LED Matrix Case 8x32 bigger with WS2812B Stripes awtrix 3 compatible

I wanted a 32x8 LED matrix display to show relevant stats of my pool on a wall near the pool to not have to rely on an app or something to view water temperature for example. 

However the standard 32x8 LED displays were to small for my taste. So I designed a bigger one, that uses standard WS2812b LED stripes with 60 LEDs per meter routed in a vertical zig-zag pattern as well as an ESP32 with awtrix3 firmware that gets additional information form my Homeassistant.

As the parts turned out to big for my printer I made the case out of two identical parts that lock together with pins. Because mine is mounted outside I used a frontcover out of a single piece of matt acrylic wich I ordered from an onlinestore with the DXF file I uploaded here.

Because I wanted the display to be as flush with the wall as possible I've mounted the powersupply on the other side of the wall, inside the building. If you want to mount the powersupply behind the display you neeed to print Grid extended instead of Grid this gives you about 25mm more room behind the display.

I've included step files for easier modification.

I printed all parts in ABS for Heat and UV resistance with standard Voron recomended settings.

BOM:

5m - WS2812B LED Stripe 60 LEDs/m https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2036819167.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.57b94ae4qu0Pnr&mp=1&pdp_npi=6%40dis%21EUR%21EUR%2013.05%21EUR%209.79%21%21EUR%209.79%21%21%21%400b88489f17805312773695475e0e89%2167389781287%21ct%21DE%212434105605%21%211%210%21

12x - M3x16 Screws and Nuts https://www.amazon.de/dp/B09KBPQ66M?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_13

2m - 6x1 mm Foamtape as seal https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0BNGBR2C4?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

1x - ESP32 Dev Board https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08BTWJGFX?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

1x - 5V 60W PowerSupply https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00MWQF08C/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3JWKAKR8XB7XF&psc=1

Acrylic frontpanel https://kunststoffplattenonline.de/product/acrylglas-platten-frost-hell-3-mm/

Some smaller and thicker gage wires to connect the LED Stripes.

If you want to use the display outdoors I would advise to use some conformal coating on all electronics.

How to assemble:

1. Use some tape and Superglue to connect the two halfes of the backpanel first.

2. Cut the Stripe in 32 pieces with 8 LEDs each

3. Stick the stripes in the grooves on the backplate, starting with DIN on the top left of the panel, the second stripe starts with DIN on the bottom in the second slot, the third one again with DIN on the top and so on in a zig-zag pattern. The last strip has to end with DOUT on the top.

4. Solder the strips together, I soldered a short piec of red wire to 5V on the top and a black one for GND on the bottom of all the stripes. Then a green wire to all DOUT connections

5. The wires are routed through the holes in the backplate, where the all the red wires get connected to a thicke gage red wire I ran accross the Backplate at the top and the same goes for all the black wires at the bottom. The Green wires get routet back to the front through the next hole to the right.

6. The Data line has to go from one stripes DOUT to the next DIN so the connection from the first to the second stripe is on the bottom, from the second to the third on the top an so on.

7. I connected the thicker wires to some WAGOs to connect them to the power supply and the DIN of the first stripe to the ESP32 (GPIO32 if you want to use awtrix3). The ESP also needs a connection to 5V and GND.

8. I fixated all the wires and the ESP with hotglue to the back of the backplate.

9. After that I Sprayed two layers of conformal coating over both the front and the back of the finished board, to protect it against moisture and let everything dry over night.

10. Next the two grid pieces can be slid on from ether sider of the panel until they meet in the middle and the pins interlock with each other.

11. I applied the foamtape arround the perimeter of the front of the grid pieces.

12. At last the frontpanel gets screwed on with 12 stainles steel screws wich get tightened with the nuts in the back of the backpanel.

13. To seal the gaps between the two halfes I put some vinyl wrap around the frame.

14. Flash the ESP with a firmware you like, connect the power supply and you are good to go.