Android-Arduino LED Strip Lights

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn9KfJQWqgI&w=600&h=338]

Connect a multicolor LED strip to your smartphone to make a touch-controlled light show! You can attach the color-changing LEDs to the underside of a coffee table, your bike, or anything else you think needs a bit more color.

There are many ways to connect your smartphone to an embedded microcontroller. In this project you’ll use an Android phone in USB host mode. This way, the Android phone both powers and communicates with the Arduino! Even though the Arduino is connected via USB, the communication happens via serial, just like when an Arduino is connected to your computer.

Once you’re able to make your phone talk to an Arduino, a whole world of new projects opens up!

Download the code

Download the app and installer at trevorshp.com/creations/ArduinoColor.apk.
You can also grab the complete source code at github.com/trevorshannon/ArduinoColor.

CAUTION: Build this project at your own risk. We fried a phone during our test build. Not all Android phones are compatible with USB Host Mode. Use only compatible phones, with the proper Android operating system and USB Host Mode drivers. To learn more, visit How can I determine if my device has USB host mode (OTG) support?

Other Explorations

Now that you understand how to talk to an Arduino with an Android app, you can take this project further in all kinds of ways:

Go wireless: add a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi module to your Arduino and get rid of the cable.

Make lights that change color based on the orientation of your phone.

Use the GPS in your phone as well as some fancy sensors connected to the Arduino to make a location-aware data logger.

Use an individually addressable LED strip and adjust the code for more control over the light show.

Getting Started with Arduino

Arduino projects and tutorials

40 Responses to Android-Arduino LED Strip Lights

Tiltos on May 1st, 2014 at 2:28 am said:

Very nice! One question that isn’t directly Arduino related – how did you make the frosted ‘Make’ lettering? Is it perspex, paper or something else? And was it cost effective?
- Aa on May 1st, 2014 at 8:29 pm said:
  
  It looks like (some kind of a support system inside first of all), laser cut panels of frosted acrylic, and then the grey edges might be whats known as illustration board (a kind of thick paper) glued to the edges.
Danniel Murcia Suarez on May 12th, 2014 at 10:44 am said:

what program do you use for the application in Android Eclipse, NetBeans or Which one ?
pippo on June 1st, 2014 at 1:15 pm said:

very nice work.
Do You know if arduino 2009 is supported or not?

tks,

Pippo
Alex on June 30th, 2014 at 3:45 pm said:

I liked it better if it were possible to change color by bluetooth. Already I was looking and I tested several none worked. If anyone knows what to say.
- Omar on July 10th, 2014 at 12:17 pm said:
  
  You probably need to add a Bluetooth shield to your Arduino so it can receive the signal
Omar on July 16th, 2014 at 11:23 am said:

Hi Trevor,

Can you please elaborate why you chose a TIP31 transistor and 1KΩ resistor?

How much base current is needed to switch the 1.2A 1-meter LED strip?

Also, with the 1KΩ resistor means the Arduino is only outputing about 5mA current or less, right?

Sorry, just trying to better understand the transistor-resistor relationship.

Regards,

Omar
Roby on July 16th, 2014 at 12:41 pm said:

You can also look at this project for more infos:
http://rosafante.altervista.org/ledsottoscocca-bluetooth-rgb-led-stripes-arduino-android/
Ash on July 20th, 2014 at 10:11 am said:

hey guys, I’m new to this, so take it easy on me when i ask : are u guys using the Arduino Uno or something other Arduino board ?
- Chico Demmenie on August 11th, 2014 at 10:52 pm said:
  
  No this is the arduino Uno i believe
  
  Ash on August 12th, 2014 at 12:24 am said:
  
  Thanx :)
Chico Demmenie on August 11th, 2014 at 1:33 am said:

Hey im having trouble making this project work my Android device doe not seem to be communicating with the arduino and at first the led strip went white but would not change color When i opened the app but now the led strip does not work at all
- ieee488 on November 17th, 2015 at 9:36 am said:
  
  Not many smartphones have support for USB Host Mode. The two I had didn’t. My Nobis 7″ tablet did. If you want to find out if your smartphone can run this app, install USB Host Diagnostics app and it will tell you.
Aidan Platkin on September 14th, 2014 at 10:03 pm said:

How is this being powered?
- Danny Novak on November 9th, 2014 at 5:12 pm said:
  
