Boblight possible?

[bccornfo]

Hi nadnerb,

I've checked all connections and they seem to be solid. On the LED's I have +5v connected to my power supply, along with Ground. The Pi is also connected to this power supply. Then I have Clock and Data connected to the Pi as per http://boblight.googlecode.com/svn/wiki/diagram.png. I also have connected the Ground to the Pi, fifth pin on the left, too like you suggested. Is this correct?

I'm not really getting erratic behaviour, my lights just don't turn on. Unless the I touch the Clock and Data cables at the output end of the LED's.

By touch the Clock and Data cables I mean I literally touch them with my fingers.

It's hard to tell if its right because each strand of LEDs have different wiring layouts. Have you tried swapping your data and clock? When you touch the output ends, do the LEDs come on as the correct static colour?

Hi nadnerb,

After playing around swapping the Clock and Data, and re-wiring it seems one of the cables i purchased had was damaged causing this flashing and strange behaviour. Now all is working okay. Thank you for you help =)

[nadnerb]

Good to hear

[haiphan]

I just found one new ambilight kickstart project "Lightpack — ambient backlight for your displays" http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/woo ... r-displays
The link shows that PC connect to Light pack device plug in TV/Monitor for ambilight. As I know Boblight works as standalone system (no need PC) for ambilight. But with PC we can ambilight not only live TV, movie, pictures but also 3D game, which could not play by our RasPi. Could I connect PC to Boblight (on RasPi) for ambilight? Does any know, how to play ambilight with PC and rasberry pi?

[nyar]

Here is my git repository with a fork of the newest xbmc:
https://github.com/crckmc/xbmc-boblight

It SHOULD work but I can't guarantee anything.
Have Fun and feel free to ask if you run into problems!

I make a diff patch of your work. It works with vanilla xbmc branch frodo source and it can be applied on raspbmc patched source. For obtains it:

Code: Select all

wget https://raw.github.com/elsenyordelcaos/pibob-utils/master/patch/pibob.patch

This is a raspbmc style build of xbmc. It can be used in stable raspbmc:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mf3p4ubuujlr8 ... 429.tar.gz

[davisdmg]

Hello guys. I'm triying to follow the "pibob" tutorial. But I have a problem. I have the rasp v2 512mb, but I'm not sure which pins I have to connect to the ws2801

Do you have any idea? I'm looking for screens, but there are a lot with diferents configs

[BalthazarLang]

I have the rasp v2 512mb, but I'm not sure which pins I have to connect to the ws2801

Do you have any idea? I'm looking for screens, but there are a lot with diferents configs

https://code.google.com/p/boblight/wiki ... spberry_Pi

[NiklasO]

I love this stuff.
Just waiting for my leds to arrive from China. boblightd is using 20-30% cpu when playing videos so i guess it will work.

I was previously running the latest Gotham nightly using raspbmc.
The only reason for running Gotham was the lack of commercial skipping using a MythTV-backend on Frodo. edl was showing "-".

The list showing all recordings does not add new recordings, it only works after reboot. It should be fixed in the myth-addon 1.6.10 (https://github.com/fetzerch/xbmc-pvr-ad ... bd79a5c76d)

What do i have to do to get boblight working with the nightlys? Frodo or Gotham does not matter as long as skipping and list update start working (i guess something has to be... committed?). I'm not really in to compiling, sources and stuff but I am a fast learner.

Thank you from Sweden!

[davisdmg]

but I have ws2801 no lpd8806

in the tutorial, he has this photo:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/688 ... G_0061.jpg

but I dont see the same pins that in the photo

Now I understand, there are many GND pins in the raspberry:

http://www.diverteka.com/wp-content/upl ... io1_00.jpg

[BalthazarLang]

but I have ws2801 no lpd8806

I aso use ws2801...

Since http://code.google.com/p/boblight/source/detail?r=459 this should also work for WS2801 led strips.

In the boblight config file you replace "lpd8806" with "ws2801".

For the connection it is the exact same setup. You probably have 4 different colors coming from your LED-strand.
Red = +5V (probably)
yellow/white = data (probably)
Green = Clock (probably)
Blue = GND (probably)
But contact your seller for the correct color/type for your strip.

In the guide you reffer to he only send the ground to the pi and drives the pi from the microusb (probably).

[davisdmg]

do you use rasp with arduino by usb? or only rasp?

[nadnerb]

Hello guys. I'm triying to follow the "pibob" tutorial. But I have a problem. I have the rasp v2 512mb, but I'm not sure which pins I have to connect to the ws2801

Do you have any idea? I'm looking for screens, but there are a lot with diferents configs

Connect the clock to GPIO 11 (Pin 23) and data to GPIO 10 (pin 19).... see here http://elinux.org/RPi_Low-level_peripherals
Also connect ground to ground, there are several options.

