--- title: "LichtBit’s open-source ESP32 Art-Net/sACN NeoPixels controller can drive up to 2,720 RGB LEDs" url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/bruno/projects/lichtbits-open-source-esp32-art-net-sacn-neopixels-controller-can-drive-up-to-2720-rgb-leds/" markdown_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/bruno/projects/lichtbits-open-source-esp32-art-net-sacn-neopixels-controller-can-drive-up-to-2720-rgb-leds/md" type: "UCC: User Created Content" author: "MatthijsRC" author_url: "https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/05/27/lichtbit-open-source-esp32-art-net-sacn-neopixels-controller-can-drive-up-to-2720-rgb-leds/" editor: "WIZnet" editor_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/" original_author: "MatthijsRC" original_url: "https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/05/27/lichtbit-open-source-esp32-art-net-sacn-neopixels-controller-can-drive-up-to-2720-rgb-leds/" published: "2026-05-28" language: "en" likes: 0 views: 386 comments: 0 source: "WIZnet Makers (https://maker.wiznet.io/)" --- # LichtBit’s open-source ESP32 Art-Net/sACN NeoPixels controller can drive up to 2,720 RGB LEDs > Dutch hardware designer LichtBit has launched a fully open-source ESP32-based Art-Net/sACN NeoPixels LED strip controller designed for large-scale... Original author: MatthijsRC (source: https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/05/27/lichtbit-open-source-esp32-art-net-sacn-neopixels-controller-can-drive-up-to-2720-rgb-leds/) ## Article [Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/f3e7oMOB8D4) *Want to run a full stage light show from your PC straight into cheap LED strips? Let's see how LichtBit's open-source ESP32 controller turns Art-Net/sACN data into 2,720 dancing pixels — with the WIZnet W5500 keeping every frame rock-solid!* ### COMPONENTS **Hardware components** - WIZnet – W5500 Ethernet Module ×1 - Espressif – ESP32-WROOM-32 Dev Board ×1 - OLED Display 128×32 (I2C) ×1 - Addressable LED Strip (WS2812B / SK6812 / APA102) ×4 outputs - 5V–24V DC Power Supply ×1 **Software Apps and online services** - Arduino IDE - I2SClocklessLedDriver library - Art-Net / sACN software (Resolume Arena, MadMapper, xLights) - WLED firmware (optional, standalone mode) ### PROJECT DESCRIPTION Dutch hardware designer LichtBit built a fully open-source ESP32 controller that bridges professional lighting software and low-cost addressable LED strips. The board takes Art-Net/sACN data over the network and converts it into the high-speed serial signals that NeoPixel-style strips understand — driving up to 16 universes / 2,720 RGB LEDs across 4 outputs. Let's walk through how it works and how to set it up! **Why Ethernet? (The bandwidth problem)** A single DMX512 universe carries only 512 channels. Since each RGB LED needs 3 channels, one universe runs out after about 170 LEDs. To scale up, Art-Net and sACN (E1.31) pack many universes onto a standard Ethernet network. That's where the **WIZnet W5500** comes in — its hardwired TCP/IP stack handles all the network traffic so the ESP32 cores stay free to render pixels, which is exactly why the designer recommends wired Ethernet for high frame rates. **W5500 ART-NET NODE BLOCK DIAGRAM** ![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/627351180%5F1780908143%2Epng) **0. Preparation** - ESP32 + WIZnet W5500 Art-Net node (or equivalent hardware) - Addressable LED strips (WS2812B/SK6812/APA102) + 5V–24V power supply - Ethernet cable + a network switch or router - A PC running Art-Net/sACN software (Resolume Arena, MadMapper, or xLights) **1. Get the project files** The full open-source project — firmware binaries, a custom `wled_cfg.json`, and 3D enclosure files — lives on the project's GitHub repo, while the schematics, PCB layout, BoM, and Gerber files are on the EasyEDA OSHWLab page. **2. Wire up the hardware** Connect your LED strips to the 4 screw-terminal outputs (up to 680 RGB LEDs each). The board's onboard 5V level-shifters keep data clean over long cable runs, individual ~8A resettable fuses protect each channel, and reverse-polarity protection guards against wiring mistakes. Power it from anywhere in the wide 5V–24V range. **3. Connect the network** Plug the W5500 Ethernet port into the same switch/router as your PC. Tip: the W5500 doesn't do Auto-MDI/MDIX, so a *direct* PC-to-board connection needs a crossover cable — but going through a switch or router works with any standard cable. The 128×32 OLED shows live status and IP mapping so you always know the node's address. If the network times out for 30 seconds, the board auto-launches an AP mode for standalone debugging. **4. Map your universes in software** In your lighting software, map your video or light show across the universes and point the output at the node's IP. The controller unpacks the Art-Net/sACN packets and instantly drives the strips. It supports RGB, RGBW, and RGBAW strips, so most common LED types just work. **5. Test & play** Press the physical boot/mode button to run standalone RGB test cycles or cycle through the 10 built-in color presets — a quick way to confirm wiring before going live. Then stream your show and watch all 2,720 pixels light up in sync! **Bonus: Standalone effects with WLED** Don't want a PC in the loop? Flash the WLED framework for standalone animations. Note: Ethernet + WLED needs the experimental **WLED-W5500** fork, since stock WLED doesn't natively drive the W5500 over SPI yet. The provided `wled_cfg.json` safely remaps pins 12, 14, 27, and 26 to the onboard level shifters and fuses. **RESULT** ![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/627351180%5F1780908175%2Epng) A pre-assembled node is also available for makers who'd rather build the light show than the board. This project is a great example of how the **WIZnet W5500** brings reliable, high-throughput Ethernet to real-time lighting — turning a low-cost ESP32 into a professional-grade pixel controller. ![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/627351180%5F1780908216%2Epng) **Links 👇👇👇** - GitHub repository (firmware, config, 3D files) - EasyEDA OSHWLab project (schematics, PCB, BoM, Gerber) *Source: CNX Software (May 27, 2026)* --- Source: https://maker.wiznet.io/bruno/projects/lichtbits-open-source-esp32-art-net-sacn-neopixels-controller-can-drive-up-to-2720-rgb-leds/