September 10th, 2025 ×
Realtime LED Wall With React + Websockets (I Let Strangers Control It)
Wes Bos Host
Scott Tolinski Host
Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into Wes’s Hackweek project: a real-time, web-controlled LED grid. They break down the hardware build, custom 3D-printed diffuser, ESP32 microcontroller, and Cloudflare durable objects powering live pixel art, GitHub activity displays, and interactive web drawings.
Show Notes
- 00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
- 02:03 Wes’ Hackweek project: a web-controlled LED grid
- 03:52 The hardware: LED panels, soldering, and power
- 06:38 ESP32 microcontroller and WLED firmware explained
- 10:57 Power supply challenges and injection fixes
- 15:05 Debugging and testing a DIY LED matrix
- 15:56 Shorts, blown circuits, and melted wires
- 17:58 Designing and 3D-printing the diffuser for crisp pixels
- 21:29 The software: Cloudflare Durable Objects + Party Server
- 22:18 Real-time sync and state management across clients
- 28:43 Connecting the server to the LED hardware
- 41:51 Open access fun: scripts, NSFW images, and moderation
- 44:10 Live demos
- 45:34 Future plans: stats, rooms, and making it always-on
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