INteractive LED Panel Kits

A DIY Electronics Project designed by

Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories

Making the World a Better Place,One Evil Mad Scientist at a Time

Support: http://www.evilmadscientist.com/forum/

Distributed by Kit version 3.3

Evil Mad Science LLC Manual v. 3.3A
EvilMadScience.com
Step 0: Safety, Warnings, Et Cetera
While we want you to be happy with our kits, there’s something you need to know:
We cannot supervise you.
No, really, we can’t. Your safety and compliance with local law is fully your own responsibility.

Our kits are designed with the goals of enriching the world through electronics education and
improving access to media for electronic art. It is our intention that this kit can be built to create an
interesting piece of electronic art, and we actively encourage you to hack, modify and improve upon
our design.

While we strive to make our kits and instructions safe and reliable, it is ultimately not possible for us
to ensure that either your process or completed product will be safe and/or reliable. You, as the user
of your own hands and mind, must take that responsibility. We cannot inspect your handiwork for
functionality or safe operation. It is your own responsibility to ensure that the artwork that you have
built is safe enough to operate in your home or wherever you choose to install it.

Always use common sense and appropriate safety precautions. Tools, heat, chemicals, electricity, foods
and things-not-in-this-list can all be extremely dangerous if not used correctly. Minors should not
attempt to use a soldering iron without supervision by a responsible adult.

Soldering irons and things that have recently touched them can be extremely hot; you can burn
yourself, someone else, and even set fire to large expensive things that you did not intend to. Wear
eye protection, especially when soldering and/or clipping leads. Clipped leads can fly a long way, so
make sure that everyone nearby also has their eyes safe!

Use of our instructions and kit materials is entirely at your own risk. (If we tell you to do something
stupid, don’t do it just because we told you to.) We disclaim responsibility for any and all direct and
indirect damage, injury, or expense that could possibly arise from use of our kit materials and/or
instructions. In no case shall we be liable in any amount for any kind of damage, loss, or injury
resulting from the use of this kit and/or instructions.

If you do not find these terms acceptable, please return your kit for a refund.

Evil Mad Science LLC

440 N. Wolfe Rd.
Sunnyvale, CA 94085, USA
 STEP 1: Tool Checklist
Essential tools: Needed to build the kit: Optional but recommended:

1. Soldering iron 1. Resistor lead forming tool

A basic soldering iron meant for electronics, with a Allows fast, neat bending
reasonably fine point tip. We recommend one of of resistor leads.
this design-- a "pencil shape" soldering iron (not
gun!) with a base that holds the iron and a wet This one is Speedy Bend 801,
sponge. Mouser part #5166-801 (~$8)

While you don’t need an expensive one, the iron (Also now available at the
can make a big difference in the time needed to Evil Mad Science Shop!)
build the kit. (Seriously. If you use one that is old
and busted, or an ultra-low-end $10 iron, expect
to spend at least twice as long soldering!)

Our recommendation for a low-cost iron:

WLC100 by Weller, about $40.
2. DIP IC lead bender

2. Solder Bend those IC leads straight

to put them in the holes.
Not really a big deal, but....
Thin rosin core solder.

60/40 solder is easy to use; e.g., Jameco 99363: ~$8

diameter of .025” or so is typical
for work like this.

Either standard (lead-bearing) or newer

“lead free” solder types will both work
just fine. 3. 5/64” Hex Wrench
For attaching circuit boards to
standoffs.
3. Angle Flush Cutters May be hard to find outside the USA,
but then again, it is optional.

For clipping loose wire ends.

4. Desoldering braid
e.g., Sears Craftsman
Well, let’s hope that nothing
needs to get desoldered.... but....
 Step 2. Identify Basic Stuff
Bill Of Materials Printed Circuit Boards
The Bill of Materials (BOM) is a customized Interactive LED Panel Kit: Bill of Materials:: 8 panel version Kit version 3.1, 5/2008
Item #0 on the BOM. The circuit boards
master list of the parts that are in your kit. Line # Per
Panel
Reference Description Type Tot
Qty
are 12x12 inches square and are made of
Keep it handy; you might need it. a standard flame retardant fiberglass
0 1- Circuit board Version 3.1 8
1 4- Standoff, round, 6-32 x 3/4" Keystone 3488 32
2 4- Screw, Stainless 6-32 BSCS 32
3 14 R101,R102,R103, R115,R116, Resistor 5.1 K OHM 1/4W 5% CFR-25JB-5K1 112

