RGB Strips

[Jack Mair]

thank you for all the info guys and thank you
shaggy for asking these questions

[edvas69]

Glad we could help

[Santas Helper]

Was told about this thread that I can't believe I didn't see it.

Very good info here and I have it flagged.

Thanks,

[Melvin Stoddard]

Very interesting stuff. Now I have a question. What is the difference between a smart strip and dumb strips? I know that a smart strip is like a CCR each pixel receives data then pass it down the strip, thus each pixel acts independently.A dumb strip every pixel repeats the one before it so the entire strip is all red,or all green. Is this because of the controller or because of the strip itself and the capabilities of the pixels themselves not being able to read the data just for itself then passing the data to the next pixel?

[JBullard]

Yes to all

[Geoff Harvey]

Melvin Stoddard wrote:

Very interesting stuff. Now I have a question. What is the difference between a smart strip and dumb strips? I know that a smart strip is like a CCR each pixel receives data then pass it down the strip, thus each pixel acts independently.A dumb strip every pixel repeats the one before it so the entire strip is all red,or all green. Is this because of the controller or because of the strip itself and the capabilities of the pixels themselves not being able to read the data just for itself then passing the data to the next pixel?

Melvin

While both types of strip usually have 4 wires , the connections & functions for the 4 wires are the wires are totally different.

The smart strip has 2 wires for power, (+ve and -ve supply) together with a data line and a clock line to keep the data synchronized.

For the dumb strip the 4 wires are all for power. For strip for use with LOR DC boards, there is a common +ve supply line (all colours) and separate -ve supply lines , one for each colour, red, green & blue.
(Note that strip can be bought as common +ve [anode], or common -ve [cathode]. For use with LOR always specify common anode.)

Regards Geoff

[edvas69]

The differences are outlined in this presentation

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25894067/RGB%20Intro%20Presentation.ppsx

[Melvin Stoddard]

Geoff Harvey wrote:
(Note that strip can be bought as common +ve [anode], or common -ve [cathode]. For use with LOR always specify common anode.)

Ok to use with LOR you said specify common anode, but right before that you said strips can be common +ve or -ve, so just common anode or do you include +ve or -ve. Thanks for all your help. Melvin

[edvas69]

Melvin Stoddard wrote:

Geoff Harvey wrote:
(Note that strip can be bought as common +ve [anode], or common -ve [cathode]. For use with LOR always specify common anode.)

Ok to use with LOR you said specify common anode, but right before that you said strips can be common +ve or -ve, so just common anode or do you include +ve or -ve. Thanks for all your help. Melvin

The strip will have 4 wires, 1 for red, 1 for green and 1 for blue. The forth wire is the common which is +, the other 3 wires are -. So to control this 3 channel strip with a LOR controller then you need to use a common + (anode) or else the strip will not work.

[Ken Benedict]

ShaggySS - Since I live close to you, I'll bring over some led rgb strips and a LOR DC controller to play with. These are "dumb" strips, but fun and easy to use.

I'll also bring a spare CCR to demo and play with.

Also want to see your Halloween setup on Friday.

-Ken Benedict

[Santas Helper]

edvas69 wrote:

Melvin Stoddard wrote:

Geoff Harvey wrote:
(Note that strip can be bought as common +ve [anode], or common -ve [cathode]. For use with LOR always specify common anode.)

Ok to use with LOR you said specify common anode, but right before that you said strips can be common +ve or -ve, so just common anode or do you include +ve or -ve. Thanks for all your help. Melvin

The strip will have 4 wires, 1 for red, 1 for green and 1 for blue. The forth wire is the common which is +, the other 3 wires are -. So to control this 3 channel strip with a LOR controller then you need to use a common + (anode) or else the strip will not work.

With using the LOR DC board and the LED strip, can't you just reverse the connection if you got the cathode style instead of the anode style? Just curious. In my mind I think it would work because we are dealing with DC but I could be wrong.

[edvas69]

Santas Helper wrote:

edvas69 wrote:

Melvin Stoddard wrote:

Geoff Harvey wrote:
(Note that strip can be bought as common +ve [anode], or common -ve [cathode]. For use with LOR always specify common anode.)

