HardLabs

Cube16-esp32

mkimerling·Cube16-esp32·hardware/Cube16_Adapter.kicad_pcb

Cube16-esp32 PCB layout, top view — open source ESP32 board by mkimerling

About the Cube16-esp32 PCB

Cube16-esp32 is an open source ESP32 PCB design by mkimerling, published on GitHub under the MIT license. It is a 4-layer board measuring 51 × 76.5 mm, with 3 components from 3 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the ESP32_ROW_3V3END, from the ESP32 family.

It belongs with the iot & wireless, audio and displays & leds designs in this gallery.

From the project

ESP32-S3 conversion of the iCubeSmart 16x16x16 RGB LED cube: custom adapter board, 7-bit BAM DMA driver, live-computed effects firmware, browser simulators

A 4,096-voxel RGB LED cube, hand-soldered over 56 days from the iCubeSmart 16×16×16 kit, then rebuilt from the controller up: the stock control board is replaced by an ESP32-S3 riding a custom adapter board, driving the glass through a purpose-built display driver with 7-bit Bit Angle Modulation (BAM) color depth and a certified 20 MHz DMA SPI scan path.

The result is no longer an animation player. It is a programmable instrument — effects are firmware, written in C++, computed live on the cube itself: strange attractors, cellular automata, wave physics, fire, flocking.

Cube16-esp32, from the project README
From the project README

Cube16-esp32 bill of materials (BOM)

3 components, 3 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.

QtyPartRefs
1
U26_INTERFACE
U26_FULL_30pin
J1
1
ESP32_ROW_3V3END
PinSocket_1x22_P2.54mm_Vertical
J2
1
ESP32_ROW_GNDEND
PinSocket_1x22_P2.54mm_Vertical
J3

Cube16-esp32 design files

The KiCad project lives in the mkimerling/Cube16-esp32 repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

Cube16-esp32: common questions

What microcontroller does the Cube16-esp32 use?

The Cube16-esp32 is built around the ESP32_ROW_3V3END, from the ESP32 family.

How big is the Cube16-esp32 PCB?

The Cube16-esp32 measures 51 × 76.5 mm, has 4 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the Cube16-esp32?

3 components, from 3 distinct parts, with part numbers taken from the project's own BOM. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.

Where can I download the Cube16-esp32 design files?

From the mkimerling/Cube16-esp32 repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout, the schematic and the BOM; the links under Design files point to each one.

Can I use the Cube16-esp32 design in my own project?

Yes, under the terms of its MIT license, which mkimerling chose for the repository.

Can I test firmware for the Cube16-esp32 without the hardware?

Yes. HardLabs builds a simulation of the board from its netlist and BOM, so you can run and debug ESP32 firmware against it before you order a PCB.

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