Cut the Neopixel strip down to 12 LEDs and remove the silicone casing. Using the middle piece as a reference, bend the Neopixel strip into a square so that each side sits nice and flush. It may take a few attempts, but the better it sits the better it'll look in the end.
Quick note: any wires used in this project should be on the thinner gauge side and stranded since at the end we'll need to pack it all inside the case. I cut and stripped our breadboard jumper wires.
Feed 3 wires through the slot of the middle piece and solder to the strip. The wire should be cut to just a bit over the length of one side of the print.
Now would be a good time to test the strip. If it passes, super glue each side down until it is all in place! Set that piece aside while we prep the rest of the components.
In order to fit the LiPo charger in the case, the JST connector will need to be removed, and the battery soldered directly to the contacts.
Carefully clip the two sides on the open end of the JST, then the two longer leads on the backside. At this point the plastic should fall right off. Remove the remaining metal pieces with a soldering iron.
Position the PocketG_Bottom so that the opening for the USB is on the lower left. Place the LiPo battery in the top part, and cut the JST connector off so that the wires reach to the next side, rounding the corner.
Then solder it to the +/- pads where the JST used to be. Be careful not to let the wires short!
Also at this point, cut the trace between the two switch points so an on/off switch can be added :)
After cutting those traces, place the components back in the case as pictured and measure out the length of wire needed to get to the switch. The Trinket slides into the slots with a cut out to access the USB port.
Bend the leads on the switch 90° so it'll fit on its ledge above the Trinket, and solder to the LiPoly backpack.
Almost there!!
Remove the components from the case and solder together the remaining wires:
Trinket GPIO #2 ----> NeoPixel Data Input
Trinket 5V ----------> NeoPixel 5V
Trinket GND --------> NeoPixel GND
Trinket GND --------> LiPoly Backpack GND
Trinket BAT+ --------> LiPoly Backpack BAT
Trinket 5V ----------> LiPoly Backpack 5V
It should look something like this!:
Place the mirrored acrylic into the case, and place each component in. The Trinket and switch have designated spots, whereas the Lipo battery and LiPoly backpack sit freely in the top and right (respectively) within the hollow frame. Clean the acrylic thoroughly to remove any dust/fingerprints. They'll be pretty obvious once it's lit up.
In order to slide the Trinket into place, you may have to cut down the exposed excess wire/solder on the underside so it sits as flush as possible.
When all the components are in, make sure the wires all fit around the corners so they don't interfere with it closing. Take the top half and slip it on over the rest of the assembly. The pieces will press fit together with a little force.
Now we're ready to put some code on there!
Page last edited January 06, 2015
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