Ok to use with LOR you said specify common anode, but right before that you said strips can be common +ve or -ve, so just common anode or do you include +ve or -ve. Thanks for all your help. Melvin

The strip will have 4 wires, 1 for red, 1 for green and 1 for blue. The forth wire is the common which is +, the other 3 wires are -. So to control this 3 channel strip with a LOR controller then you need to use a common + (anode) or else the strip will not work.

With using the LOR DC board and the LED strip, can't you just reverse the connection if you got the cathode style instead of the anode style? Just curious. In my mind I think it would work because we are dealing with DC but I could be wrong.

No this will not work as LEDs conduct electricity only 1 way and DC flows current 1 way as apposed to AC wich alternates the current flow both ways. This is one of the reasons that AC LED strings that dont have a rectifier will show flickering as it will only function when current is flowing 1 way.

The LOR board as most controllers due to cheaper and more robust construction switch the negative path and use the positive as the common. So this is why its important to specify common anode (+) instead of common cathode (-)

I hope that helps you understand

[Santas Helper]

edvas69 wrote:

Santas Helper wrote:

edvas69 wrote:

Melvin Stoddard wrote:

Geoff Harvey wrote:
(Note that strip can be bought as common +ve [anode], or common -ve [cathode]. For use with LOR always specify common anode.)

Ok to use with LOR you said specify common anode, but right before that you said strips can be common +ve or -ve, so just common anode or do you include +ve or -ve. Thanks for all your help. Melvin

The strip will have 4 wires, 1 for red, 1 for green and 1 for blue. The forth wire is the common which is +, the other 3 wires are -. So to control this 3 channel strip with a LOR controller then you need to use a common + (anode) or else the strip will not work.

With using the LOR DC board and the LED strip, can't you just reverse the connection if you got the cathode style instead of the anode style? Just curious. In my mind I think it would work because we are dealing with DC but I could be wrong.

No this will not work as LEDs conduct electricity only 1 way and DC flows current 1 way as apposed to AC wich alternates the current flow both ways. This is one of the reasons that AC LED strings that dont have a rectifier will show flickering as it will only function when current is flowing 1 way.

The LOR board as most controllers due to cheaper and more robust construction switch the negative path and use the positive as the common. So this is why its important to specify common anode (+) instead of common cathode (-)

I hope that helps you understand

Thanks, I wasn't for sure about the switching around part. I knew of the AC and DC difference but wasn't sure on switching the connections for LEDs on DC power.

Thanks again. (placing order as we speak)

[MtDew4me]

First let me thank all of you for either confirming what I thought I knew or clearing up some things that were a bit fuzzy. Great thread! I am looking to outline the vertical lines on my house in RGB "Dumb" strips. While my Christmas display is in full swing outside, I am sitting here playing around with an LED SMD 5050 Flexible Strip (60 LEDs/m) that I purchased awhile back from Ray Wu - already planning for next year. My questions are:

1. Would 30 LEDs/m be sufficiently bright to make a good vertical outline effect? Would 60/m be overkill?

2. The front of my house is either rock or stucko depending on location, any suggestions on how to mount the strips vertically on my two story house?

3. CCRs are a bit out of my price range. I am giving serious thought to 3 interlaced LED "dumb" module strands across the roofline. Each of the 3 strings would have 12 inch module spacing. They would be interlaced so so modules were 3 inches apart. I could then produce chase effects in whatever color I want. Is this a dumb idea? I just haven't seen or heard of anyone else doing it.

Many Thanks and Merry Christmas
Brandon

[Geoff Harvey]

MtDew4me wrote:

First let me thank all of you for either confirming what I thought I knew or clearing up some things that were a bit fuzzy. Great thread! I am looking to outline the vertical lines on my house in RGB "Dumb" strips. While my Christmas display is in full swing outside, I am sitting here playing around with an LED SMD 5050 Flexible Strip (60 LEDs/m) that I purchased awhile back from Ray Wu - already planning for next year. My questions are:

1. Would 30 LEDs/m be sufficiently bright to make a good vertical outline effect? Would 60/m be overkill?
CCRs are 30LED/m and the strips I used this year are 30/m also - I believe this is adequate. (see this tears displays in thread http://forums.lightorama.com/forum82/30675.html ) I did use 60LED/m strip behind my battens facing toward the wall to give a wall wash.

