Blinkin Getting Started
Last updated
Last updated
Mode/Up Button
Switch between normal running mode and set-up mode.
Strip Select/Down Button
Switch which kind of LED strip is being controlled.
XT30 Power Input
Connect to a 12V nominal battery or other equivalent power source.
PWM Input
Provide a standard servo-style PWM signal to control the LED output pattern/color.
Status Indicator
RGB LED mode indicator. See Setup and Configuration for colors and meanings.
Setup and Adjustment
Three potentiometers are used to set customer color palette colors and addressable strip length in set-up mode, and are used to adjust brightness and other pattern properties like speed and pattern density during normal operation
5V/12V LED Indicators
Indicate which kind of strip is currently selected as the output type
LED Strip Connection
Use the included JST PH, 7-pin to JST SM pigtail connector to connect to LED strip(s).
Connect 12V power to the Blinkin using an XT30 Cable
Select either a 12V or 5V Addressable LED strip and connect it to the 7-Pin JST PH Port using a Blinkin LED Cable Adapter (REV-11-1196)
If the LED output indicator for the 12V/5V strip which is connected is not lit, press and hold the Strip Select button until the corresponding strip indicator LED is lit. Your LED strip should now be displaying the default pattern (29 - Color Waves, Party Palette), or the user programmed default pattern.
With no input PWM active (blue blinking Status LED), clicking (short press) the Up (Mode) and Down (Strip Select) buttons will change the pattern being displayed (See LED Pattern Tables). This pattern will reset to the default after a power cycle unless the default is changed using the setup mode.
In addition to the pre-programmed fixed color palette patterns, the Blinkin can be customized to use user selected colors and strip length to create more unique look. These settings can be saved in to permanent memory so they persist through power cycles.
Addressable Strip Length - Up to 240 WS2812 LEDs
Team Colors - Select two of 22 different color options to represent your team
Default No Signal Pattern - Select which pattern is displayed with there is not PWM input
Power up the Blinkin as described in Getting Started. The LED strip selected cannot be changed during setup mode, so ensure that the desired strip is connected and running before continuing.
To enter Setup Mode, press and hold the Mode button for ~6 seconds, the Status LED will change from blue to yellow. The LED strip will automatically display pattern 75 (Color 1 and Color 2: no blending) which uses Color 1 and Color 2 to aid in configuration.
Use a small screwdriver, like the one included, to adjust the Color 1, Color 2, and Length potentiometers
Left: Color 1 – Primary Pattern Color
Middle: Color 2 – Secondary Pattern Color
Right: Addressable Strip Number of LEDs (1-240)
With no input PWM signal (yellow blinking Status LED), select the default no signal pattern by clicking (short press) the Up (Mode) and Down (Strip Select) buttons until the desired pattern is displayed.
Leave the displayed pattern on the test pattern (75) on exit to leave the default no signal pattern unchanged.
Save and Exit: Press and hold the Mode and Strip Select buttons for ~6 seconds. colors, strip length and new default no signal pattern values are permanently saved in EEPROM and will persist between power cycles.
Exit without Saving: press and hold the Mode button. Nothing is saved and Blinkin will return to its previously saved state after power cycle.
The Status LED will return to blue when Setup Mode has been exited
The Blinkin can be controlled via software using a standard servo-style PWM signal. The Blinkin measures the width of the incoming pulse from the PWM signal, and then based on that value selects a pattern from a corresponding pattern table. Valid input pulse widths are from 1000us to 2000us.
1.) Connect the Blinkin to a PWM control port on the robot controller, such as a Control Hub or roboRIO, using a standard PWM cable.
2.) Using the programming language of your choice, generate a PWM signal.
For use with the FRC Control System and WPILib, create a motor of type SPARK. (Other Motor and Servo types will work, but might change the values associated with specific patterns)
3.) In your main robot code where motor (or servo) output power is normally updated, set your output power to the value corresponding to the pattern desired (see The LED Pattern Tables).
All of the LED strips and patterns can have their overall brightness adjusted and many of the patterns can be adjusted to change the pattern density and speed. The LED Pattern Table details what patterns have which adjustments.
While your Blinkin is not in Setup Mode, select a pattern which is adjustable
Use a small screwdriver, like the one included, to adjust the Adj. 1, Adj. 2, and Brightness potentiometers
Generally, the three potentiometers will adjust the following during Normal Operation:
Adj. 1 - Pattern Density, Pattern Width, or Dimming
Adj. 2 - Speed
Brightness - Brightness of the whole LED Strip
