LED Cube (Mini POV3 hack)

Manufacturer

Cornfield Electronics, USA.

Hackability Level

high, the perfect hackable device, you can do what you want with it

This is a small 3x3x3 single-color version of the amazing color 3D Borg cube by Das-Labor.

You just need to read the complete assembly instructions for the LEDcube, get the firmware and makefile, and you're all set.
For the firmware source code of the test firmware for the LEDcube Kit, please go to LEDcube Kit Test firmware.
For firmware source code for a more interesting animation for the LEDcube Kit, please go to LEDcube Kit firmware.
And here is the makefile for both of the above.

You can also visually program your own LEDcube animation sequences!
Andrew Stock created a super-easy-to-use web-based tool that lets you visually design your own animation patterns for the LEDcube. The results can be easily pasted into my firmware and programmed into the LEDcube (when creating Code, choose "Height-depth-width order"). You'll find his web-based tool here:  http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/~stocka/LEDCube/ .This works best using Firefox.

This kit is based on the Lady Ada Mini POV3 kit, hacked by Mitch Altman. The latest MiniPOV kit is for serial ports so more people can use it! If you have a parallel port, you probably want a MiniPOV2 which is identical except for the port used.

A simple POV toy for beginners who are looking to learn how to solder, how to program microcontrollers, or make LED blinky toys. Because the programmer is built into the kit, one does not need a special "microcontroller programmer". This version can be used with PCs (Linux/Unix or Windows) and Macs (running MacOS X and with a USB/serial converter).

This kit can definitely be used with a USB serial port converter on MacOSX/Win/Linux but we can't guarantee it will work with just any converter you use. It has been tested to work with the USB/Serial adapter in the shop and other PL2303 and FTDI-based adapters.

If you're using a MacOS X and a "Prolific PL2303" chipset USB converter you should download and install the PL2303 OSX driver available here instead of the one on the CD. Don't forget to read the instructions over at ladyada.net! for more on this.