2. The front of my house is either rock or stucko depending on location, any suggestions on how to mount the strips vertically on my two story house?
No real experience or suggestions here, but a possible method is to zip tie to pvc conduit.


3. CCRs are a bit out of my price range. I am giving serious thought to 3 interlaced LED "dumb" module strands across the roofline. Each of the 3 strings would have 12 inch module spacing. They would be interlaced so so modules were 3 inches apart. I could then produce chase effects in whatever color I want. Is this a dumb idea? I just haven't seen or heard of anyone else doing it.
If I interpret you correctly, then yes, I believe this would work. I have CCRs on my upper roof outline. There are 3 pairs with each pair joined end to end, so the CCR pixel resolution is 6 bulbs. However for most of my sequences except where I use macros, the resolution is set at 10/strip. This corresponds to 1metre segments. For chases, this generally works well.

Many Thanks and Merry Christmas
Brandon

To see the ultimate in use of RGB strip amd modules see Eddy's video at

. This is using 5000 DMX channels and Light Show Pro (if these terms can be mentioned here)

Regards Geoff

[MtDew4me]

Thanks Geoff! Your display is VERY impressive. Eddy's too. I could only dream of something like that.

[edvas69]

Geoff Harvey wrote:

MtDew4me wrote:

First let me thank all of you for either confirming what I thought I knew or clearing up some things that were a bit fuzzy. Great thread! I am looking to outline the vertical lines on my house in RGB "Dumb" strips. While my Christmas display is in full swing outside, I am sitting here playing around with an LED SMD 5050 Flexible Strip (60 LEDs/m) that I purchased awhile back from Ray Wu - already planning for next year. My questions are:

1. Would 30 LEDs/m be sufficiently bright to make a good vertical outline effect? Would 60/m be overkill?
CCRs are 30LED/m and the strips I used this year are 30/m also - I believe this is adequate. (see this tears displays in thread http://forums.lightorama.com/forum82/30675.html ) I did use 60LED/m strip behind my battens facing toward the wall to give a wall wash.

2. The front of my house is either rock or stucko depending on location, any suggestions on how to mount the strips vertically on my two story house?
No real experience or suggestions here, but a possible method is to zip tie to pvc conduit.


3. CCRs are a bit out of my price range. I am giving serious thought to 3 interlaced LED "dumb" module strands across the roofline. Each of the 3 strings would have 12 inch module spacing. They would be interlaced so so modules were 3 inches apart. I could then produce chase effects in whatever color I want. Is this a dumb idea? I just haven't seen or heard of anyone else doing it.
If I interpret you correctly, then yes, I believe this would work. I have CCRs on my upper roof outline. There are 3 pairs with each pair joined end to end, so the CCR pixel resolution is 6 bulbs. However for most of my sequences except where I use macros, the resolution is set at 10/strip. This corresponds to 1metre segments. For chases, this generally works well.

Many Thanks and Merry Christmas
Brandon

To see the ultimate in use of RGB strip amd modules see Eddy's video at

. This is using 5000 DMX channels and Light Show Pro (if these terms can be mentioned here)

Regards Geoff

Most people actually think that my whole house is made up of digital strip (CCRs) and modules but in fact on the actual house its only the gutters that are and the rest is normal 3 channel RGB strip and modules that would work with any LOR DC controller. What is created is an illusion by using CCRs (oe similar) on the gutters and then breaking up the roof line into sections for the tiles and and roof line.I also use a few rainbow floods, all these things together work well to be able to achieve a flowing rainbow effect.

