instructables
Artnet LED Pixels With ESP8266
by mtongnz
After the success of my last Instructable, ESP8266
Artnet to DMX, I have completely revamped my
espArtNetNode code, releasing v2 with new features
such as RDM support and WS2812 output. This code
is still in beta and there are a few known bugs - and
probably a few unknown also.
I have written this Instructable to help with some
common questions on setting this device up to control
WS2812 pixels.
We will quickly look at how I have laid out and wired
my 30 x 15 pixels, then I'll show you which settings
you need to get the ESP connected. Next, I'll do a
quick run through how to patch the ESP outputs into
Jinx so we can get some cool effects running. In the
Artnet LED Pixels With ESP8266: Page 1
final step, I'll discuss some of the issues I'm currently
having and things I'd like to add in the future.
The video here will show you very quickly through all
of these steps. I apologize for the poor sound quality -
I don't have an external microphone and my laptop
fans are really loud.
I'd love to see how you use this. Post some photos,
videos and comments below to let me know your
experience and any suggestions you may have. I
read all the comments I receive and try to reply in a
timely manner.
Let's get started....
 https://youtu.be/WXv9AU-MPBU
Step 1: Pixel Layout and Wiring
This step is fairly easy but very time consuming.
Find a board to mount everything to - I used a 6mm
MDF sheet, 600mm x 1200mm in size.
Work out the best way to lay everything out. I had 3x
5m rolls of tape so decided to do 15x 1m strips. This
gave me 200mm at the side for the electronics and
PSU. I used small bolts and standoffs to mount the
PSU and PCBs. Measure the hole spacing and drill
through the MDF - you might want to make a test
template using scrap paper first.
I spaced the tape so the LEDs are the same distance
apart as they are on the tape. I used the adhesive
already on the LED tape to stick it down. Make sure
you pay attention to the data in and data out for each
strip - have them alternate to make connecting the
data lines easier, ending up in a snakelike pattern.
Also make sure your ESP location is next to the data
in for the first strip.
1 1
4 6
2
5
1. ESP8266 on my protoype PCB
2. 5V Power Distro
3. 5V 70A PSU
4. Data In. Orange wires are data
5. I ran 3 separate power lines - 5 strips on each
6. Black gaff to hide the data connections and hold the LED tape down
Artnet LED Pixels With ESP8266: Page 2
Now wire all the power up. I chose to run 3 power
lines, 1 per 5m of tape, and each with it's own fuse.
When using such a large PSU, I'd recommend fuses
to ensure you don't damage anything if there's a
short. I mounted my fuses to a small piece of perf
board to make a basic power distro board. If your
runs are longer than about 150 pixels, you'll need to
"inject" power along the runs to ensure the LED
brightness and colour doesn't suffer. Make sure you
insulate any connections so you don't get a short.
Data can now be connected. My code will allow a
max of 680 ws2812 pixels per port. Wire the ESP to
the data in of the first strip. Wire the data out of the
first strip to the data in of the second strip, data out of
the second to data in of the third....
To finish it off, I ran a strip of black gaff tape to hold
the end down and protect the small data connections
when I move it around.
2
1. Orange is data - wired in snaking pattern
2. Green is negative
Blue is positive
 1

3
2

1. 5V from PSU
2. 3x 5V to LED Strips
3. 2 spare outputs if needed

1 2 1

1. Fuses - just in case. 70A is a lot! 1. 3.3V reg for the ESP. My surface mount regs haven't arrived yet :)
2. 240V mains in
3. 5V power
3x +ve
3x -ve
4. Power to the ESP

Artnet LED Pixels With ESP8266: Page 3

 3
1

1. APA106 LEDs for status 1. Voltage regs go here but haven't arrived yet
2. PortA data out - I've bypassed the MAX485 & 2. PCB XLRs also haven't arrived
OK 3. 5V DC-DC for electrical isolation
3. Data in for the strips - and I damaged the 5V
pad when I cut the strip

Artnet LED Pixels With ESP8266: Page 4

 2

1. I haven't installed the optocouplers yet as it allows me access to RX/TX for

flashing the ESP8266
2. Power regs still unpopulated :(

Artnet LED Pixels With ESP8266: Page 5

Step 2: ESP8266 Hardware & Firmware

The PCB in the photos is of the prototype which I'm
currently testing. It is not quite finalised so the PCB
files aren't yet public. I have however put the
schematic above. There are also earlier schematics
available on my github along with a Max485 to Pixel
schematic needed if you use this schematic in it's
entirety - I bypassed the OK & Max485 in the
schematic above for my testing.
Ensure you have the latest ESP8266 Arduino Core
files and the latest Arduino IDE version.
You can get the latest source code and pre-compiled
binaries for this project from my github. You can also
submit bugs or requests using the Issues tab there or
you can post in the comments below.
it. I'm not going to cover this here as it's already been
covered.
Once you've flashed the ESP, unplug it for a few
seconds before repowering it. I find a soft reset
doesn't always work for me.
The next time you want to flash firmware, you can do
so via the web UI explained in the next step. In the
Arduino IDE, goto Sketch->Export Compiled Binary
to generate a .bin file in your sketch directory. Then
goto the ESP web UI, select the firmware tab and
upload it there. This is much easier then connecting a
USB-serial programmer each time. You can also use
pre-compiled bin files from my github when they're
released.