epoxy composite with copper traces and

R201,R202,R203,
R301,R302,R303,
R401,R402,R403

These instructions will refer to items in the plated through holes. The finish is lead-
4 12 R104,R107,R108,R204, Resistor 51 K OHM 1/4W 5% CFR-25JB-51K 96
R207,R208,R304,R307,
R308,R404,R407,R408
5 4 R105,R205,R305,R405 Resistor 100 K OHM 1/4W 5% CFR-25JB-100K 32

BOM by line item number. For example, line free solder covered by black epoxy
6 20 R106,R111,R112,R113, Resistor 6.8M OHM 1/4W 5% CFR-25JB-6M8 160
R114,R206,R211,R212,
R213,R214,R306,R311,
R312,R313,R314,R406,
R411,R412,R413,R414

7 on the BOM refers to a 200 ohm resistor. 7 11 R109,R110, R209,R210,R215,

R309, R310,R315,
R409,R410,R415
Resistor 200 Ohm, 1/4W CFR-25JB-200R 88

“solder mask” with a white silkscreen

We will refer to that part here as part “#7”. legend on the top side.
8 10 C101,C102,C201,C202, Capacitor 0.22 uF poly film, box BQ014D0224K 80
C301,C302,C401,C402, construction
C403,C404
9 4 Q100,Q200,Q300,Q400 Phototransistor, Infrared (black) LTR-3208E 32
10 8 IRD100,IRD101, LED, Infrared LTE-5208A 64
IRD200,IRD201,
IRD300,IRD301,
IRD400,IRD401

Be careful handling printed circuit boards

11 4 U101,U201,U301,U401 IC, Quad op-amp LM324N 32
12 2 J12, J41 Connector Female 8 pos. female, PPPC081LGBN-RC 16
gold, 0.100” right angle
13 2 J23, J34 Connector, Header, 8 pos., gold, 22-28-8082 16

(PCBs); the edges can sometimes be

0.100” right angle
14 80 D100,D101,D102,D103,D104, LEDs, WHITE, BLUE, “PURE” Various 640
D105,D106,D107,D108,D109, GREEN, or VIOLET ONLY. VF =
D110,D111,D112,D113,D114, 3.2V-3.4V @ 20 mA. Parts
D115,D116,D117,D118,D119, should have similar brightness and

15 -
and D200 (....), D300 (....),
D400 (....)
J400
forward voltage.

Power Jack (one PER KIT) PJ-002AH 1

sharp. If needed, the surface can be
cleaned, gently, with isopropyl alcohol.
16 - S400 Power Switch (one PER KIT) 2M1-SP1-T6-B1-M1QE 1

More about the circuit boards in step 3.

Power Supply Other components

Other components listed on the BOM are in little baggies,
labeled by their BOM line item numbers.
The panels run on 24 V DC and require up to 200
mA per panel.

International users of our universal power

supplies may need to supply a local line cord as
input to the power supply.

The circuit boards and connectors are designed

for a maximum of 2.5 A input current, which limits
how many boards can be connected together if
their power supplies are networked together.

If you wish to connect more than eight panels,

please pay careful attention to step 22 of these
instructions.
 Step 3. Map of the PCB
Orientation Quadrants
One side of the board has the Evil Components on the board are divided into Quadrant Quadrant
four similar quadrants, numbered 1-4.
Mad Science logo. This is the TOP
side of the printed circuit board.
With a few exceptions, the components in
2 3
All electronic components go into each quadrant are identical.
the TOP side of the circuit board, Quadrant Quadrant
except for the power connector Each component on the board has a unique
and power switch. designation. In most cases, the leading digit in
a given part’s designation indicates the I 4
quadrant that it belongs to.

(Top Side) Example: Resistor R311, chip U301, and (Top Side)
capacitor C302 are located in Quadrant 3.

Components in the quadrants

The central block of components in each quadrant is
mostly identical, with the exception of the leading digit
which indicates the quadrant.

Here is what the layout for the central block of quadrant

2 looks like. There are two capacitors (C201, C202),
one integrated circuit (U201), one infrared LED
(IRD201), one phototransistor (Q200) and 14 resistors
(R201 - R214).

