Is there an easy way to convert a sketch written for the adafruit dotstar library into one that uses fastLED and WS2812 strips? (I have an arduino pro mini 5v)
I want to use one of their POV Poi sketches (Genesis/Kinetic/Supernova) but they all use the dotstar library and the code references clock and data pins so I’m not sure what to do to change it
@Beat_Gerber Please delete and re-post your comment.
@DJ_Messy You will first have to understand what what the original code is doing and then manually re-code it. Some of it will be probably end up fairly similar, but library specific bits will need to be reworked.
If the original code references clock and data that means they were using a pixel type that used both a data and a clock signal such as APA102. For POV displays this would be a better choice of LED type then WS28* type strips since the display can be updated much faster. But you can certainly try WS28* type pixels, you just might not get as good of results as using APA102 pixels. If WS28* pixels are used then there will be no clock pin specified, only one for data.
@marmil The refresh rate of the LEDs in these particular POV projects is not as important because they’re spun by hand (often in conjunction with slow shutter photography), therefore nowhere near as fast as a motor driven POV display. They’re also normally driven at a fixed refresh rate since it’s not feasible to use a Hall effect sensor making rotation detection quite tricky. High-end professional versions sometimes use some kind of accellerometer or gyro device but they can cost upwards of £1000 putting them in the realm of professional performers. I’m trying to produce a low-cost alternative to cater for the amateur/hobby end of the market so the difference in cost between the APA102’s and the WS2812’s is a factor. For the same reason, I’m planning to move the pattern data from within the sketch to a low-cost EEPROM, enabling me to use a £3 arduino pro mini instead of the £22 Teensy 3.2 in Adafruit’s project.