Housing Assembly
This section explains the step-by-step process to assemble the Tech-Box.io WiFi LED Matrix
Table of Contents - WiFi LED Matrix Instruction Guide
Housing Assembly
With all of the connections, programming, and network setup complete, it is time to assemble the housing (Part A) of the WiFi LED Matrix. Each piece of the housing (Part A) is labeled in the image below as Parts A-1 through A-8.
- (Part A-1) Housing Bottom
- (Part A-2) Housing Top
- (Part A-3) Housing Right and Left Sides
- (Part A-4) Housing Rear
- (Part A-5) Housing Front
- (Part A-6) LED Matrix Spacer
- (Part A-7) LED Matrix Support Bracket
- (Part A-8) LED Matrix Lens
Follow the steps below to complete the assembly and start using your new Tech-Box.io WiFi LED Matrix. Be cautious to not knock any of the wires or components on the breadboard loose during the assembly process, or your kit may not work correctly! (Note: Some housing pieces have tabs that are inserted into slots and snap into place to hold the housing together; When disassembling these pieces, the tabs must be pinched -- like removing a belt buckle -- to be removed from the slots they were inserted in. If they are not compressed before removal, the tabs may become damaged):
- First, unplug the Micro USB Cable (Part F) from your PC if it is still connected, but leave the Micro USB portion (Part F) connected to the ESP8266 NodeMCU (Part B). While assembling the housing, the WiFi LED Matrix needs to be disconnected from power.
- Locate the left side of the housing (Part A-3) and connect it to the bottom of the housing (Part A-1) as shown in the image below (Note: The left and right sides of the housing are identical, so either piece can be used). The latches on the bottom piece of the housing should snap into place once they are fully inserted, as highlighted by the arrows in the image below.
- Locate the top of the WiFi LED Matrix Housing (Part A-2) and connect it to the left side of the housing (Part A-3), as shown in the image below. The latches should snap into place once fully inserted, as highlighted by the arrows below.
- Rotate the WiFi LED Matrix Housing (Part A) until the rear is facing you. Then locate the rear of the WiFi LED Matrix housing (Part A-4) and place the Micro USB cable (Part F) into the slot at the bottom corner of the piece, as highlighted by the blue arrow in the image below. Then, insert the rear of the WiFi LED Matrix Housing (Part A-4) into the left side (Part A-3) of the housing, ensuring the tabs of the rear piece slide into the slots of the left side, as highlighted by the white arrows in the image below.
- Carefully rotate the WiFi LED Matrix Housing onto its left side and begin to install the right side of the housing (Part A-3). Start by holding the right side of the housing (Part A-3) at an angle, as shown in the upper image below, and allow the rear of the housing (Part A-4) to slide into the slots of the right side (Part A-3). The rear latches of the top (Part A-2) and bottom (Part A-1) pieces should also snap into place, as shown by the blue arrows below.
Then rotate the right side (Part A-3) of the housing downward and allow the front latches and tabs on the top (Part A-2) and bottom pieces (Part A-1) of the housing to also snap into place, as highlighted by the white arrows in the lower image below.
- Locate the front piece of the housing (Part A-5), the black LED Lens (Part A-8), the LED Matrix Spacer (Part A-6), the LED Matrix (Part C) and the LED Matrix Support Bracket (Part A-7), as shown in the image below. The LED Matrix (Part C) should already be connected to the breadboard (Part D) with the Male-Female Breadboard Wires (Part I) passing through the upper left-hand corner of the LED Matrix Support Bracket (Part A-7).
- Rotate the WiFi LED Matrix onto its rear side (Part A-4). Then, insert the LED Matrix Support Bracket (Part A-7) with the LED Matrix (Part C) into the slots on the right and left sides (Parts A-3) of the housing, ensuring that the circle cutout on the support bracket (Part A-7) is oriented as shown in the lower image below. The tabs on the right and left sides (Parts A-3) of the housing should latch and hold the LED Matrix Support Bracket (Part A-7) in place. (Note: The LED Matrix wiring (Part I) should already be passed through the upper left-hand corner of the support bracket (Part A-7), nearest the circle cutout, as denoted by the arrow in the upper image below)
- Insert the LED Matrix Spacer (Part A-6) into the slots on the right and left sides (Parts A-3) of the housing, ensuring that the circle cutout on the spacer (Part A-6) is oriented as shown in the image below. Again, the tabs on the right and left sides (Parts A-3) of the housing should latch and hold the LED Matrix Spacer (Part A-6) in place. The LED Matrix (Part C) should be seated in the center of the square cutout in the spacer (Part A-6).
- Insert the LED Matrix Lens (Part A-8) into the slots on the right and left sides (Parts A-3) of the housing, as shown in the image below. Again, the tabs on the right and left sides (Parts A-3) of the housing should latch and hold the LED Matrix Lens (Part A-8) in place. If the LED Matrix (Part C) is seated incorrectly in the LED Matrix Spacer (Part A-6), the LED Matrix Lens (Part A-8) will not fit correctly.
- Lastly, insert the front of the housing (Part A-5) into the slots on the right and left sides (Parts A-3) of the housing, as shown in the image below. Again, the tabs on the right and left sides (Parts A-3) of the housing should latch and hold the front of the housing (Part A-5) in place.
- You can now connect the Micro USB Cable (Part F) to the provided US Wall Plug (Part G) if it was selected at the time of purchase, as shown in the image below, or you can connect it to another USB port on any device and your WiFi LED Matrix is ready for use!
Congratulations, your assembly is complete! You can now connect your Tech-Box.io WiFi LED Matrix to power and put it to work! You can start customizing it from your internet browser OR start customizing the built-in patterns, encode new images and sprites, or anything you can imagine! Start Making your way!