This layout is repeated for each of the four quadrants.

NOTE 1: Besides the repeating parts, there are a handful NOTE 2: The array of visible LEDs outside the main
of “irregular” components (including R215 in this view) block is a separate topic that we will return to in steps
that do not repeat between quadrants and have less 11-12, after soldering the other components.
obvious locations.
 Step 4. Add Standoffs + Screws
Add standoffs to bottom side of Circuit Boards
h)
renc • Grab your first PCB panel (part #0) and find parts #1 and #2, the standoffs and screws.
w
” hex Install the standoffs in on the BOTTOM side of each corner, so that the white printing is
/6 4 #1 visible from the top, when the board sits on the standoffs.
(5
You can tighten the screws with a 5/64” hex wrench. If you do not have one, drop the
screw through one of the holes, put your finger over the screw to hold it still, and thread
the standoff fully onto it. (Pressing firmly on the screw head, you can actually get the
standoff very tight this way.) Repeat for all of the PCB panels in your kit.
#2

Top (prin
ted) side
up!

#0

Threaded
Standoff

The following steps concern the electronic components on the circuit boards.
If you are building a multi-panel kit, you can either complete one board and move
on to the next, or instead complete one component on all the panels as you go.
 Step 5. Begin adding Resistors
(...and how to do it.)

Part #3 is a 5.1 kilo-ohm resistor [Unique to quadrant 1]

(Color code: Green-Brown-Red-Gold) (Central Block of quadrant 1 shown)
We are adding a total of 14 of these resistors across the circuit
board. Three are found in the central block of each quadrant:
R101, R102, and R103 (quadrant 1),
R201, R202, and R203 (quadrant 2),
R301, R302, and R303 (quadrant 3), and
R401, R402, and R403 (quadrant 4)
Two more of these appear in quadrant 1 only:
R115 and R116

[Repeats in each quadrant]

Implied procedure for adding electronic components:

1. Bend the leads of components as needed. Insert!

(Resistors need bending, most others do not.
Optionally use lead forming tool shown in Step 1.)

2. Insert each component into the circuit board, from Bend!

the top, at its given location. Push it flush to the board.
(Resistors are unpolarized; they can go in either way.)

3. On the back side, gently bend the leads out at 45° Bend out!
to hold them in place while you solder.

4. Solder both pins from the back side.

Solder!
5. Clip off extra leads on back side.

So... add the 14 resistors to the board-- bend the leads,

insert them into their locations, solder, and clip the excess
leads away. Clip!
 Step 6. Add Resistors, Part II
(Central Block of quadrant 2 shown)

Part #4 is a 51 kilo-ohm resistor

(Color code: Green-Brown-Orange-Gold)

12 resistors: 3 each in all four quadrants:

R104, R107, and R108 (quadrant 1),
R204, R207, and R208 (quadrant 2),
R304, R307, and R308 (quadrant 3), and
R404, R407, and R408 (quadrant 4)

(Central Block of quadrant 2 shown)

Part #5 is a 100 kilo-ohm resistor

(Color code: Brown-Black-Yellow-Gold)

4 resistors: 1 each in all four quadrants:

R105, R205, R305, and R405

Part #6 is a 6.8 mega-ohm resistor

(Color code: Blue-Grey-Green-Gold)

20 resistors: 5 each in all four quadrants:

R106, and R111 - R114 (quadrant 1),
R206, and R211 - R214 (quadrant 2),
R306, and R311 - R314 (quadrant 3), and
R406, and R411 - R414 (quadrant 4)
 Step 7. Resistors And Capacitors
(Central Block of quadrant 2 shown)
Part #7 is a 200 ohm resistor
(Color code: Red-Black-Brown-Gold)

We add a total of 11 of these spread over the circuit board.

