“xcrhom WLED Type-C” is a tiny ESP32 board designed to run WLED open-source firmware that supports WS2812(B) RGB LED strips. It also supports audio-reactive effects using an “external microphone”, which appears to mean the microphone on the smartphone running the WLED app, more on that later.
We had already written about other small ESP32/ESP32-S3-based WLED controllers with the likes of Adafruit Sparkle Motion Stick and ANAVI Miracle Emitter, and the xchhom board’s main selling point is its price, as it goes for about $12 before taxes (AliExpress even shows me a $6.14 “Welcome offer” including shipping).
xchome WLED Type-C board specifications:
- Wireless module – ESP32-WROOM-32D
- SoC – Espressif ESP32-D0WD dual-core Tensilica LX6 processor @ 240 MHz
- Storage – 32Mbit SPI flash
- Connectivity – Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n up to 150 Mbps, Bluetooth 4.2/5.x LE
- IPEX antenna connector (antenna provided)
- RGB LED support
- 3-pin connector with GND, DA (Data), and 5V signals
- Supports WS2812X 5V RGB LED strips, but not 12V models
- Up to 3-meter-long strips, max 144 LEDs/meter (but power limitations may only allow for shorter strips in that case)
- USB – 1x USB Type-C port with WCH343 USB to serial chip
- Power Supply – 5V/5A via USB-C port
- Dimensions – 20.95 x 7.96mm
The xcrhome.tech website does not seem to be maintained, and has no information about the board itself, let alone firmware support. So you’d have to follow the instructions on the WLED website instead. What I found curious is that the Adafruit Sparkle Motion Stick features a built-in I2S microphone for audio-reactive effects, while we are told the xcrhom WLED Type-C board supports an external microphone.
I initially thought the user may have to connect an actual microphone to the board, but there isn’t any connector or footprint for one, and connecting a microphone directly to the ESP32 module would be awkward. Instead, the video below shows a demo with one phone running the WLED app and selecting the “2D CenterBars” sound reactive (SR) effect, and another phone playing music. You can learn about various audio input methods in the WLED audio reactive documentation.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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