New CMB24d - Some Channels not Shutting Off

[mpageler]

Just finsihed setting up my first cmb24d and having an issue, selected channels are not shutting off.  

I built several light boxes that have groupings of rgb modules. Each box has 4 rgb clusters.  So far, I have wire up 2 of the clusters and having 1 of the 3 rgb channels (r, g, staying on for each of the two module clusters that I did so far. Anticipating the the other clusters will have the same issue.

It's not the same color since I didn't maintain the same color wiring from controller, to the light. My 4core wire and waterproof connectors each had different colored wire combinations.   So I concentrated on keeping all  black wires conncted for power and then run individual red, green and blue sequiences to match up the rgb  ligths and 4core wires. Also did a short sequence that morphed from red, to blue, to green sequence, which works but obviously with one channel on all the time, it not true r, g or b colors. I need to check yet to see if my 2 problem channels are connected to the same colored terminial on the  cmb24d since I didn't maintain wire colos throughout.

Being visually impaired, I might have miss doing something correctly.  I did use my wife to confirm that I did have black wires running the entire length from controler to the end of the 4core wire.   Also noticing that with one of the channels that is staying on is dimmer.  I am using a 12v 350w 29a power supply which has 3 plue and negative terminals.  So 1 plus and negative wire to each 12 channel bank on the cmb24d.

Did a quick forum search on channels not shutting off.  Kind of rembering seeing some but couldn't find them.

Anyway, any thoughts. Still working on building 2 other cmb24d and now really curious if they will work ok or have similar issues because of operator error...maybe.

Mike


 

[LOR Staff]

Are you sure your RGB devices are + common (negative switched)?  LED RGB stuff is 95% of the time backwards from what you would normally expect (- common, positive switched).  However I have seen some RGB stuff that was NEGATIVE Common.  The DMB24 needs + common.

 

Did you test your RGB devices with a battery before connecting them to the CMB24 to ensure they are good?  Some cheap RGB devices can be internally shorted, which will blow the MOSFET.

 

If you crossed or shorted ANY wire, you have definitely blown the MOSFET for that channel.  

 

Are you sure you are using 12V RGB devices and not maybe 5V.  Putting 12V on the device will kill it, short it, and take the CMB24 mosfet with it.

 

Are you using a REGULATED power supply?  Many cheap power supplies only put out the voltage shown when FULLY loaded.  If it is not regulated and you had less than the full amperage load on it, the voltage is going to be a LOT higher than 12V which will kill the LEDs (as well as the MOSFET with it).

[mpageler]

Am using  350w 29a power supply from Holiday Coro. Did have wife check the box material to confi8rm that it was a straight 12v supply.

Hooked all RGB module strings to a small power supply to confirm that they all worked with white being jpostive on the mudles.. I then put them into my display element, with the black 4core wire onntected to white rgb module wire and heat shrinked.  I did this before powering on the controller and trying to finsih the module wiring during sequence running.


Earlier I did the hardware uitlity light test to make sure all 8 rgb outlets were powering. Turned all 24 channels on and plugged an extention coupler with a single rgb module into each controller outlet, one after another. So I didn't test, turning lights off since I was a single light.

As I mentioned, I did connect the black wires before trying run a test sequence.  The r, g and blue wires would have touch when trying to match up the wires but assumed that was of no consequence?

While confident that I did have plus wire running the full length of setup, did pull one of the heat shrinked connection thatg I made before testing to confirm the connections. At that point, I did get a spark.  

I just gave another one of my light box clusters a wiring try and find that all three rgb channels are staying on. Again, that cluster had the black postive wire already connected to the white module wire and heat shrinked.


So whilte I did create a spark in one case, the black positive was not available for sparking on the others.



During initial hardware utility, tested all 8 rgb clusters by pluggingng in a extension that I connected a single color modules to...combing the r,b,g wires from extension to the modules.

[Mr. P]

If you were messing around with the wiring while they were connected and powered and you saw a spark then you probably shorted the circuit and blew the MOSFET. Do the lights stay on and look dim or not full bright?

Edited July 6, 2015 by Mr. P

[mpageler]

On one of the RGB module strings, one color stays on all the times and is dimmer. The other 2 colors while they don't stay on, are also dimmer.  Another string while one color stays on, all 3 colors appear to be full shenght.

Probably ready for a LOR help desk tickent in sending board back for repair/replacement?

Based on another thread I found on sparking the board, indications that users would pay shipping both ways but board repair would be covered under warrenty?

[Mr. P]

Then you shorted them out and blew the MOSFET. They are pretty simple to replace if you have basic soldering skills, but if it is still under warranty and you don't need it for a couple of weeks open a trouble ticket and send it back to the mother ship for repairs.