Two are found in the central block of each quadrant:
R109 and R110 (quadrant 1),
R209 and R210 (quadrant 2),
R309 and R310 (quadrant 3), and
R409 and R410 (quadrant 4)
Three more are irregular, appearing in only three places:
R215, R315, and R415

(Central Block of quadrant 2 shown)

Part #8 is a 0.22 µF capacitor

We add a total of 10 of these spread over the circuit board.
Two are found in the central block of each quadrant:
C101 and C102 (quadrant 1),
C201 and C202 (quadrant 2),
C301 and C302 (quadrant 3), and
C401 and C402 (quadrant 4)
There are also two “irregular,” capacitors at the lower-
right edge of the circuit board:
C403 and C404

These capacitors vary in appearance a bit, but they are

tiny boxes with plastic exteriors and two leads. It may
be molded or shrink-wrapped, and the colors can vary.

This type of capacitor is unpolarized; they can go in either way.

Put the capacitors in the circuit board like they were resistors: C403 and C404
drop them in and bend back the leads on the bottom side to
hold them in place. Solder them and trim the excess leads.
 Step 8. Identify Opto COmponeNts
Three of the remaining parts
are optoelectronic devices:
Aside: What’s all this infrared and phototransistor stuff about, anyway?
Phototransistors (#9),
Infrared LEDs (#10), and Flat
Flat face
Phototransistors are a type of light sensor. The infrared (IR) LEDs
face shine light up out of panel. Some of this IR reflects off of objects
Visible LEDs (#14). or notch above the panel and bounces back to hit the phototransistors. This
allows the panels to be sensitive even in the dark.
The phototransistors have a black plastic package that blocks
visible light. This arrangement is used so that (1) so that the lights
#9 #10 & #14 shining up out of the panels are invisible and (2) the panels do not
react to light generated by their own (visible) LEDs. The type of IR
Phototransistor LEDs light that we are using is just like visible light except that it is barely
outside the range of our eyes; the panels are not sensitive to heat.

Put the lead in the

These types of components have a polarity; they
square hole first!
must be installed in a particular direction.
Note that one side has a long lead, while the other
has a short lead and a flat (or notched) face.

For all “opto” components in the kit,

the long lead goes in the square hole.
Since the long lead is longer, it naturally goes in first.
So remember: Square hole first!

(Bett
er
a Fla view of
t face
)
 Step 9. Add Infrared Components
(Central Block of quadrant 2 shown)
Part #9 is the infrared phototransistor.
(Black plastic package.)

We add one in each quadrant:

Q100, Q200, Q300, and Q400

Orientation matters: the long lead goes in the square

hole. Push the device flush to the circuit board. Note that
the flat face of the device matches the drawing on the
circuit board.

Part #10 is the infrared LED

(Clear plastic package with a notch)
IRD200 IRD300
There are a total of 8 of these spread over the circuit board.
Put one in the central block of each quadrant:
IRD101, IRD201, IRD301, and IRD401

The other four, IRD100, IRD200, IRD300, and IRD400

are located on the board as shown: IRD100 IRD400

Orientation matters: Long lead in the square hole;

notch in IR LED matches up to flat face of drawing.

(Central Block of quadrant 2 shown)

 Step 10. Add Integrated Circuits
Part #11 is an LM324 quad op-amp: a type of integrated
circuit (“chip”). It sits in a socket on the circuit board. Each panel has four chips:
Solder the sockets,
U101, U201, U301, and U401,
not the chips, into
which are found in the central
the circuit board.
blocks of the four quadrants.

(Central Block of quadrant 2 shown)

14-pin “DIP” socket. LM324

The most important feature to notice on

the sockets and chips is the “half-moon”
indentation at one end on each. This is
the polarity marker. After soldering, the chips should slip fit into
their sockets with firm, even pressure.

Orientation is VERY IMPORTANT:

Match the end of the socket with the half-
moon shape to the half-moon shape
illustrated on the printed circuit board.
(And put it into the TOP side, of course.)
Each socket should easily slip into place. Gently
bend out a couple of the socket pins on the
back side to keep it from falling out when you
turn the board over to solder. Then, solder into
place every pin of each socket.

Once the sockets are all soldered, you can
insert the chips (see note at right), again paying
attention to make sure that the half-moon end
is lined up on the circuit board, socket, and chip.
If they do not line up neatly, the legs (pins) of the
chip may need to be bent slightly: Carefully bend
them straight like so, pushing one side against a flat
surface. (If you have one, use the DIP IC lead
bender from Step 1.)
 Step 11. Map of the PCB, Part II OR, “THE PCB STRIKES BACK”
It’s now time to identify the remaining components
#13
and their locations on the circuit board:

#12 Female 8-pin connectors

#13 Male 8-pin connectors
#14 Visible LEDs
#15 Power jack
#16 Power switch

The two types of connectors are found on the four edges

of the board. The visible LEDs fill up a regular grid of
locations across the board. The jack and switch sit in the
lower half of quadrant four in one of the circuit boards.

