Purchasing LED Strip Parts
In many school-based programs and coding clubs, the parts used in these lessons will be purchased for you. Very often they will be pre-assembled and all the software preloaded before the classes begin. This guide is for mentors, parents and students who would like to build personal systems at home.
You can easily create personal projects based on the Moving Rainbow kits and software. You can do this by purchasing parts on online sites such as eBay or Amazon. Here is an eBay search for "WS2812b led strip":
Search eBay for WS2812b LED strip
Note that the term "WS2812b" is technically the name of the integrated
If you are a good planner you can purchase parts from China that take longer to arrive, but they can cost significantly less than parts that ship overnight on Amazon. This guide provides sample links to both eBay and Amazon, but be aware that these sites change frequently.
WS-2812B LED Strip
You can purchase the LED strips for around $3.00 per meter if you shop around on eBay. The above was from seller btflightingcom. We use the 60 pixels/meter type without waterproofing for our indoor classes. People who create costumes use waterproof varieties.
IP Waterproofing Ratings
IP stands for "Ingress Protection" or how the strips will hold up in costumes or different outdoor environments.
In general, there are three varieties of waterproofing we find when purchasing LED strips.
- IP20 - Not Waterproof - least expensive and good for general indoor classroom use when the LED strips can be attached to a plastic strip to avoid bending
- IP65 - Waterproof (Silicon Coating) - ideal for take-home projects and costumes
- IP67 - Waterproof (PVC Tube) - perfect for outdoor applications
The IP ratings you mentioned for WS2812B LED strips refer to their level of waterproofing and dust resistance. Each rating is defined as follows:
IP20:
The first digit (2) indicates the level of protection against solid objects, including body parts like fingers and objects such as tools and wires. A rating of 2 means that the object is protected against solid objects larger than 12.5mm (such as fingers).
The second digit (0) indicates the level of protection against liquids. A rating of 0 means there is no protection against liquids.
Summary: IP20 means that the LED strip is not waterproof and has minimal protection against solid objects. It's suitable for indoor use where it won't be exposed to water.
IP65:
The first digit (6) indicates a high level of protection against solid objects, including dust. This means it's completely dust-tight. The second digit (5) refers to protection against water jets. This means the LED strip is protected against low-pressure water jets from any direction.
Summary: IP65 means the LED strip is dust-tight and can withstand low-pressure water jets, making it suitable for outdoor use or in environments where it might get wet, like kitchens or bathrooms.
IP67
The first digit (6) is the same as in IP65, indicating complete protection against dust. The second digit (7) indicates a higher level of water protection. It means the LED strip can be submerged in water up to 1 meter in depth for up to 30 minutes.
Summary: IP67 means the LED strip is both dust-tight and can handle temporary immersion in water. This makes it ideal for outdoor applications and environments where the strip might be submerged briefly, such as around pools or in certain landscape lighting scenarios.
Note, some of these parts are also called "NeoPixels".
NeoPixels are parts that contain three LEDs and logic to process an incoming data stream. Each NeoPixel will look at the incoming data and extract the 8-bit values for its own red, green and blue LED brightness. It then sends the data signal on to the next NeoPixel.
Soldering
Many of the parts you purchase online might require some soldering to make them easy to use. We recommend that you get a soldering iron and solder and watch a YouTube video on how to solder. Kids should always have adult supervision and you should check with your school or classroom policy before you bring a soldering iron to school.
Headers
Many of the Pico's don't come with headers. You can purchase 100 40-pin breakaway headers for about $10 dollars on e-Bay.
Part Description: 40-Pin Male Header 0.1" 2.54mm Connectors
MicroControllers
Raspberry Pi Pico
We use the Raspberry Pi Pico (far left) because it only costs about $4.
It also mounts directly on the breadboard after we add the header pins.
NeoPixels
Header Pins
If your Microcontrollers do not come with header pins, you can purchase about 100 of them on e-Bay for about $11.
100pcs Pitch 1x40 Pins 2.54mm Male Single Row Male Pin Header Strip
Breadboards
We use 400-tie 1/2 size breadboards. You can purchase them on E-Bay for around $1.50 each in quantity 10.
Momentary Push Buttons
Tactile Switches
We use these buttons
Part Description: 100PCS B3F-4055 12127.3 Tactile Switch 12x12x7.3mm
The caps are 140PCS Round Tactile Button Cap Kits 9.585.1mm for 1212*7.3mm Tact Switch on eBay
Screw Headers
We attach screw headers to the plexiglass base that we put the kits on. This allows us to change the LED strip or ring for each project with just a screwdriver. This is key because many classrooms don't allow soldering irons in the classrooms.
We purchase screw headers on eBay
LED Strip 3-Pin SM JST Connectors
We purchase our LED strips in 1-meter lengths of 60 pixels per meter. When they arrive, they have both a male and a female 3-pin SM JST connector on the ends. This allows these LED strips to be connected end-to-end for strips that are longer than 1 meter.
LED Strip 3-Pin SM JST Part Listing on eBay
Boxes
Our students love to put their projects into clear boxes so they can simply throw them in their backpacks and show their friends. We use clear boxes that you can purchase at The Container Store
Shallow Narrow Stackable Rectangle Clear 8-1/4" x 3-1/2" x 1-1/2" h $3.99 SKU:10051084
These boxes have a clear detachable lid that shows off the interior wiring of their kits.
MicroPython Site
For more parts, see the CoderDojoTC MicroPython website.