Advice needed on a pixel strip issue

[snyder.cms]

Hi all,

I have posted this on another forum site, but wanted to try here as well. Any help would be appreciated.

I am running into some issues with my setup and looking for advice. I currently have the ECG-P12R setup and pushing out TM180X protocol to my 2811 strings via e1.31.

-----The Setup----------

My ECG is mounted inside and above my garage door with one cable running to the eves above my garage and the another to the rest of the roof.

To get to the garage eves, the power/signal has to travel from the controller->3 feet of wire->null pixel (I currently have it turned on)->6 feet of wire->null pixel (it is on too)-> goes outside with 20 feet of wire to take it the rest of the way to the pixel string. The pixel string is 2 Ray Wu 2811 50 pixel strips end-to-end to make a single 100 pixel strip.

The "null" pixels are just sections of 2811 smart strip that were left over from another project. I cut them to single pixel and soldered wires to the solder pads...and then wired them in line (in the proper orientation of power/data in/out).

To get to the rest of the house the power/signal travels from the controller through about 20 feet of wire to the strip. No in-line pixels on the wire getting there. The pixel string is 2 Ray Wu 50 pixel strips end-to-end to make a single 100 pixel strip

-----The problem--------

The pixel strip above my garage is not working correctly. When I run the ECG on-board test with e1.31 disconnected, the in-line (null) pixels do exactly what I expect...start white and then flash through RGB. The pixel strip on the roof of the garage however just displays erratic behavior sometimes giving me 2 pixels of white...with nothing for the rest of the strip...sometimes I get a rainbow of color mixed with sections that are off, but most often I just get a flickering first pixel.

The reason I added the in-line pixels is that when I test the strip above the garage on a really short wire (with the controller mounted in a location that it can NEVER be mounted or it will be destroyed), the strip works just fine. This made me think that I am seeing an issue with the distance to first pixel. Also strange...every once in a while (maybe twice) it has actually gone through the test sequence properly with the full length of wire..but it is more often messed up or just off all together when I run the test.

The other pixel strip, above the rest of the house tests just fine.

Thoughts? Advice? Also, I have heard that the 2811 strips can handle more distance to the first pixel...but does the fact that I have to run them with TM180X negate that additional distance that I should get? I am not even getting 20 feet to the first pixel as of now...at least not for one of my runs.

Thanks!

[k6ccc]

I don't claim to be the expert here, but i do think you have a distance problem. I am thinking that the 20 foot distance from your 2nd null pixel to the beginning of the string is the problem. You state that you have 3 feet from the controller to the first null pixel , 6 feet to the 2nd null pixel and the 20 feet to the string for a total of 29 feet. I assume that you are believing that 29 feet is too far from the controller to the first pixel in the string (very likely correct as I understand it). If 29 feet is too far, I have to wonder why you split it up using null pixels to create segments of 3 feet, 6 feet, then 20 feet? I would try making your splits more even - which would come out as 9 to 10 feet each.

[snyder.cms]

Thanks for the reply. The reason it is segmented this way is because of conditions. I was trying to keep the null pixels in the garage before the last run. I started with no null pixels...and got nothing. So, I added a "test" pixel about three feet out. It worked for just that pixel and nothing worked on the strip. I measured the side of my house that did work and found that I do have a 20 foot run that works on that side of the house, so shoudl work on the other as well.... so made the 20 foot run above the garage. It was 26 feet before adding the additional pixel at 6 feet (right before the wire goes out the garage door).

I guess I assumed that 2811 could run further than 20 feet on solid core 18 guage wire.

I will try moving the pixel to more of a half way point...will just need to figure out a way to waterproof it as my spare pixels come from a non-waterproofed strip.

Thanks!

Edited September 25, 2012 by snyder.cms

[Crazydave]

the 2811 are supposed to be able to run longer distances....

I dont' have any so I dont know.

All I know is that my 2801' null pixels don't work at 18 feet but do work at 12-15 feet

Best practice is to find total "null" length and divide by 12 to get number of pixesl and then split the runs equally

Edited September 26, 2012 by Crazydave

[Crazydave]

are your pixels and strip both the same voltage 5v or 12v?

also data output strength from controller may differ from data output strength from pixel/strip

Edited September 26, 2012 by Crazydave

[edvas69]

The OP fixed his issue by adding another pixel.

See while the 2811 IC is running with the 1804 code then the distances will be based on the 1804 distances. As well the specs specify the distance between pixels and not from controller to first pixel as each controller will have a different range depending on the output design used.

[snyder.cms]

Yep, I had to add another pixel. Lesson learned on the distance to first pixel vs. distance between pixels...I learn more every day!. I am looking forward to the 2811 code for the ECG-P12R...see if that changes things for us or not.

Edited September 27, 2012 by snyder.cms