ML01 project by RELEASE255

DIY LED Board Powered by Raspberry Pico 2W

_{ML01 Main image}

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💡 Overview

ML01 is a fully DIY through-hole LED board driven by a Raspberry Pi Pico 2W and two TPIC6B595 shift registers. Built for makers, learners, and electronic enthusiasts, this product combining:

• Electronics learning
• Soldering practice
• Microcontroller programming
• Wireless control via Microdot
• Possibility to customize the firmware and hardware
• Open hardware philosophy with protected PCB design

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📋 Key Features

• LED Circle | 16 yellow LEDs driven by 2× TPIC power shift registers
• Physical Controls | 2 buttons to switch operating modes
• Wireless Web Interface | Autonomous Microdot server for full remote control
• Mode 1 (FULL) | Turn all LEDs on
• Mode 2 (CHASE) | Minute indicator synchronized via an NTP server
• 100% DIY THT | Perfect for beginners and maker who wish to assemble or repair their product
• Upgradable Firmware | New modes and features can be added anytime
• Easy Powered | Works with the included 12.5 W PSU or via USB
• Budget Friendly | Transparent and moderate costs coupled with low consumption (~1 Wh)

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📦 Contents of the Kit

Available on Tindie (coming soon):

• 01x PCB

To be purchased separately:

• 01x Raspberry Pi Pico 2W (THT version)
• 01x Raspberry power supply 12.5 W (5.1 V / 2.5 A)
• 02x TPIC6B595 (Power Shift Register)
• 16x Yellow LED (2500 mcd 60 deg)
• 16x Metal resistors 160Ω
• 07x Ceramic capacitor (X7R 100 nF)
• 01x Electro radial capacitor (100µF)
• 01x Resettable fuse
• 02x Push buttons

To be printed according to the provided 3D model:

• 01x PCB stand

_{Complete DIY kit packaging}

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📸 Gallery

_{Bare PCB front view}

_{DIY soldering THT components}

_{Choice of orientation on the stand}

_{PCB stand with cable holding}

_{CHASE mode activated}

_{FULL mode activated}

_{Web interface for remote control}

_{Web interface for log monitoring}

_{CHASE mode animated}

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📚 Documentation

Specifications

See the document Specifications

Quick Start

1. Solder all components following the guide (⏱️ ~ 5 hours)
2. Finishing the PCB assembly with the cleaning
3. Flash the firmware to your Pico 2W
4. Configure the main.py file as you wish
5. Transfer the 3 files (main.py, index.html, microdot.py) to your pico
6. Plug the device to start the programm, it connects to your WiFi network
7. Control via web interface or the buttons

Assembly

Follow the complet guide to Assembly

Configuration

Follow the complet guide to edit Settings

Control & consult logs

Using the 2 physical buttons or the web interface, see the document Usage

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⚠️ Disclaimer

• This is a DIY kit requiring soldering
• Assembly mistakes may damage components
• No warranty is provided
• Use at your own risk
• This device is intended for personal, non-commercial use only

It has not been tested or certified to meet:

• CE electromagnetic compatibility standards
• FCC Part 15 regulations
• RoHS compliance (components should be RoHS-compliant when sourced)

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🌐 Ecosystem

• Official website: https://release255.com/
• Buy the PCB: https://www.tindie.com/products/release255/ml01-the-fully-diy-led-board-pcb-only/
• 3d stand: https://www.printables.com/model/1552197-pcb-stand
• Community: https://mastodon.social/@release255
• Project page: https://hackaday.io/project/204896-ml01-project

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📜 License Overview

ML01 uses a multi-license & balanced open source model.
The main license is MIT but other parts of the project use Creative Commons licenses.
Below is the complete list of licenses used in the repository.
If you have any question about licensing or permitted uses, contact the project maintainer.

Category	License	File Types	Commercial use	Full text
Firmware	MIT	.py .html	✅ Allowed	LICENSE
BOM	CC BY-SA 4.0	.pdf	✅ Allowed	LICENSE
Documentation	CC BY-NC-SA 4.0	.pdf .md	🚫 Not allowed	LICENSE
Technical plans	CC BY-NC-SA 4.0	.pdf	🚫 Not allowed	LICENSE
Schematics	CC BY-NC-SA 4.0	.pdf	🚫 Not allowed	LICENSE
3D Models	CC BY-NC-SA 4.0	.stl .stp	🚫 Not allowed	LICENSE
Images	CC BY-NC-SA 4.0	.png .jpg	🚫 Not allowed	LICENSE
PCB Sources	Proprietary	Kicad & Gerbers	❌ Not available	N/A

🔒 PCB sources remain proprietary

In order to preserve the value of the design, guarantee independence, sustainability and the protection of creators, the following elements are not available:

• KiCad source files
• PCB routing & layout
• Gerber files
• 3D model of the actual PCB

Third-Party Dependencies and Licenses

The ML01 firmware uses two essential external components:

MicroPython

ML01 runs on MicroPython, a Python interpreter optimized for microcontrollers.

• License MIT
• Author: Damien P. George and contributors
• Official website: https://micropython.org
• Full text license: here
  ℹ️ The firmware provided in this repository may not necessarily be the latest version.

Microdot

Microdot is an ultra-lightweight web micro-framework used for the ML01 kit's HTML interface.

• License MIT
• Author: Miguel Grinberg
• Official Repository: https://github.com/miguelgrinberg/microdot
• Full text license: here
  ℹ️ The microdot.py file provided in this repository may not necessarily be the latest version.

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🤝 Contributions & Collaboration

Contributions to the firmware and documentation are welcome!

• Open issues for bugs, ideas, or improvements
• Submit pull requests for code or docs
• Proprietary files cannot be modified

Interested in partnering?

I'm open to collaborations with:

• Makers
• Hardware designers
• Open-source communities

Let's explore cross-promotion, joint tutorials, shared tools, or group orders.

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🗂️ Repository Structure

ML01/
├── 01_docs/
│   ├── LICENSE-docs.md
│   ├── ML01-assembly.md
│   ├── ML01-costs.pdf
│   ├── ML01-settings.md
│   ├── ML01-specifications.md
│   └── ML01-usage.md
│
├── 02_firmware/
│   ├── LICENSE-firmware.md
│   ├── LICENSE-microdot.md
│   ├── LICENSE-micropython.md
│   ├── RPI_PICO2_W-YYYYMMDD-vX.XX.X.uf2
│   ├── index.html
│   ├── main.py
│   └── microdot.py
│
├── 03_hardware/
│   ├── LICENSE-bom.md
│   ├── LICENSE-hardware.md
│   ├── ML01-bom.pdf
│   ├── ML01-drawingA3.pdf
│   └── ML01-kicad-schematic.pdf
│
├── 04_3dmodels/
│   ├── LICENSE-3dmodels.md
│   ├── ML01-pcbstand-v01.stl
│   └── ML01-pcbstand-v01.stp
│
├── 05_images/
│   ├── assembly/
│   ├── product/
│   ├── settings/
│   ├── usage/
│   └── LICENSE-images.md
│
├── CHANGELOG.md
├── CONTRIBUTING.md
├── LICENSE
└── README.md

Revision date: 2026.02.14
© RELEASE255 | All rights reserved