Assembling the Beautiful Box

Thank you for purchasing the Pixelblaze Beautiful Box! The following instructions are intended to guide you through assembling it as easily as possible.

Before getting started, make sure you have the following:

• Beautiful Box kit
  • Pixelblaze V3 Standard
  • Pixelblaze Sensor Expansion Board
  • HDR SK9822 8x8 matrix panel
  • Laser-cut plywood panels (5)
  • Acrylic panels (2)
  • 2mm x 6mm screws (20)
• Tools
  • Soldering iron and solder
  • Small Phillips screwdriver (#1 recommended)
  • 22-24 gauge insulated stranded wire
  • Wire cutters and strippers
• Optional extras
  • Rubber bands (to hold parts during assembly)
  • Sandpaper, wood stain, and clear spray lacquer (for finishing the wood)

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Electronics Assembly

To get started, you will need a Pixelblaze V3, a Pixelblaze Sensor Expansion Board, a seven-pin header, insulated wire, a soldering iron, and solder.

Step 1 - Solder the Sensor Board

First, insert the seven-pin header into the PCB of the sensor expansion board, taking care to ensure the long side of the pins faces up. Solder the header into place.

With the header soldered to the expansion board, insert the long side of the pins into the PCB of the Pixelblaze. Solder it in place.

Step 2 - Connect your Matrix

From your insulated wire, cut four pieces, about 1.5 inches long each and strip a short length of insulation from each end. Insert one end of these wires into the holes on the Pixelblaze marked GND, DATA, CLK, and 5V. Solder all wires into place.

Before you solder the wires to the LED panel, it is helpful to pre-apply solder to both the ends of the wires and the pads of the LED panel. This is called “tinning” and will let you easily join them with a quick touch from the soldering iron.

Now solder the other ends of the wires to the pads on the LED panel marked +5V, DAT IN, CLK IN, and GND. The insulated length of the wires should face toward the center of the panel.

Test your work: Plug a micro USB cable into the Pixelblaze and a 2A power source. The orange LED should flash, and a pattern should appear on the panel after about 2 seconds.

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Case Assembly

Step 3 - Interior Electronics

Place the LED panel atop the piece of plywood marked “LEDs.” Route the wires attached to the Pixelblaze so they pass through the cutout marked “Input.” Attach the LED panel to the plywood using four screws.

With the back side of the assembly facing you, turn the Pixelblaze so it fits into the notch in the plywood as shown:

Step 4 - Assemble the Sides

Take the piece of plywood marked with a spiral and slip its notch onto the stub sticking out from the side of the LED plywood. This spiral allows you to press the button on the Pixelblaze through the wood!

Assemble the remaining plywood pieces so they form the sides of a box. Rubber bands are very helpful here to hold the walls in place.

Step 5 - Attach the Back

Lay the box with LEDs facing down. Lay the acrylic panel engraved with “Pixelblaze” on top, lining up the square holes with the USB and audio ports. Secure it with eight screws around the perimeter.

Step 6 - Attach the Front

Flip the box over. Wipe the back of the front acrylic panel to remove dust, then secure it with the final eight screws.

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Step 7 - Install the Pattern Pack

We've released a special pattern pack for the Beautiful Box!

Download the Beautiful Box archive image (.pbb)

To install:

1. Go to the Settings tab in the Pixelblaze web app.
2. Scroll to Backups and click "Restore from Backup".
3. Select the .pbb file you just downloaded.

Wood Finishing (Optional)

If you'd like to stain your box, do so before assembly. Sand the pieces with 220 grit sandpaper first for a smooth finish.

Enjoy your Beautiful Box! Head over to the ElectroMage Forum to share your build.