WLED software is great when you're within range of WiFi. But my goal with this guide is to get my shoes to sync when I'm out dancing at a festival, out of reach of any of my known WiFi networks. WLED has this capability! As long as the QT Py boards are close to each other (within a few feet), we can use Access Point mode (AP-MODE) to sync our boots or other costume pieces together.
Here's how this works:
Rightshoe (host) Setup
The right shoe will be set up as the access point host.
Turn your right shoe strand on, but keep the left one turned off to avoid confusion. Make sure your smartphone or computer is on the same WiFi network you used during setup.
Connect to your right shoe QT Py by going to http://rightshoe.local in your web browser to bring up the WLED interface.
Head to Config --> Wifi Setup. Scroll down until you find Configure Access Point.
By default this field is populated with WLED-AP. Change this to "shoelaces" and give it a password.
Change the AP opens dropdown to Always.
Scroll back up and find the Network Name (SSID) field. This should contain your WiFi network name, which you entered during setup. Remove the text from this field so your shoes stay off the WiFi while we're testing.
Click Save. Now your QT Py is no longer connected to your home WiFi but is broadcasting its own WiFi network called "shoelaces". You may get an error in your browser -- this is normal.
Go into WiFi settings and connect to the "shoelaces" network. (If you don't see it, try power cycling the QT Py). This network is being created by your QT Py. It's not connected to the internet but you can still use it to control and sync your shoes.
Once you join "shoelaces" you may get a popup window with your WLED controls. Success! Now you can control this board without relying on your home WiFi.
If you don't get a popup, you can connect manually by heading to 4.3.2.1 in your browser.
Click Config and choose Sync Interfaces. Click the "Send" box on channel 1 since this is our broadcasting shoe.
Leftshoe (Receiver) Setup
Turn the right shoe power off and turn the left shoe on.
The left shoe is still talking to your home WiFi network, so go back to your WiFi settings and connect to your home WiFi instead of the "shoelaces" network. This might have happened automatically since "shoelaces" will disappear when the right shoe is turned off.
Type in leftshoe.local in your browser to pull up the WLED interface.
Head to Config --> Sync Interfaces again, and this time under Sync Setup click the Receive box since this is our receiver.
Go back to Config --> WiFi settings.
Replace your home network name with "shoelaces". Don't put this in the AP-mode field like you did with the right shoe -- put it in the Network Name field since this shoe is a receiver, not a broadcaster. Update the password as well.
Click "save". Now your left shoe is looking for the "shoelaces" network and so you may lose connectivity for a bit.
Turn the left shoe off and the right shoe on. In just a moment or two you'll see the "shoelaces" WiFi network appear again.
Click the Sync button at the top of the screen to turn on sync mode. Now your right shoe is broadcasting to the "shoelaces" network.
Turn the left shoe on. Wait a moment or two. When the lights change between modes (if you're playing a playlist) the two shoes will sync up. Magic!
Learn more about how all this works at the WLED knowlege base at https://kno.wled.ge/
Click the "nodes" button under the Info tab to see a list of all the instances of WLED on a particular network and their respective IP addresses.
Troubleshooting
Things can get confusing when you're working with more than one instance of WLED. If you find you can't connect to your board at all, on any WiFi network, the best thing to do is to plug the board into your computer and head back to install.wled.me and go through the install process again. During this process you'll have the opportunity to "Visit Device" or "Change WiFi". This is the best way to troubleshoot if you've mistyped a password or just can't connect for any reason. Don't be afraid to reinstall the software and start fresh if you can't figure out what's wrong.
It also really helps to install the WLED Native app, which adds a layer of control where you can name and organize different instances of WLED.
Use It
To control your shoes when you're not in WiFi range:
- Turn on the right shoe (broadcaster)
- Connect to the "shoelaces" WiFi network that appears with your smart phone
- Turn on the left shoe (receiver)
- Be sure the "sync" button is checked in the app. Changes made in the app will control both shoes.
Text editor powered by tinymce.
