you guys, to place your orders. PCBgogo promises its’ customers to provide them with fast delivery service and to place their order as soon as possible.

Final Look of PCB After the Assembling of Components : 

Final Demonstration Video 👇 :

PCB Gerber File Price is $20 | Contact us if you are interested

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