Add shopping list / bill of materials to README

[tcortega]

Hi, thanks for this great project!

One thing that would really help new builders is a clear shopping list in the README. The current documentation covers wiring and setup well, but doesn't explicitly list all the components needed to get started.

Here's a suggested BOM based on what I gathered from the docs and community, would appreciate if you could double check it:

Core Components

Component	Specs	Qty	Notes
Arduino Nano 33 BLE	Genuine Arduino	1	Clones often have BLE issues
WS2811 LED Pixel String	5V, 12mm, 25cm wire spacing, IP68	4× 50pcs (200 total)	Standard MoonBoard needs 198 LEDs (11×18 grid)
5V Power Supply	5V 12A minimum (60W+)	1	198 LEDs × 60mA = ~12A max draw
Resistor	330Ω (or 220Ω)	1	Data line protection

Wiring & Connectors

Component	Qty	Notes
JST-SM 3-pin connectors	5-10 pairs	For connecting LED strings
18-16 AWG wire	2-3m	For power injection every 35-50 LEDs
Micro-USB cable	1	For flashing firmware

Notes

• LED wire spacing must be 25cm to match MoonBoard hold grid
• Use 5V LEDs, not 12V
• Power injection recommended every 35-50 LEDs to prevent voltage drop/color shift
• Search terms for LEDs: "WS2811 5V 25cm spacing 50pcs IP68"

[FabianRig]

Hi @tcortega!

Thank you for the contribution! Looks good to me, just a few small remarks:

25 cm is ideal but not a must (if other lengths are a lot cheaper to get):

• LED spacing can be longer without a problem; actually, 30cm might be easier to run around beams etc.
• Or it can also be shorter (then you have to define a pattern in order to skip some LEDs and need more LEDs)

I don't have any JST-SM 3-pin connectors. I ordered some connectors from the same shop where I got the LED strings from. However, I don't know exactly what type of connector they use. If I remember correctly, they are called "xConnector".

For the power injection wires, cheap audio cables will do.

--> If you want to, you can create a PR for the changes in the README. Or let me know and I'll copy/paste the table into the README.

[tcortega]

Would you not recommend buying 10cm spaced LEDs and manually extending them? I was doing some searches and the consensus seems to be that it is not a good alternative

[FabianRig]

No, I'm not recommending to buy anything else than 25 cm (what easily fits the hole pattern). What I tried to say is that it doesn't really matter if you already have an LED string with different lengths (or can get one for cheap) as you can map the LEDs anyway and thus skip those which are not in use. In short: Buy 25 cm is you can, however, other lenghts can be used as well.

[DenkBrettl]

I'm running the entire thing without any power injectors and I don't see any difference in color or brightness. I would thus recommend to put this as optional if needed, because I think it's significant extra work that might not be needed.

[tcortega]

No, I'm not recommending to buy anything else than 25 cm (what easily fits the hole pattern). What I tried to say is that it doesn't really matter if you already have an LED string with different lengths (or can get one for cheap) as you can map the LEDs anyway and thus skip those which are not in use. In short: Buy 25 cm is you can, however, other lenghts can be used as well.

Struggling to find even 10cm spaced LEDs over here right now, and importing things from china over where I am at seems to be nearly impossible.

[tcortega]

I'm running the entire thing without any power injectors and I don't see any difference in color or brightness. I would thus recommend to put this as optional if needed, because I think it's significant extra work that might not be needed.

Are you running on 4x50 and powering each string individually?

[DenkBrettl]

No, I'm running one 200 LED string and I have one power source at the very beginning and that's it. As far as I see it, the LEDs are in parallel on the plus and minus cables, so the only thing that could lead to losses is the resistance of the cables itself. I don't know their thickness exactly, but it seems like there's no issue there - at least not with the ones I ordered.

[tcortega]

Good to know, what PSU are you running

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On Friday, 12/05/25 at 22:39 DenkBrettl ***@***.***> wrote: DenkBrettl left a comment [(FabianRig/ArduinoMoonBoardLED#32)](#32 (comment)) No, I'm running one 200 LED string and I have one power source at the very beginning and that's it. As far as I see it, the LEDs are in parallel on the plus and minus cables, so the only thing that could lead to losses is the resistance of the cables itself. I don't know their thickness exactly, but it seems like there's no issue there - at least not with the ones I ordered. — Reply to this email directly, [view it on GitHub](#32 (comment)), or [unsubscribe](https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AOQXGYYJPFYCO4XZJHS5OU34AHNONAVCNFSM6AAAAACNNDGTPOVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTMMJYGMYTANRZGA). You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[DenkBrettl]

Meanwell LPV-100-5. And these LEDs: https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005006626486895.html (which with the 18AWG wire are good for 15...16 amps @60 degrees max). I use brightness 64 though in my config file. Which in my room is plenty. On the outside, one might need more.

[jordigrau83]

I'm also running the full moonboard 198 leds with a simple 1A 5V usb charger, so just 5W is really needed. I also use esp32, so even cheaper tan Arduino and it can be updated via OTA

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On Fri, 5 Dec 2025, 20:35 tarcisio, ***@***.***> wrote: *tcortega* left a comment (FabianRig/ArduinoMoonBoardLED#32) <#32 (comment)> I'm running the entire thing without any power injectors and I don't see any difference in color or brightness. I would thus recommend to put this as optional if needed, because I think it's significant extra work that might not be needed. Are you running on 4x50 and powering each string individually? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#32 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AENEE5ECWAEIQU443U72NEL4AHNBZAVCNFSM6AAAAACNNDGTPOVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTMMJYGI4TSNBYG4> . You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[FabianRig]

If you only power a few LEDs at once (e.g. display a single boulder problem), it'll work fine with a simple USB charger. However, if you power all LEDs at once (light show for the kids ;-)), a stronger PSU is needed.

Good to know that your ESP32 works!

[robloveep]

I just finished building my MoonBoard last night, and it really was a joy to flip the switch and see the LED's come on and function perfectly. I have very little comp-sci skill, and still this repo made this project a breeze for me.

Here's a shopping list with nearly everything I used to build this project. I added a small switch to the side of my board that cuts power to the LED's and Arduino. To add that, I bought 18g 3-wire (not on my list) and some cheap 12V DC switches (on my list). AliExpress was the ticket for the LED's - 25cm were easy to find, and I didn't have to deal with Tariff's when delivered to CO.

Thanks Fabian!

[FabianRig]

I'm happy to hear that it worked for you. :-)