936: Realtime LED Wall With React + Websockets (I Let Strangers Control It)

Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into Wes’s Hackweek project: a real-time, web-controlled LED grid. They break down the hardware build, custom 3D-printed diffuser, ESP32 microcontroller, and Cloudflare durable objects powering live pixel art, GitHub activity displays, and interactive web drawings.

Show Notes

• 
  00:00 Welcome to Syntax!


• 
  02:03 Wes’ Hackweek project: a web-controlled LED grid


• 
  03:52 The hardware: LED panels, soldering, and power
  
  
  
  • WS2812 LED panels
  
  
  
  


• 
  06:38 ESP32 microcontroller and WLED firmware explained
  
  
  
  • ESP32 Microcontroller
  
  
  
  


• 
  10:57 Power supply challenges and injection fixes


• 
  15:05 Debugging and testing a DIY LED matrix


• 
  15:56 Shorts, blown circuits, and melted wires


• 
  17:58 Designing and 3D-printing the diffuser for crisp pixels


• 
  21:29 The software: Cloudflare Durable Objects + Party Server
  
  
  
  • Cloudflare Durable Objects
  
  
  • Party.server
  
  
  
  


• 
  22:18 Real-time sync and state management across clients
  
  
  
  • Party Client
  
  
  
  


• 
  28:43 Connecting the server to the LED hardware


• 
  41:51 Open access fun: scripts, NSFW images, and moderation
  
  
  
  • Cloudflare tunnel
  
  
  
  


• 
  44:10 Live demos


• 
  45:34 Future plans: stats, rooms, and making it always-on

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