Updated 7/20/2026 by Zachary Glavin
This is an ongoing project. Please check back soon for more updates.
This is a project which is being developed for christmas gifts in the 2026 season. I am creating this mostly as an exercise in driving LEDs, microcontroller implimentation, and experimenting with solar cells in small, portable applications.
A bare PCB cut to the shape of a tree, circular ornament or other holiday themed shape. The front of the device will feature an LED matrix to show animations. The back will feature the microcontroller circuitry, the solar cells and power regulation and energy storage. The top of the PCB will have a hole for hanging. The constraints on size and weight will be dictated by the weight limits of a typical christmas tree branch, and having a surface area that fits in with other ornaments.
The device will run on a LFP cell which is charged by a series of solar cells. Determining the on-time/ off-time cycle of the device will need to be determined after an analysis of the available light energy in the typical living room during the winter. Seperate voltage regulators may be required for the CPU and the LED driving circuits.
The device shall have removeable memory in the form of a micro SD card. The memory will provide the option for user generated files to display on the LED matrix. The MCU will control system states, and push display information into a buffer.
| Minimum | Nominal | Maximum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | |||
| Energy Storage | |||
| Solar Power | |||
| LED Resolution | |||
| Removable Memory |