[nadnerb]

This is a raspbmc style build of xbmc. It can be used in stable raspbmc:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mf3p4ubuujlr8 ... 429.tar.gz

Thanks, I tried this and it seems to be working.

[errusty]

Hi! I followed the steps in the tutorial and everything went well. But I would like to know how to configure the file boblightconf well. I put LED lights like in this photo (from the tutorial).


In this photo there are at least 8 leds in the bottom, but in the software part of the tutorial i read "If you have 50 WS2801 LEDs, (14 on the sides, 24 on the top, clockwise from bottom left when looking at the TV) then download my boblight.conf". Only LEDs on the top and sides, where are the leds on the bottom?. Could someone please tell me how I can set the file to have the leds like in the picture of the tutorial??

I've tried using BoblightConfTool software, but I don't understand it, if I put 24 channels on top, 9 on each side and 4 on each bottom sides, are a total of 50, but the sotfware tells me that I have 46 channels. ... I do not understand.

The rest well, but I think it has a bit of delay between the picture and the leds, any advice?

Thank you very much!

[nadnerb]

Hey, there was a while between me writing the guide and then mounting the LEDs in that way, so I rewrote my boblight.conf
It's set up with 3 on each side at the bottom, 11 on the sides and 22 on top:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/688 ... s2801.conf


Note that my LEDs in the photo above go clockwise when viewed from the back/anticlockwise when viewing from the front. This is the opposite of how several tools generate their boblight.conf's, hence why I had to write my own from scratch :/

[davisdmg]

I have the arduino with the sofware upload but when I send any command, it shows me this:

Code: Select all

pi@raspbmc:~$ sudo boblightd
(InitLog)                       start of log /root/.boblight/boblightd.log
(PrintFlags)                    starting boblightd
(CConfig::LoadConfigFromFile)   opening /etc/boblight.conf
(CConfig::CheckConfig)          checking config lines
(CConfig::CheckConfig)          config lines valid
(CConfig::BuildConfig)          building config
(CConfig::BuildConfig)          built config successfully
(main)                          starting devices
(CClientsHandler::Process)      opening listening socket on 127.0.0.1:19333
(CDevice::Process)              ambilight: starting with output "/dev/ttyACM0"
(CDevice::Process)              ambilight: setting up
(CDevice::Process)              ambilight: setup succeeded
(CClientsHandler::Process)      127.0.0.1:57788 connected
(CClientsHandler::ParseMessage) 127.0.0.1:57788 said hello
(CClientsHandler::ParseSet)     127.0.0.1:57788 priority set to 128

And the command:

Code: Select all

pi@raspbmc:~$ sudo boblight-constant 00FF00
Connecting to boblightd
Connection to boblightd opened

Seems all ok, but the leds are not working


I tried the same in windows with "ambibox" and it is working ok.

[sicvolo]

I am happy to report that I got boblight and xbmc running fine on one raspberry pi. My set up:
* raspberry pi 512, overclocked to 840
* raspbmc, patched up with stasik0's code by crckmc's and compiled here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/688 ... tware.html.
* lpd8806 string attached per adafrut's directions https://code.google.com/p/boblight/wiki ... spberry_Pi, with a custom conf use Speedy1985's boblightd
* boblightd trimmed up by Speedy1985 for performance - https://github.com/Speedy1985/boblightd ... pberry.git
* boblight add-on to run background light when a video is not playing, configured to shut down the light when going into a screensaver mode.

The only glitch remaining is that the lights are half a second behind the video. Anyone had luck solving it?

[troyk]

Maybe i should post this here:

I'm having problems with my Raspberry Pi + XBMC + Boblight setup.

I'm currently using this setup:
- HTPC - Windows 7 - XBMC - LAN
- R-Pi - Occidentalis - Boblightd - LAN
- 4 x 25 ws2801 LEDS
- 5v - 4A Power adapter.

Everything is connected as per diagram: http://boblight.googlecode.com/svn/wiki/diagram.png
I've powered the LEDS at the beginning and ending of the string (not in between).

PixelPi script seems to work great , also boblight-constant works out fine.
The boblight add-on in XBMC connects fine, no errors on the deamon side even.

Still, I checked results of other people on youtube and they seem to have far better results.
The screen lights up with it should light up, my result seems kinda 'messy' and lights up at places where i think it shouldn't.

Here's a short movie of my problem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIgzR9tPTz8

Did anyone experience the same problem?
I have no idea why the results are so different, i'm starting to think that i should've powered all strings directly not just the beginning and the end. Or maybe the sampling percentage (20% now) is too high and i should sample only 10% of the screen for the right color of LED.

