Lights flicker when fading LED Floods

[CLD Kevin]

I have a weird problem…sorry my explanation is long, but I want to provide as much detail to my problem.

When I fade channel 10 or 11 on Control 3, when it reaches about at the 70% level, all the lights on Controller 3, 4 & 5 flicker until the percentage level gets to about 30% then it stops???

Channels 10 and 11 are my LED Red & Orange Floods from Minionsweb. Controller 3, 1-8, Controller 4, 1-8 and Controller 5, 1-8 are all sharing the same 20A power outlet. Controller 3, 9-16, Control 4, 9-16 and Controller 5, 9-16 are all sharing the same 20A power outlet. And Control 3 is connected to 4 and 4 is connect to 5 via Ethernet cables. I’m not sure what is causing this. When I plug a standard string of lights into channels 10 & 11, no problems with lights flickering when fading. Also when I plug the blue LED’s into these 2 channels…no problems. But if I plug the Red & Orange into any other channel within Control 3, 4 or 5….it causes the lights to flicker when it fades.

I have more….So all the problems I’m having is on the right side the house. I have the exact same LED floors on Controller 7 which is on the left side of the house and I have no problems with lights flickering when I fade Red & Orange LED floods. So I connected one of the floods from Controller 3 directly into Controller 7….flicker on all lights! So I think, great I have a whole batch of bad LED’s. Just for GP, I connected this “bad” flood from the right side of the house into the good working flood on the left side of the house thinking it would flicker…no flicker?? So I tested all the floods from the right side in the sockets on the left side and none caused any flickering?

Now I’m lost….Why would the same flood cause flickering when I plugged it into the same channel on Controller 7, but then not flicker when I plugged it into one the sockets on the left side? So then I thought the left side with no problems has 75ft ext cords and the right side is using 40 ft. So I took two 40ft ext cords and back to back them….no flicker. Removed one of them…flicker.

So why would the length of the ext cord matter and cause flickering. So do I have a bad batch of LED floods? Or this an issue with the controller working with that flood? Maybe the firmware? I’m a at a loss and don’t know what to do other then change all my sequenced for channels 10 & 11 to on/off…no fades. Or buy a bunch of ext cords which is a big waste on money.

Firmware for Control 3 and 4 are 4.02. Control 5 is new and has 4.40. The 3 are CTB16PC

Firmware for Controller 7 is 4.01 and is a 1602W



Kevin

[Tim Herberger]

The first thing I would try is updating the controller firmware to the latest version, it was changed at some point, to allow for better fading with LEDs, along with some added features.

[Paul Roberson]

So what the heck is the 'latest firmware'?

You have a new controller with 4.40.

I have controllers that were new last year with 4.32 on them. (PC controllers)

It says on the LOR firmware download page the latest is 4.30 for PC controllers.

[Max-Paul]

Cracker,

Please tell me, how many of these red or orange floods do you have on a single channel per controller?

I am thinking that you might have more floods per channel on the left side controller #7 than per channel of controller #3. And more so, I wonder if one of the snubbers might be the fix. Oh and by the way I also wonder how do you power up controller #7?

I also presume that the power for #3, 4, & 5 is that side 1-8 is on one circuit and 9-16 is on a different circuit? (note I did not say outlet, but circuit as C.B.) Is this also true of #7? BTW these floods, are they rated for 120VAC or is there a step down transformer?

[Surfing4Dough]

First thought that came to my mind was that snubbers might be the fix. Might read here to see if it applies: http://forums.planetchristmas.com/showthread.php/37562-Easiest-Terminators-Snubbers-to-make?highlight=snubbers

[CLD Kevin]

I actually have more floods on the right side (problem side), than the left. 3 to a channels on the right side and only 1 per channel on the left. I did remove all the floods and made it just 1 per the right side just in case that was the reason….no change.

Controllers 3, 4 & 5, 1-8 are all on the same 20A breaker (A). Controllers 3, 4 & 5, 9-16 are on a separate 20A breaker (. Controller 7, 1-16 are on its own 20A breaker ©. All breakers are 120VAC.

I did try the snubber. It did help a little with the fading with Controller 7 on the left side. No difference on the right side. I tried, C9 bulbs, mini’s…right at the control, at the end, ect. Nothing helped.