Progress check: At this stage, you should have no empty

locations besides the ones indicated here.
#14 (80 places!)
First, let’s add the connectors.

Add #12, the female 8-pin connectors, #13

in two locations: J12 and J41.
#12

The connectors sit flush against the board but hang out
past the edge a little bit as shown.

Note 1: The pins are very stiff and should not be bent
underneath the board to hold them in place.
Note 2: If you are only building one panel, or otherwise
will not be connecting any other boards to that edge, you
do not need to solder in these connectors.

Add #13, the male 8-pin connectors,

in two locations: J23 and J34.
#15
The plastic part of these connectors sit flush against #16
the board; where indicated by the white silkscreen.
The pins should point parallel to the board.

Note: Notes 1 and 2 above go for Part #13 as well.

(Next up: LEDs!) #12

 Step 12. Add the LEDs
Add #14, the visible LEDs, which go in the regular
grid of 80 locations marked “Dnnn,” as illustrated
in step 11.
• Remember that the LEDs go in long-lead-first,
into the Square hole of the footprint. Push them
all the way down until they are flush against
the PCB. As
• Once you have placed the LEDs where they
need to go, solder them in place and clip the
excess leads off the back.
Optional variations:
The LEDs are on a regular grid. If you prefer a more
organic look to your finished product, you can play with
the LED location and orientation a bit.
Trick 1: minor tweak
Don’t push the LEDs quite flat to the PCB; leave them
up by 1-2 mm, and tilt the angle of the LED after soldering.
This will project light from the LEDs at different angles.
!"#$ !%#&

Trick 2: major tweak

Physically displace the LEDs up to 1 cm from
their holes by bending the leads in a zig-zag pattern.
Note: since the LEDs are not firmly fixed in place,
Aside: If you want to use your own LEDs in the panels, here’s what you need to know. they can easily be damaged or moved if the pcb
panel is not physically protected.
1. The LEDs should be low-power (~20-30 mA) super-bright types with a typical forward voltage 3.2-3.6 V.
In practice, this voltage requirement means that you need to use LEDs from the "blue" end of the spectrum:
white, blue, violet, pink, UV, or "pure" green. Using devices with a lower forward voltage (e.g., red, yellow,
orange, many green LEDs) can create an unsafe condition under which the LEDs may release the magic smoke !"#$ !%#&
that normally would allow them to emit light. (Caution: Older yellowish-green/light green LEDs actually have a
low forward voltage like red/yellow LEDs and are not suitable. If you are unsure about a given LED type, check
the forward voltage specification.)

2. The LEDs should be matched in forward voltage and brightness as closely as possible, since the LEDs are
driven in series. If you can, get LEDs that are matched and brightness binned at the factory. As a consequence
of this matching requirement, we do not recommend mixing different LED colors on the same panel.

3. There are a lot of different kinds of LEDs out there that will work well in the panels. Our standard LEDs have
a clear 5 mm, 20 degree lens. You can use LEDs in 3 mm, 5 mm, 8 mm, or 10 mm packages, clear or diffused
lenses, with different angles of emission and different brightness levels. If you find an interesting variation, take a
picture and let us see!
 Step 13. Switch + Jack
It’s now time to add the last two components:
The power jack #15, and the power switch #16.
#15 #16
If you are building a multi-panel kit: install the jack and switch in one panel only.
Leave both locations empty for all other panels in the kit.

There is only a single place-- J400-- for the power jack (#15) to go. Put it in place from the
BOTTOM SIDE, and solder it in well on all three pins. The connector needs to be rigidly attached
to the board.
Hint: Start with the board upside down and place the jack in place. Still from the bottom, solder
one of the pins lightly to tack it in place, then turn the board top-side-up and finish soldering the
jack in place.

(Central Block of quadrant 4 shown)

Where to put the power switch (#16) is more of a
personal choice. It can go on either the top or (more
commonly) the bottom side of the circuit board, in
location S400. In either case, solder all three pins,
much like the power jack. Either orientation is okay.

