ESP32-based YULC USB-C LED Controller features dual power inputs, supports WLED and ESPHome firmware

The YULC (Yes, a USB-C LED Controller) board is a compact, ESP32-S3-powered LED controller with USB-C and DC jack power inputs. It is a fully featured board that can easily replace a rat’s nest of wires and save space and time.

This ESP32 LED controller features a built-in buck regulator that converts input power from the USB-C port or barrel jack to the voltage needed for the LED strips. The YULC provides two separate LED channels with a level shifter each to ensure clean and powerful data output, removing the need for a sacrificial pixel or external level shifter. Each channel also has a power MOSFET that can turn off the channels individually and dim simple LED strips via PWM.

AAElectronics, the maker, has previously released an IR remote—the Home Assistant-compatible ESP 360 Remote—which we covered at the time. Similar products include the SMLIGHT A1-SLWF-03, DFRobot’s EDGE102-DMX512, and the PixelBlaze v3.

YULC specifications:

• SoC – ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 MCU @ 240MHz with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi  and BLE 5
• LED Control
  • 2x LED channels, each with a level shifter
  • 1x high-side power N-channel MOSFET per channel
  • 10x output terminals, 5 for each channel (2x Positive terminal, 2x GND terminal, 1x Data terminal)
• USB – USB Type-C for power and programming
• Expansion – 12-pin header with 8x GPIO, 3V power pins, and GND
• Misc – Transient and ESD protection, automotive blade fuse holders, 1x Boot button, 3x jumpers
• Power Input
  • USB Type-C with PD 3.0 protocol up to 100W
  • 24V @ 20A via 2.5 x 5.5mm DC barrel jack
  • Built-in high-efficiency regulator, up to 100W@5V (USB-C) or up to 240W @ 12V (Barrel jack)

The YULC board supports open-source firmware such as WLED and ESPHome allowing Home Assistant integration. The WLED firmware for YULC is a manually compiled build with four user mods including one that turns the connected strip into a visual timer. The hardware is also open-source, with schematics, bill of materials, Gerber files, and 3D models available for developers who want to build and improve upon the hardware. The AAElectronics documentation page also includes a complete setup guide for users.

An earlier version of the USB-C LED controller was previewed on Crowd Supply but the maker has opted for a different approach. The YULC development kit is priced at $35 on Tindie and is sold at the maker’s shop for €29.90. The kit includes a YULC board, a 15A blade fuse, heatsinks, M2 screws, and a 5V fan. Buyers will need to print the enclosure themselves. More information can be found on the documentation page.

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