I’m hoping it’s just a firmware issue. Only thing is my display is working fine except this issue. The flickering is noticeable to me, but not to everyone. I actually didn’t notice it until I was editing the videos. I don’t want to cause any problem by updating the firmware and then have no working controller so I’m going to leave as is for now and wait until Halloween is over. I may just try to remove some of the fades where the flickering is most noticeable.

I didn’t try resetting any of the controllers. No sure if that would help? I know how to reseat the 1602W. How do you reset the CTB16PC?

[JBullard]

Tim Herberger wrote:

The first thing I would try is updating the controller firmware to the latest version, it was changed at some point, to allow for better fading with LEDs, along with some added features.

This is the best advice that you have been given.


If you haven't updated the CTB16PC ver 4.02 firmware to ver 4.32 yet, that's what I would do FIRST.

It is much easier then fooling with snubbers and other hacks.

[JBullard]

Cracker wrote:

I don’t want to cause any problem by updating the firmware and then have no working controller so I’m going to leave as is for now and wait until Halloween is over.

Updating the firmware doesn't cause a controller to quit working, it HELPS the controller do what it is supposed to do much better. Takes about 30 seconds for the update. The ver 4.02 that you have is pretty old, if I remember right the LED enchancements were added after Ver 4.02. I would upgrade to ver 4.32 if it was me.

The first thing I do when getting my controllers out for each display ( Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Halloween, Christmas) is to use the hardware utility to test each controller and check for firmware updates.

[CLD Kevin]

JBullard wrote:

Cracker wrote:

I don’t want to cause any problem by updating the firmware and then have no working controller so I’m going to leave as is for now and wait until Halloween is over.

Updating the firmware doesn't cause a controller to quit working, it HELPS the controller do what it is supposed to do much better. Takes about 30 seconds for the update. The ver 4.02 that you have is pretty old, if I remember right the LED enchancements were added after Ver 4.02. I would upgrade to ver 4.32 if it was me.

The first thing I do when getting my controllers out for each display ( Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Halloween, Christmas) is to use the hardware utility to test each controller and check for firmware updates.

Ok, I'm going to update the firmwave today. 2 questions...

Fisrt, should I update the firmware connecting directly to each controller one at a time or can I do it while all are connected and upload from the first unit?

Second, I'm using S2 2.7.6. I just haven't updated it to the latest 2.8.12. Does this make a difference?

Kevin

[JBullard]

Siince you seem seem a little uncomfortable with the updating, only do one at a time:

1 disconnect the controller from all other controllers

2 Connect from your PC to the target controller

3 Using hardware utility to make sure your contoller is found

4 Click FIRMWARE tab at bottom of HWU screen

5 Then follow the Steps 1 thru 3

In Step 2 in #5 above, Select Firmware File, scroll through the list to find the CTB16PC listing, click on it, then select OPEN (Not sure which Firmware for the 16PC was included with S2 Ver 2.7.6 software that you have, but it shoud be much more recent then the 4.02 you currently have)

[CLD Kevin]

JBullard wrote:

Siince you seem seem a little uncomfortable with the updating, only do one at a time:

1 disconnect the controller from all other controllers

2 Connect from your PC to the target controller

3 Using hardware utility to make sure your contoller is found

4 Click FIRMWARE tab at bottom of HWU screen

5 Then follow the Steps 1 thru 3

In Step 2 in #5 above, Select Firmware File, scroll through the list to find the CTB16PC listing, click on it, then select OPEN (Not sure which Firmware for the 16PC was included with S2 Ver 2.7.6 software that you have, but it shoud be much more recent then the 4.02 you currently have)

Much thanks JBullard!

I'm going to update my software to the latest and then update the firmware. I will post back if this fixes my problem. Again, THANK YOU.

[JBullard]

You are welcome. It's not hard, just go slow and be methodical with each step.

The supply voltage replies and the snubber stuff just isn't really applicable since you are using the Minion LED floods.

Tim Herberger gave you the best advice @ just after 4:00 AM this morning - FIRMWARE.

All I did was reinforce Tim's suggestion based on my experience managing 30 controllers with 480 channels plus I have been using LED floods from Minion for several years for my Halloween displays

[CLD Kevin]

THANK YOU!!!

Flickering now gone once I updated the firmware. I wish I would have done this before I recorded the videos. oh well.

Again, thank you.

[Max-Paul]

Congrats Tim for a good call and also JBullard for sticking with it to get Cracker to take the leap of faith.

[rmturner54]

I just read this post....Way to work the problem, that's what this all about. Helping other people. Good job to everyone.