Play LED

The Play LED is a visual indicator that shows when Smoothieboard is actively executing G-code from a file.

This is useful for knowing at a glance whether your machine is running a job.

What Does the Play LED Do?

The Play LED:

Turns ON when a file is being played from the SD card
Turns OFF when no file is being executed
Provides visual feedback without needing to check a screen or computer

This is particularly helpful when you want to quickly check if a long print job is still running from across the room.

LED Tactile Button Option

You can solder an LED Tactile Button directly onto the Smoothieboard.

This provides both a visual indicator (LED) and a button for controlling playback.

LED Tactile Button mounted on Smoothieboard

Features of LED Tactile Button

Integrated LED: Shows play status
Button function: Can be programmed to start/stop/pause execution
Easy installation: Solders directly to designated pads on the board
Low profile: Doesn’t take up much space

Simple LED Option

Alternatively, you can wire a simple LED to two pins on the board.

This is a more basic solution that only provides the visual indicator without a button.

Simple LED Requirements

Standard LED: Any 5mm or 3mm LED will work
Current limiting resistor: Typically 330Ω to 1kΩ
Two wire connection: Connect to the designated play LED pins
Polarity matters: LED must be connected with correct polarity (anode to positive, cathode to negative)

Configuration

To enable and configure the play LED in your config file:

# Play LED configuration
play_led_disable                         false              # Enable the play LED
leds_disable                             false              # Enable LED support

The play LED will automatically turn on when a file is being executed from the SD card.

Kill Button - Emergency stop button
Panel - LCD panels with built-in indicators
SD Card - Playing files from SD card
Player - File player module