EXCLUSIVE - Addressable LED Ring Array Setup for Cyclotrons (Patreon)

AUTHOR'S NOTE 1/23: I recently updated the attachments of this post with Arduino code that does a "gradual spin up" effect for the cyclotron ring light - the spinning cycle starts slow and then gradually increases speed over the course of a few seconds. It looks pretty cool as part of a pack startup sequence!

These last two weekends, I've been working on some electronics for my game pack. I wanted to try out a different kind of cyclotron effect - instead of 4 blinking lights, I wanted to installed a cycling array of lights to replicate the spinning effect from Ghostbusters Afterlife and the custom build by Adam Savage. 

I found some addressable LED ring arrays on Amazon that looked like they fit the part. This is the set I picked up. It includes various WS2812B ring sizes that can be connected together or you can have them work individually. It's a nice kit if you have projects in mind - you can probably search for a specific size in places other than Amazon, of course. 

For my immediate project, I selected a 32 LED ring which is sized nicely for my Spirit "game pack". (I would recommend stepping up to a 40 LED ring for a full size)

Included in this post is the Arduino code for creating a "cycling" effect and a simple wiring diagram below. The Arduino code exposes variables allow you you to adjust the speed, color, and number of LEDs in the array. I also wrote the code to avoid using the "delay" function and instead uses a loop with a millisecond timer - this will allow you to integrate the code in parallel with other light effects you may be using.

In the end, I LOVE the effect - it definitely makes my cyclotron on my Spirit "game pack" stand out.

I am making this material and content for the 3D Printed parts available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. License text is included in the attachment!