CMB24d setup for non-RBG channels

[mpageler]

Planning my controller purchases for the next several years to spread out the cost. I do have my year 1 phase up and running for Halloween.

For future 12v single and rgb channels, looking at the cmb16d and cmb24d boards

Will be doing a number of single color, 8 channel light bars for porch columns and the side of the garage.


To reduce the cost/channel and simplefy cabling, checked with LOR to see if the cmb24d can be run as 24 non-rgb channels, which they confirmed, can be done. Their only precaustion was to insure that you don't cause shorts that will blow out transitors. Asume this would alsobe a concern if wiring the cmb24d for rgb channels.

Anyway, do you see any negatives in running a cmb24d for 24 single color channels or doing a combination of single and rgb channels on a cmb24?    

In either one of these cased, I would be using single color and rgb modules.  So not anywhere close to the wattage of 30led/meterstrips. All my rgb strips will be on a fully rgb cmb24d setup.

Thanks

[cowboy casey]

I have only been working with mine for a month, so I am still working on all this also...  But..

 

The CMB24D will accept just about any light on all 24 channel's as long as you stay under the amperage.. It will handle 30 amps per side, so you can have 2.5 Amps per channel..  It does not have to be RGB from what I have seen...

[mpageler]

To wire for 24 single channels, I looked at the figures in the cmb24d manual and confirmed with LOR Helpdesk how to wire it.

Each + terminal would have 3 wires to power 3 single color channels that would use channel terminals "1,2,3", "4,5,6", etc..


 

[Max-Paul]

There really is no difference between the 16 or 24 channel cards. Just when working with RGB you can only get 5 individual RGB channel with one spare. Now LOR said that there were many people that wanted 8 RGB items controlled so they came out with the 24 channel model.

 

I have not read the specs and so I have to back up and say that the 24 channel board might have some limitations as to how much current can be pulled per bank of 12 channels. Remember there are current limitations due to the transistors. But all so the copper paths on the board can only carry so much. So make sure of the current limitations on those two boards. The simple concept is this each channel acts independently. it is in the sequence editor that determines how each of those channels will act. So just adding a controller and all of its channels will act as independent channels. Its when you convert some or all of the channels to RGB is when they will be programmed to act in groups of 3 channels. But the board still thinks you have 3 independent channels. If you where to have a volt/ohm meter. And you where to ohm out all of the "+" terminals. You see that they are all common to each other on a bank (remember you have two separate banks). It is the negative side that is being controlled via the transistor..

[mpageler]

Where I would like to run a cmb24d in 24 single channels, guessing that  the max watts/channels will be no more the 10w

In another setup where running the cmb24d in a combination of sinle and rgb channels, the single channels again would be 10w or less.  The RGB channels would be in the 10-20w range.

Thanks for the thoughts so far.