Where to buy Bike Pixel Rear components
09/17/2019Before we start building our Bike Pixel Rear prototype, we must have all the necessary components. The prototype version (or v0.x) is the one that requires the least number of elements and therefore is also easier and cheaper to assemble. Below I leave you the complete list of elements along with links to different online stores where you can buy the components:
| Component | Amazon.co.uk | AliExpress |
| Arduino Nano (Clone) | £5.99 | 1.76 € |
| 8×8 NeoPixels flexible matrix | £34.15 | 10.47 € |
| 3 x touch switches (6x6x8mm) | £2.95 (100 buttons) | 1.50 € (50 buttons) |
| 3 x 10 kΩ resistors | £1.59 (100 units) | 0.86 € (100 units) |
| 1 x 470 Ω resistor | £1.69 (50 units) | 0.86 € (100 units) |
| 9 x 1.6M 10 mm to 12 mm screws | £6.25 (100 units) | 1.56 € (50 units) |
| 4 x 1.6M 4 mm screws | £4.59 (50 units) | 1.53 € (100 units) |
| 13 x 1.6M nuts | £2.58 (100 units) | 1.46 € (10 units.) |
| 1m AWG 24 cable (0.51 mm) | £9.99 (5x9m) | 0.92 € (130 units) |
| 1 x 1000 uf/6.3V capacitator (optional) | £5.51 (20 units) | 1.68 € (50 units) |
| 1 x 6 AA battery holder (optional) | £2.69 | 2.15 € |
| 6 x rechargeable AA batteries (optional) | £9.99 (8 units) | 6.28 € (8 units) |
| 1 x on\off botton (optional) | £ | 0.75 € |
| 1 x 10000 mAh PowerBank (optional) | £ | 10.79 € |
Of course the cheapest option is AliExpress, but the components can take up to 2 months to arrive (so be patient). In Amazon some of the components are quite expensive but they come with taxes (or at least a lot of fiscal engineering) and you can be sure that they will arrive quite quickly.
Optional elements
In the case of optional elements, first in the case of the capacitor, according to the documentation provided by the manufacturer of the RGB matrix must be put one for safety to prevent voltage spikes damage the matrix following this scheme:
In the case of the prototype I have not included the capacitator and it has been used for hours and is still in perfect condition. Regarding the power supply, you can use either the AAA batteries within the holder connected directly to the Arduino board and installing a switch or through the USB port (which is the option I use in the prototype) with a standard PowerBank that can be used to charge smartphones.
They are affiliate links so every time you buy through them you will be helping a little bit to finance the project. Besides, it won’t cost you anything at all, since the price of each component won’t change for you and we take a small commission for each sale. Thank you in advance! The price of each product is indicative and corresponds to the price given in September 2019.