[Melvin Stoddard]

edvas69 wrote:

Geoff Harvey wrote:

MtDew4me wrote:

First let me thank all of you for either confirming what I thought I knew or clearing up some things that were a bit fuzzy. Great thread! I am looking to outline the vertical lines on my house in RGB "Dumb" strips. While my Christmas display is in full swing outside, I am sitting here playing around with an LED SMD 5050 Flexible Strip (60 LEDs/m) that I purchased awhile back from Ray Wu - already planning for next year. My questions are:

1. Would 30 LEDs/m be sufficiently bright to make a good vertical outline effect? Would 60/m be overkill?
CCRs are 30LED/m and the strips I used this year are 30/m also - I believe this is adequate. (see this tears displays in thread http://forums.lightorama.com/forum82/30675.html ) I did use 60LED/m strip behind my battens facing toward the wall to give a wall wash.

2. The front of my house is either rock or stucko depending on location, any suggestions on how to mount the strips vertically on my two story house?
No real experience or suggestions here, but a possible method is to zip tie to pvc conduit.


3. CCRs are a bit out of my price range. I am giving serious thought to 3 interlaced LED "dumb" module strands across the roofline. Each of the 3 strings would have 12 inch module spacing. They would be interlaced so so modules were 3 inches apart. I could then produce chase effects in whatever color I want. Is this a dumb idea? I just haven't seen or heard of anyone else doing it.
If I interpret you correctly, then yes, I believe this would work. I have CCRs on my upper roof outline. There are 3 pairs with each pair joined end to end, so the CCR pixel resolution is 6 bulbs. However for most of my sequences except where I use macros, the resolution is set at 10/strip. This corresponds to 1metre segments. For chases, this generally works well.

Many Thanks and Merry Christmas
Brandon

To see the ultimate in use of RGB strip amd modules see Eddy's video at

. This is using 5000 DMX channels and Light Show Pro (if these terms can be mentioned here)

Regards Geoff

Most people actually think that my whole house is made up of digital strip (CCRs) and modules but in fact on the actual house its only the gutters that are and the rest is normal 3 channel RGB strip and modules that would work with any LOR DC controller. What is created is an illusion by using CCRs (oe similar) on the gutters and then breaking up the roof line into sections for the tiles and and roof line.I also use a few rainbow floods, all these things together work well to be able to achieve a flowing rainbow effect.

Eddy is the sign above your front door, the one that you do all of the cool stuff to "Twelve Days of Christmas" are they CCR's, or something different. Do you mind sharing how you built that item. Melvin

[TitanBry77]

Thanks for all this info! I watched the powerpoint also and learned a ton. I am planning for next season to add some RGB stuff.

Couple things I didn't see outlined clearly was, are the only kind of RGB strips that can be controlled by LOR and do a "chase" the CCR's? Any other kind of strips would just be color changes through LOR?

Also I see a lot of people buy the RGB Floods from the "Ray Wu" site. Are they controllable through LOR also or do they require modification.

Lastly, I see you need the CMB16D-QC to control the RGB stuff, is this linked data-wise with Cat5 through my standard LOR controllers (daisy chained)? I didn't see a DC setup ready to go, are they all DIY?

Thanks again.... prepping for next year!

[Geoff Harvey]

TitanBry77 wrote:

Thanks for all this info! I watched the powerpoint also and learned a ton. I am planning for next season to add some RGB stuff.

Couple things I didn't see outlined clearly was, are the only kind of RGB strips that can be controlled by LOR and do a "chase" the CCR's? Any other kind of strips would just be color changes through LOR?
The CCRs certainly can chase and come with their own controller. Another type of 9 channel RGB strip was just mentioned on the ACL forums - http://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php/topic,1609.0.html This is a 9 channel strip designed to enable chases. I personally have not seen this, but it would be controllable by a LOR DC card.

Also I see a lot of people buy the RGB Floods from the "Ray Wu" site. Are they controllable through LOR also or do they require modification.
I would expect so, but have not tried these.

Lastly, I see you need the CMB16D-QC to control the RGB stuff, is this linked data-wise with Cat5 through my standard LOR controllers (daisy chained)? I didn't see a DC setup ready to go, are they all DIY?
The DC card is linked to the LOR network using cat 5 cables same as the AC boards. You do need a DC power supply to power the DC board and the connected lights. This will convert your AC mains to a low voltage DC supply. Select a DC power supply to suit the voltage required for the lights - usually 12V for strips.

Thanks again.... prepping for next year!

Regards Geoff