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Open Pixel Control links

longears edited this page Aug 3, 2013 · 22 revisions

Official OPC Website and Specification

Wishlist

  • A browser-based simulator using WebGL with a built-in text editor for writing patterns in Javascript
  • A website for submitting and upvoting patterns
  • A simulator which saves animated GIFs or video files demonstrating a pattern
  • An Open Pixel Control server which listens on multiple channels and treats them like layers on top of each other. This would allow several people to live-code and jam with each other while combining their patterns onto a single LED display. We don't have alpha channels in the Open Pixel Control format, so you'd have to declare a certain color as "transparent". (Old sprite-based games traditionally used magenta for this purpose: 255 0 255)
  • Figure out how to do Fourier analysis on a live audio signal and generate pixels from that
  • Build more bridges between Open Pixel Control and Open Sound Control, DMX, MIDI, HTTP REST

Libraries, drivers, and pattern generators

The original Open Pixel Control repository by Ping, Rabbit, stappon, etc

  • a grab bag of tools in various languages:
  • drivers for TCL/P9813, LPD8806, WS2801 (written in C)
  • openGL simulator (in C)
  • Python client library and colorutils library
  • a bunch of patterns (in Python)
  • Webcam-to-OPC tool (in Processing)
  • 3d layout files for use with the simulator and the location-aware Python patterns

Pixelslinger by Rabbit

  • libraries and tools all written in Go:
  • driver for LPD8806
  • OPC server and client
  • a Go port of the Python "colorutils" module from the main OPC repository
  • a bunch of patterns
  • MIDI input which can be used to control patterns (demo video)

Fadecandy by scanlime

  • driver for WS2811
  • runs on a Teensy 3.0 board
  • temporal dithering and interpolation for smooth fading
  • color correction
  • plug multiple Teensy boards into a USB hub
  • overall picture: OPC data --> Fadecandy OPC server --> USB --> Teensy board --> WS2811 strips

Art projects and sculptures

Controller hardware

  • Beaglebone Black
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Various Arduino-alikes

LEDs

Info from this excellent chipset comparison

LPD8806 chipset

P9813 chipset

WS2801 chipset

WS2811 chipset

  • Requires a precisely timed input signal. Possible on Arduino, tricky on Beaglebone / Raspberry Pi.
  • Adafruit NeoPixel