Prusa Multi-Color Unit | RGB Individually Addressable LED Light Bar

This Individually addressable LED Strip moves up and down along with the X-Gantry, giving it the ability to light what's most important, your print. A button attached to the Microcontroller allows for easy toggling between Off / Reactive Mode / Full White. Controlled by an Arduino Nano, the animations change with the printer during Idling, Heating, Auto-Bed Leveling, or an Active Print with no firmware modifications.  

All with one 3-pin plug.

Video: 

Pre-assembled kits here: http://etsy.me/3cjWayl

Additional Information:
- Only compatible with the PRUSA MK3/MK3S/MK3S+
-This will not work if you are POWERING a Raspberry PI Zero off of the Printer's Einsy Rambo. The PI Uses the same pins as the PRUSA MCU and thus will not work
-Uses 5V WS2812 Individually Addressable LEDs
-Compiled with the Arduino FastLED libray
-Max current draw ~300 mA
 

Mandatory Parts list: 

Arduino Nano 

Individually Addressable LED Strip

Bamboo Sticks or Popsicle Sticks

Dupont connectors

M3x20 x2 & M3x8 x1 (Should be some left over in the PRUSA kit)

Tactile Button

Soldering supplies

3 Strand Wire

Small Zipties

Wire Strippers / Crimpers

Hot Glue

Double Stick Tape 

Optional:

JST-SM Connectors

Heat shrink

Braided Wire Sleeving

Black spray Paint (Could use a sharpie as well)

If you buy the pre-assembled kit, you can skip all the steps below. Thanks for supporting me.

Step 1 - LED Light Bar Assembly

• Paint/Color a 13" long wooden stick for the LEDs. It makes it look much better. Attach the LEDs to the wood after paint has set.
• Solder onto the LEDs about 7" of wire. Apply the heat shrink and the braided sleeving.
• On the end, attach male JST-SM connectors or male Dupont connectors.

Step 2 - Prepping the Electronics

• Gather a 3 Strand wire about 9" long. On one end attach male Dupont connectors to all three colors. (Wire A)
• On the opposite end, attach one female Dupont connector to the GREEN (signal) wire.
• Strip off long amounts of wire on the remaining red / white wires.

• Create another 3 Strand wire about 2" long (Wire B)
• On one end attach female JST-SM connectors or female Dupont connectors (this directly attaches to the LED light wires)
• On the opposite end, attach one female Dupont connector to the GREEN (signal) wire.
• Strip off long amounts of wire on the remaining red / white wires.

• Create TWO 2-strand wires that are approximately 2.5" in length. (Wire C & Wire D)
• Attach female Dupont connectors to one end and on the other end strip off long amounts of wire

Step 3 - Soldering

• Solder Wire C to OPPOSITE prongs on the tactile button.
• Solder the red wires from Wire A & B. Then solder one strand of Wire D to the red wire, effectively tapping into the +5v wire.
• Soldering the white wires from Wire A & B. Then solder the other strand of Wire D to the white wire, effectively tapping into the ground wire. The green wires from each end will connect to the Arduino.

Step 4 - Electronics Assembly

• Insert the “Arduino No Mess up Connector” onto the Arduino. The notch should be on the same side as the USB port and It should sit flush with the pins. This helps when connecting all the wires.

• Insert and glue the Tactile button from the side where a weird bevel is sticking out for the “Light Controller - Lid"
• Follow the wiring diagram below to plug in all the connections to the Arduino. Don't do anything with the Einsy Rambo yet.

• Insert the Arduino and all its' wires into the Light Controller box. The wires that go to the LED Strip should come out on the same side to where the Arduino's USB port is.

Step 5 - Flashing the Arduino

• WITH THE LED LIGHTS UNPLUGGED FROM THE ARDUINO & PRINTER, go here and flash the Arduino with the Sketch titled “3D printer lights"

Step 6 - Printer Assembly 

• Follow the assembly guide here. Note that you will need to use cable ties in order to attach the LEDs to the printer.