RGB Led Strips functionality - confused...

[john_s_sub]

First post on the forum but like many others been reading for some time.

I have a number of led light strips coming with each having different controllers (typically dmx) with various functionality:

1) Control whole strip only

2) Control 3 led segments at a time

3) Control each individual led

It seems from what I can see CCR falls with category number 2. Is this correct?

Secondly, I have read many references to the CMB-16D-QC boards but cant determine what functionality it actually delivers. Does it just allow you to control whole strips only? ie switch between colours or does it deliver some other functionality I am missing?

Any help would be greatly appreciated especially when I am bout to commence the journey into playing with these strips soon to arrive. Thanks

[WilliamS]

The CCR is a pixel based strip, 3 leds per pixel, 50 pixels total, strip is 150 LEDs.

The 16D-QC board is to drive non pixel based strips, so whole strip is one color at a time, no chases or multiple colors showing at a time.

There are tons and tons of threads on these things in the DMX area as well the SuperStar area.

[beeiilll]

Along with the fact there are "dumb" as well as "intelligent" pixel strips which will throw in a lot more questions about these.

The LOR CMB-16 is used with the dumb style strips to drive them using 3 channels on the unit to drive one strip (red, green, and blue). The whole strip (or whatever length of it you are using as it "usually" can be cut every 3 LEDs) is controlled at one time. Meaning that all the LEDs on a channel will come on for each channel when that channel is activated.
Intelligent strips are such that each pixel which is usually 3 leds making up a pixel can be controlled seperately. So if you have a strip (similar to a CCR) then each pixel can be turned on individually for different colors and effects.
There is a lot to learn about the different styles, types, controllers, and such for the different strips or pixels out there. Some folks will refere to a pixel as a node since there are strips as well as individual pixels on a wire available.
The australian lights forum is a good source for searching out some info on these as the folks over on that forum have been working on this type of stuff for longer than most folks on here and have been building the custom controllers and power supplies necessary to control the pixels/strips.
We on this forum are just starting to scratch the surface of this new field but there is also quite a bit of information accumulating on here as well.

The AUS forum is at:

http://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php

if you want another area to look up info on this.

Also the videos over on Holiday Coro can give you a valuable insight into this stuff as well. It is a great starting point for anyone getting into this. You can watch the videos at:

http://www.holidaycoro.com/kb_results.asp?ID=15

Jump on in and good luck with it.

[Steven]

john_s_sub wrote:

2) Control 3 led segments at a time

3) Control each individual led

It is very uncommon to control each individual LED. The reason is that it takes 3 times as much current, and those tiny metal traces on the strips are already pushed to their limit.

Secondly, I have read many references to the CMB-16D-QC boards but cant determine what functionality it actually delivers.

The CTB boards are used for lights that take 100-250 volts AC. (In the US it's 120v, in most of Europe and Australia it's 240v.)

On the other hand, the CMB board is used for lights that take 5-60 volts DC. (They are normally used at 12v.)

You typically plug the CTB board into a household AC outlet, but unless your light show is mobile, there is not usually a 12VDC outlet available. Therefore, to use the CMB board, a DC power supply is also needed.

By the way, CTB stands for Controlled Triac Board. CMB stands for Controlled MOSFET Board. Triacs will not control DC.

A "dumb" (control whole strip only) strip can be thought of as a 3-color low-voltage-DC rope light.

[john_s_sub]

Big thanks to all the responses. Spent many a night looking into this further and your answers have certainly reduce some of those hours. All going well strips / controllers etc arrive next week so I will starting fiddling and hopefully that will provide some more clarity.

Beeiill I started checking out some of the auslighting forum stuff as well. Heaps of stuff on there... easily get lost!

[john_s_sub]

Steven wrote:

It is very uncommon to control each individual LED. The reason is that it takes 3 times as much current, and those tiny metal traces on the strips are already pushed to their limit.

Interested in this comment. So is anybody controlling each individual led? Or have people discarded the idea due to the power requirement? I am assuming when the CCR is controlled 3 led's are coming on at a time and doing the same thing ie you tell 1 pixel (3 led's) to display red / next pixel to display green etc

[Donny M. Carter]

john_s_sub wrote:

Steven wrote:

It is very uncommon to control each individual LED.  The reason is that it takes 3 times as much current, and those tiny metal traces on the strips are already pushed to their limit.

Interested in this comment. So is anybody controlling each individual led? Or have people discarded the idea due to the power requirement? I am assuming when the CCR is controlled 3 led's are coming on at a time and doing the same thing ie you tell 1 pixel (3 led's) to display red / next pixel to display green etc

There are some folks in your neck of the woods that know an awful lot about RGB and pixel control! Check them out here:
http://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php

[beeiilll]

john_s_sub wrote:

Beeiill I started checking out some of the auslighting forum stuff as well. Heaps of stuff on there... easily get lost! 

Oh I agree on that totally!

There is so much information flowing around on this stuff now since it is so new and there are really quite a few different types of RGB pixels, strips, nodes, etc. out there to read up on and figure out what is what.

The AUS fourm had a thread on just the RGB stuff that will help a lot as well as Dave's videos. Watch his videos a few times to let the stuff "sink in" and it will start to make sense after a bit.
Well at least I hope it will - LOL. I am still reading a lot and just watched a couple of Dave's videos again last night and learned some things from them.

It takes some time, but things will get clearer as you study and once you start playing with them then you can "see" what things are doing as well.

It's all good, just takes time.

[john_s_sub]

Thanks all. Watching those videos and reviewing the forum. Now also received my first strips so beginning to fiddle with the controllers/dmx etc. Fun! So much to learn....