  12 volts dc
  
  _Chris33 on October 24th, 2015 at 10:24 am said:
  
  Sorry for replying to the VERY old comment, but i can’t find this anywhere. How do I connect a 12v power supply to the breadboard?
Su on September 15th, 2014 at 12:34 am said:

Hi Trevor,

Just wondering: If I plan to add a bluetooth connection to this, what are the codes I should include in this existing one?
Sachin on September 16th, 2014 at 4:02 am said:

i am really scared that iu i might fire up my phone . So is it possible to use bluestacks app player and install the app on laptop and provide the value of colours to the aurdino board ?
Lucas G on May 1st, 2015 at 11:28 am said:

Hi! Could you please tell us why you use transistors instead of MOSFETs?
- Goku Son on June 8th, 2015 at 7:16 am said:
  
  can…..i try it before…
  it successfully run and we win exibition
Goku Son on June 8th, 2015 at 7:01 am said:

assalamualaikum, I AM network student,this arduino coding can apply on the intel galileo board??THANkS Trevor
Karel Lohmeier on July 25th, 2015 at 8:45 am said:

Hello Trevor for a test i used only 3 leds and instead of tip 31 2n2222 it worked good for me. Thank you for the project.
Pawel Choinski on September 19th, 2015 at 11:49 pm said:

Will tip31 work when I have 6m long LED? Cous it is 3A and I will need 6A – Which transistor shuld I use? Or can I simply cut LED 2x3m and put 2 of them?
Thx for help
Lucas Mordini on November 7th, 2015 at 10:18 am said:

Hola Trevor, ¿cómo pordría hacer para controlar las tiras de led rgb a travez de la notebook con un emulador de adndroid?

Agradecería una pronta respuesta.
Saludos
- ieee488 on November 17th, 2015 at 9:33 am said:
  
  http://www.tweaking4all.com/hardware/arduino/arduino-ws2812-led/
Samaa on November 13th, 2015 at 9:31 am said:

I really like this project and I’m thinking of choosing it as my project in one of the courses I’m studying currently.
My question is : is it possible to control the LED strip via PC instead of an Android device?
Stephen Frederick on January 11th, 2016 at 8:22 pm said:

Could I up the voltage for more powerful lights, say 120v and 50 watts?
jbergamin on February 11th, 2016 at 9:56 pm said:

Awesome project! This inspired me to make a Led strip that can be controlled over WiFi with a Android app I wrote. You can see it here: http://jakebergamin.com/2016/02/08/wifi-led-strip/. The circuit diagram you provided was very helpful.
Ayush Jain on April 21st, 2016 at 4:11 pm said:

https://github.com/ayushmaanbhav/ColorfulSound

controlling brightness and colors of led with sound (beats, frequencies etc)
Mike Patton on September 10th, 2016 at 3:43 pm said:

arduino code for led ws2811/ws2812 ?
John Vergel Sitones on March 6th, 2017 at 1:44 am said:

Hello. Can you give me the circuits without using power supply 12 v? Instead, Just an adapter by it connected to the extension wire?
Joso on April 8th, 2017 at 12:32 pm said:

Can i get code for bluetooth app…i want to do via bluetooth
Salman on April 27th, 2017 at 10:30 am said:

My smartphone support otg like USB but the arduino colors app cannot change the colour of rgb led..

Plz help me out….
ABDO on May 1st, 2017 at 3:04 pm said:

i want to save last color when i disconnect the cell phone
bonafloorcleanerapparatus on May 19th, 2017 at 2:39 pm said:

How is the transistor supplying 12 V if its never connected to the 12V supply?
Pankaj Mandal on October 16th, 2017 at 8:15 am said:

Im not getting a prompt on my phone when i coonect arduino to my phone. After opening the app the led is not turning on.What is the problem?Can anyone help?
Lenny on October 31st, 2017 at 3:20 am said:

Hey Trevor,
How can I connect a bluetooth device to this concept? I want to have it wireless. Thankyou
Website Design UK on August 5th, 2019 at 3:17 am said:

RGB LED strips usually have 4 wires: one for power, and one each for red, green, and blue control.
Mansoor Ahmed on September 1st, 2019 at 8:01 am said:

I want to control my led strip using PC not my android phone
naitik pandya on September 17th, 2019 at 10:03 pm said:

if i want to connect bluetooth module then waht change i have to make in code