Any other ideas? Thanks gents.

[errusty]

Hello! Thank nadnerb! 
Now I have already configured the file "Boblightconf" and everything perfect.
Now another question comes to me, I have a little delay between the picture and the lights, small but appreciated.
I would like to know how have you solved this. I have read things about overclocking the raspberry, but I dont know if it's recommended or not. Also I don't know if I have to modify the file "boboptions" to fix this problem. I have this file set as shown in the guide nadnerb.

On the other hand, sicvolo, how you made this point?

* boblight add-on to run background light when a video is not playing, configured to shut down the light when going into a screensaver mode.

Thank you very much!

[nadnerb]

Hello! Thank nadnerb! 
Now I have already configured the file "Boblightconf" and everything perfect.
Now another question comes to me, I have a little delay between the picture and the lights, small but appreciated.
I would like to know how have you solved this. I have read things about overclocking the raspberry, but I dont know if it's recommended or not. Also I don't know if I have to modify the file "boboptions" to fix this problem. I have this file set as shown in the guide nadnerb.

SSH in and run top while a video is playing and check the CPU usage.
My pi is OC to 840mhz, it's fine and doesn't void warranty.

[sicvolo]

SSH in and run top while a video is playing and check the CPU usage.
My pi is OC to 840mhz, it's fine and doesn't void warranty.

Are you running XBMC on PI? I am and my CPU is pegged at 100% during playback. I've tried OCing to 950 but then got SD card corruption (I hear it's typical). Is there anything else I can do to get either xbmc or boblightd CPU down? I am driving 108 leds and boblightd is the Speedy1982's optimized version.

errusty - get the XBMC boblight addon, shutting lights with the screensaver one of the options it offers. Just make sure its boblight priority number is bigger (meaning it's less important), so it does not blank out leds when the video is playing.

[NiklasO]

Can i compile xbmc-pvr-addon for MythTV by myself for the boblight modified version? (20130429 from https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/688 ... tware.html)
I really need version 1.6.10 of the plugin (https://github.com/fetzerch/xbmc-pvr-ad ... bd79a5c76d)
I'm quite a noob.

[Speedy1985]

I am happy to report that I got boblight and xbmc running fine on one raspberry pi. My set up:
* raspberry pi 512, overclocked to 840
* raspbmc, patched up with stasik0's code by crckmc's and compiled here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/688 ... tware.html.
* lpd8806 string attached per adafrut's directions https://code.google.com/p/boblight/wiki ... spberry_Pi, with a custom conf use Speedy1985's boblightd
* boblightd trimmed up by Speedy1985 for performance - https://github.com/Speedy1985/boblightd ... pberry.git
* boblight add-on to run background light when a video is not playing, configured to shut down the light when going into a screensaver mode.

The only glitch remaining is that the lights are half a second behind the video. Anyone had luck solving it?

Hi. maybe i can make a fix for this problem.
Also i'am busy to make a mod for boblight-xbmc plugin.
So everybody can use this plugin on 2 weeks.

Is the delay on each movie the same ?

Kind regards Speedy1985

[errusty]

SSH in and run top while a video is playing and check the CPU usage.
My pi is OC to 840mhz, it's fine and doesn't void warranty.

I dont know how to solve the delay problem. I run TOP while running avatar, and the result is in this picture. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/zbm ... o6/top.jpg


And what about the boboption file?? is possible to solve the problem by editing the file?

I dont really know how to overclock the pi, i'm searching information about it. Maybe with this guide?
http://www.jeremymorgan.com/tutorials/r ... pberry-pi/


Thank you again!!!
Thank you!!

[errusty]

errusty - get the XBMC boblight addon, shutting lights with the screensaver one of the options it offers. Just make sure its boblight priority number is bigger (meaning it's less important), so it does not blank out leds when the video is playing.

Hi! I've installed the boblight addon from the repository, but immediately after activation, the lights change the color that I have put in the background. From that moment in the movies do not work leds, when before all was fine. How can you set it to keep things running as before and simply use the option to turn off the lights when screensaver?

Thank you!

[nadnerb]

SSH in and run top while a video is playing and check the CPU usage.
My pi is OC to 840mhz, it's fine and doesn't void warranty.

Are you running XBMC on PI? I am and my CPU is pegged at 100% during playback. I've tried OCing to 950 but then got SD card corruption (I hear it's typical). Is there anything else I can do to get either xbmc or boblightd CPU down? I am driving 108 leds and boblightd is the Speedy1982's optimized version.

Yes, I'm running Raspbmc and the standard boblightd and only get to 100% CPU with 1080p DTS video and 50 LEDs.
Have you tried the standard boblightd?