RGB

[Slingshots1]

I am planning on breaking myself loose with LED's. Can somebody tell me if I have the right idea here.... If I want to use RGB strip lighting, I would basically just need to get a DC control board, a DC power source and just plug the power source into my network with a CAT5 cable and use the "new controller" as I would the other controllers in my network.....Correct ????

Also - - just curious, how do I manage to get all the dozens of colors out of a string with only red, green, and blue LED's ???? - - is there a wave format or something I need to set ???

As I said, I am BRAND NEW to the LED scene - - all advice would be appreciated

[SteveMaris]

You are correct. The LOR software and your sequencing determines the colors you can and will use.
By mixing combinations of red/green/blue.

[rmturner54]

Partly true. The DC power source would supply the required power to run the DC board.
The cat5 cable is your network cable used to communicate in an LOR network. Dont get the 2 confused.

[scubado]

Computer power supplies work great for running 12V lighting.

[edvas69]

scubado wrote:

Computer power supplies work great for running 12V lighting.

Not entirely true, depends on the power supply, ive seen 500 watt computer power supplies that couldnt even drive 4 x 30 LED/metre strips. Ive also seen them have issues if the 5v and the 3.3v rail didnt draw any current. It really depends on the quality of the power supply. but its definetly not a given that all computer power supplies work great for this purpose.

It may help if you quote the type of power supply you are using as it seems the ones you are using do ok in this application.

[scubado]

Yes, I use the ones from computer cases. Not all of them will work. My simple test to see if a particular one will work is; On the motherboard connector, there is a green wire. Short that wire to any black wire. Plug in the power supply, if it turns on, you're good. Some supplies require other methods to get them to work, I've never had to go that route, I just don't use it.

[Steven]

edvas69 wrote:

Ive also seen them have issues if the 5v and the 3.3v rail didnt draw any current.

If it has an 8-pin connector with 4 black and 4 yellow wires, or a couple of square 4-pin connectors with 2 black and 2 yellow, then it's an ATX12v supply, and it will work fine with the 5v and 3.3v disconnected.

In topic 32275, I posted a link to some of these sold on eBay for $12 that work, although I need to figure out how to minimize the fan noise.