Holocub V2 – 16×16×16 RGB LED Cube

A fully addressable 3D LED display for animations, games, and visual effects.

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📜 Overview

Holocub V2 is a large-scale 16×16×16 RGB LED cube (4096 voxels total) built with WS2812B addressable LEDs.
It is designed to display dynamic animations, interactive effects, and data visualizations in 3D.

The cube is controlled by a microcontroller (planned: RPi Pico 2W / other capable MCU) and supports both procedural animations and pre-rendered frames loaded from an SD card.

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🔧 Hardware Specifications

Component	Specification
Cube Size	16 × 16 × 16 voxels
Total LEDs	4096 WS2812B RGB LEDs
LED Type	WS2812B (5V, individually addressable)
PSUs	4 × 5v 350w
Data Lines	One per 16×16 vertical layer (16 total)
LED Strip Arrangement	Snake layout per layer (serpentine wiring)
MCU	Raspberry Pi Pico 2W (planned) / Teensy 4.1 (more power but no internal BLE and wifi)
Storage	MicroSD card (frame/animation storage)
Power Injection	Multiple injection points per strip
Estimated Max Power	~1.23 kW at full white (theoretical max)

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HoloBoard – PCB by Dragoș

Short description
HoloBoard is a custom PCB designed for the Holocub project, acting as the main control and interface board.
It hosts a Raspberry Pi Pico 2W, integrates a piezo buzzer, and features two bidirectional logic-level shifters for for the communication between the pico and the WS2812B as 3v3 logic could cause interference.

🔧 Key Features

• MCU Slot: Raspberry Pi Pico 2W header footprint (solder-in or socket).
• Audio Output: 1 × piezo buzzer connector (with optional series resistor).
• Expandable hardware: Left over pins (used mainly for I²C and SPI) routed to the side for extra connectivity.
• Build Quality: Silk labels for pins, test pads, and mounting holes.
• Filter capacitors: 2 filter caps for main power connection and 1 for each logic level shofter for optimal data transmission without interference.

📦 Minimal BOM

• 1 × RP2040 (Pico 2W) socket / header footprint
• Headers, pads, mounting hardware
• Yet to add more info

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📜 Schematics & Photos

Schematic – Level Shifter

Figure 1 — The HoloBoard schematic in KeyCad.

Schematic – Power & Buzzer

Figure 2 — components used, I/O's, connections.

Photo – Assembled (Front)

Figure 3 — Front view, Pico 2W inserted.

Photo – Assembled (Back / Solder Side)

Figure 4 — Back view showing soldering and Logo.

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🚀 Features

• Scalable architecture – animations work on both 4×4×4 test cube and full 16×16×16 cube.
• Voxel-based rendering – uses a global voxelMatrix[x][y][z] buffer for color control.
• Procedural animations – gradients, bouncing “DVD logo” effect, rain simulation, waves.
• Pre-rendered playback – read .vox file for animations or custom binary format.
• Custom GFX library – draw lines, planes, waves, text in 3D space.
• SD card support – load animations without reflashing firmware.
• Multi-PSU design – independent PSU per cube tower for stable power delivery.
• Website based animation upload and debug - Upload animations or images directly from a computer to the Holocube.

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⚡ Power & Safety Notes

• WS2812B LEDs consume up to 60 mA per LED at full brightness (white).
• Theoretical maximum current: ~245 A total across 4 PSUs.
• Always fuse PSU outputs and use thick wiring for high-current paths.
• Avoid running full white at 100% brightness for prolonged periods to reduce heat.

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🖥️ Software Workflow

Procedural animations

• Written in C++ inside /animations
• Rendered directly to voxelMatrix
• Useful for dynamic effects and parameterized visuals

Pre-rendered animations

• Created in Paint, MagicaVoxel, or similar tools
• Exported as .bmp or custom .hca (Holocub Animation) binary format
• Loaded via SD card at runtime

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📸 Development Timeline

• Phase 1 – Test code, Custom PCB HoloBoard, SD card reader on 4×4×4 cube ✅
• Phase 2 – Develop GFX & cube configuration libraries ✅
• Phase 3 – Build cube structure & solder all LED strips 🔄
• Phase 4 – Integrate procedural + SD-based playback
• Phase 5 – Optimize power, stability, and animation library

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🛠️ Setup & Build

Dependencies

• Adafruit NeoPixel
• SD card library for chosen MCU
• C++17 compatible toolchain
• PlatformIO (recommended) or Arduino IDE

Compilation

# PlatformIO
pio run --target upload

Arduino IDE

• Install Adafruit NeoPixel library
• Select Raspberry Pi Pico 2W (or your MCU)
• Upload src/main.ino

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📄 License

MIT License – You are free to use, modify, and distribute this project with attribution.

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🙌 Credits

• Core team: [Bernea Dragoș Dada & Teodosiu Radu]
• Special thanks: MaltWiskey (inspiration & reference designs), Adafruit (NeoPixel library) and the C++ community.
• Open Source softwares used for the cube animations: MagicaVoxel (3D sprites designer)