Each City is a Pixel

Image Credit: Adafruit.com

Today, I decided on the type of LEDs my globe will use for the individual cities. I wanted the LEDs to be individually addressable with RGB control. They would have to be Arduino friendly and chainable because an arduino doesn't have 1,500 PWM pins. I'd also like it to run at 5 volts.

After reviewing these specifications, I decided on using the WS2812B, chainable RGB LED chip. The photo above shows Adafruit Industries NeoPixel Mini PCBs, WS2812B breakouts with resistors, diodes, and, most importantly, larger soldering pads. This seems like the best option for their price. I'll use Adafruits NeoPixel library for Arduino to easily control the 500 pixels I need.

3,000 solder joints here I come!