What is it?

This is a soldering Kit for a classic Christmas Arch also known as "Schwibbogen". All parts and PCBs are included. The microcontroller is preprogrammed.

For the power supply you will need a USB-B cable and a USB power supply, which are NOT INCLUDED into the kit.

Why did you make it?

I wanted to make a special Christmas gift for my grandma. Something that says "Your grandson is a maker" but also something that she would put on display because she really likes it (not because, you know ....) Additionally I like to use stuff in a way it is not meant to be used. :-)

How does it work?

To make a more "candle like" light each LED is controlled by two pseudo random number generators (PRNG). The LEDs increase and decrease the brightness random. This creates a flicker in every LED and imitates candle light.

What makes it special?

Traditionally Christmas Arches are made from wood and are equipped with candles. But this one is completely made out of PCBs. The candles are replaced to by LEDs. A microcontroller for the PRNG is directly soldered onto the ache.