Open the source file, connect the ESP8266 and flash

1. Source code for this project

2. Precompiled binaries for various devices
3. Prizes that are available to people who contribute to this project

1
3
2

1. Firmware - note that beta5g is not up on my github yet

2. Artnet and ESTA codes
3. Uncomment these to set your board type

Artnet LED Pixels With ESP8266: Page 6

Step 3: EspArtNetNode Config
Now that you've got the device firmware installed, we
can start getting everything connected.
Your computer should be able to see a WiFi network
called espArtNetNode_xxxxx (the network will have a
random number based on the chip's ID). Connect to it
- the default password is byMtongnz2017 which can
be changed later if you wish.
Once you're connected, open your browser to 2.0.0.1
and you should see the settings UI shown above. The
first page gives you a run down of your settings.
Head to the WiFi settings page. Either enter your
WiFi SSID and password or you could use stand
alone mode. Click save - the save button should turn
green to indicate the ESP has saved the settings.
If you need, head to the IP settings page and set a
static IP. Once again click save.
Now unplug your ESP, wait a few seconds and
repower it. Once again, I find it sometimes doesn't
work when using a soft reset.
Reconnect to your main WiFi and you should be able
to now point your browser at your ESPs new IP. If
you're using DHCP, you may need to check on your
routers config page to find the IP. You should see the
same settings UI.
Artnet LED Pixels With ESP8266: Page 7
Head to the port A and/or port B settings. Choose
WS2812 as the port type then click save - you should
now have options for your pixel output, filled with the
defaults which should be fine for most people.
First set the protocol - I use Artnet but you can use
sACN if desired. sACN will still use Artnet for
discovery and configuration.
Next, set the number of pixels - less pixels per port
will make the device faster so it pays to set it to what
you actually have but leaving it higher wont cause
any issues.
Make sure you have pixel mapping as the mode. 12
channel FX allows you to control all your pixels while
only using 12 DMX channels. It's explained more on
my github.
Finally set the Net, Subnet and Universe settings.
Each DMX universe allows 512 channels, so 170
RGB pixels. Hence why we need 4 universes for 680
pixels :)
Once everything is set, click save again. Make sure
you click save if you intend to leave the page as the
device won't prompt you to save and you'll lose any
changes.
1. Hidden for obvious reasons :)
2. This allows you to run without connecting to a router
 1

1
2

1. These are sent to Artnet controllers to identify this device 1. Artnet settings
4x Universes = 680 pixels
2. sACN is only if you select sACN as the protocol

Artnet LED Pixels With ESP8266: Page 8

Step 4: Jinx Config
Jinx is a free software for controlling LED matrices. It
is not the only software for this - there are heaps of
others available, both free and paid.
Start off by unchecking the Start Output option in the
Setup menu. You'll be unable to make any changes
while this is enabled.
Now we need to add some Output Devices, also in
the Setup menu. Click Add, select Artnet or sACN,
turn off Broadcast, enter the ESPs IP, enter the Net,
Subnet and Universe as per the settings from the
previous step, and then click OK to save the device.
You need to add a new device for each universe
you'll need - I'm using 3 for my 450 pixels.
Once you've added all your devices, click Close.
Open the Matrix Options and enter your pixel
dimensions - for me it's 30 pixels wide by 15 high. I
don't touch the other options. Click OK to save the
settings and close the window.
Now open the Output Patch. This is the tricky part
and you must match each pixel in the physical world
with each pixel in Jinx. My pixels are patched in a
snaking pattern, starting at the top left corner but you
can have them in any configuration you'd like. Start
by clicking Clear Patch - the patch should already be
clear but this makes sure.
Red squares means there's no output patched to that
1. Setup menu
Artnet LED Pixels With ESP8266: Page 9
pixel, green means there is. Click a square and you'll
see the device it's patched to and the channel for red,
green and blue. You can manually enter these for
each pixel but that'll take a while.
Select the top left corner and click the Fast Patch
button. Select the dimensions for what you're
patching, for me it's X: 30, Y: 6 (180 pixels - it'll only
patch 170 as that's the max per universe). In patch
mode, select the wiring type you used, for me it's
snake lines starting top left. Set your pixel order -
normally RBG for ws2812. For the first channel, set it
as 0 (Jinx counts from 0, not 1). Select your device -
mine is 192.168.0.37 (0 | 0 | 0). Now click OK and
your channels will be patched.
Use the fast patch in combination with manual
patching until your entire matrix is patched. Then click
close on the patch window.
Go back to the Setup menu and check the Start
Output option.
Jinx should now be sending data to your pixels via
the ESP - but it's probably all black for now. Have a
play with the various effects and find something you
like. Jinx allows you to scroll text, play video, have an
EQ running and you can store scenes for later
callback.
 1

1. Manually set pixel address

Artnet LED Pixels With ESP8266: Page 10

Step 5: Bugs and Future Goals
As you can see here, there are a few bugs and
feature requests that still need to be addressed. I'm
going to discuss the main ones below and also
mention my give away for people who help me out
with these.
Main Bug:
The biggest bug at present it a watchdog timer reset
which occurs about 10-20 minutes into operation. I
haven't been able to find the cause of this yet.
Suggestions for a cause at this stage are that it's
related to a rouge interrupt or possibly the
WiFi/service routines being blocked for too long. I am
offering a reward for the person(s) who can fix this
issue.
Feature Wish List:
Many of the other issues are more feature requests.
They range from web UI improvements to support for
other pixel types.
Artnet LED Pixels With ESP8266: Page 11
I would like to see a scene storage feature added as I
have in v1.2 of this device. With the addition of the
ws2812 support, there is a lot more data to store. I'd
also like to be able to store chases. This is a feature
for which there is a reward offered.
People would also like to have a hardware button or
screen to select stored scenes. Once scenes storage
is implemented, I think this would be easy to add.
I'd also like to allow DMX inout to control ws2812
output or DMX scenes on the other port. This may be
quite tricky to implement.
Give Away
I am offering a few of my PCBs featured in this
Instructable as prizes/rewards for people who
contribute to this project. In addition to the 2
mentioned above, I'm giving one to someone who
contributes the most. They will be fully populated and
flashed with the latest firmware. Details are here.