If mounting the bottom side, next to the power jack,

mount it in the orientation where it’s further away
from the jack, allowing a little more room to insert the
power cord.

#15

#16

Alternative scheme: You can also use a different switch

of your own choosing; make sure that it’s rated for 2.5 A DC,
and use moderately thick insulated copper wire (16-18 AWG
or so) for this application, and minimize the total wire length.
Solder two medium wires to the two holes of S400 that are
indicated by the thick border on the drawing.

IN ALL CASES, the switch must be mounted rigidly-- DO NOT leave it dangling in the finished setup.
 Step 14. Try out your Panel
Before testing a panel:
Carefully and thoroughly inspect the bottom (and top) of the board.
Look for incomplete or missing solder joints, leads that need to be
clipped closer to avoid possible short circuits, stray bits of solder,
or other things that could possibly interfere with your board
working.
• Plug in your panel that has the power
jack and switch, and turn it on.
- If everything works correctly, all of the lights should
turn on at first and then settle down.
- If NO lights come on, check the power connections;
try flipping the power switch.
Test basic operation, & basic debugging
1. Test that each of the four quadrants is sensitive to motion:
Put your hand one inch above the black phototransistor. It
should see your hand moving.
- If one sensor does not work, check that the
phototransistor is facing the correct direction.
2. Test that the infrared sources are working: Try the same thing
in the dark, so that the only way that motion can be seen is from
the IR source.
-If not, check the orientation of the eight IR LEDs.
-Also, most digital cameras can see the IR LEDs on steady.
3. Make sure that every LED on the panel lights up and settles
down to (fairly dim) without stimulus.
- It’s easy to identify which LEDs should light up-- they’re
the ones on the neat grid. You can see pretty quickly when
one or more do not light up.
(Great! You’ve finished a panel... does it work?)
Big troubleshooting hint: 90% of
assembly issues are caused by one
of the following three things:
1. Component missing or in the
wrong location.
2. Backwards component, e.g.,
phototransistor or LED.
3. Bad or missing solder joint.
The LEDs are driven as sets, or “banks” of five
each, as illustrated. There are two banks of five in
the top half and bottom half of each quadrant.
If one half-quadrant does not light up, there is
probably a backwards or not fully soldered LED in
that half-quadrant.
If 4 of the 5 LEDs in a bank are working (or are
too bright) but one isn’t, it is likely that you will
need to replace that one (bad) LED.
To test additional boards...
you will need to provide them with power
by plugging them into your working first
panel. IMPORTANT: Read about connecting
boards together in Step 15 (next page).
Step 15. Connecting multiple panels
Step 16. Mounting panels

Interactive LED Panels should be attached

securely to a rigid base.
• Printed circuit boards are 12” x 12” square.
• 6-32 clearance holes are provided 1/4x1/4” from each corner.
• Panels are typically mounted on four 1/4” diameter x 3/4” long
6-32 threaded aluminum standoffs with appropriate screws.

• Allow a 1/2” air gap below and above the printed circuit boards.
• Ensure ventilation. Circuit boards are not tolerant of water and
condensation can be a concern in poorly ventilated areas.

Various types of frosted diffusing surfaces will work well above

the panels; we suggest sanded, etched or frosted (but otherwise
clear) glass or acrylic. Dark or opaque materials will diminish the
responsiveness of the circuitry.
 That’s it- you did it!
Last-minute miscellany:
• If you need to provide external power, use 24 V DC regulated,
with at least 200 mA capacity per panel.
The connector type is a 2.1 x 5.5 mm center positive jack.

• It’s obvious, but don’t get the boards wet. (Also, don’t feed them after midnight.)

•!Post your pictures in the Evil Mad Science Auxiliary:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/evilmadscience/

• You should have extra components, like LEDs, left over.

Find something cool to do with them.

• If you look straight down the lens of a white LED it looks different from any other
type-- even when it is off, you see a white phosphor layer, rather than a wire bond.
Knowing this could come in handy some day.

• We are very interested to hear your feedback on the kits and on the instructions.
Please do let us know about any errors that you do find, ways that we can make the
instructions more clear, or suggestions for future versions of this and related kits.
(Thanks!)

(Appendices Follow.)