Strange Pixel Problem

[Ebuechner]

Yes tested with full white. You should have 5 volts at the controller or close to it. Then check down the line. If it starts going down towards 3 volts that's way too much of a drop. It sounds like you may just have a hodgepodge of wires. Your picture doesn't have a close up but you're running the exact amount of pixels that I am on my icicle lights. And I don't use any power injection and they work perfect. You may want to rethink the wire that runs from the controller to the first pixel. A little better wire might save you a lot of headaches. If you have other lights running off of that same unit you may want to check the voltage right at the controller when the problem is happening. If even for a split second the voltagend was to drop at the controller it would cause a bunch of problems. And that would be a problem of not having enough amperage at the power supply. Hopefully this isn't too much information and this will help you.

[Ebuechner]

When you say going yellow I'm not exactly sure what to think there. Usually when pixels are losing power when you put them on white they start looking pink. That's because it takes less power for the red then the blue and green. So when it loses power the red is brighter than the blue and green

[EmmienLightFan]

The Icicles draw 5.9 amps. I tested it a while ago. The power supply is 30 amp. There is some other stuff on it but the total load is 25 amps. There is a lot of stuff on the controller but it is split between two power supplies (The grounds are tied together but not the +s). I did test the power supply earlier (By accident) and it was exactly 5v. I have not tested the controller or the lights but I will.

[EmmienLightFan]

When you say going yellow I'm not exactly sure what to think there. Usually when pixels are losing power when you put them on white they start looking pink. That's because it takes less power for the red then the blue and green. So when it loses power the red is brighter than the blue and green

Yes. I know about the red and using less power.

 

The icicles go a little yellow then pink then red. My matrix and everything else go pink. I don't know why. 

[Ebuechner]

So do I understand this correct your matrix goes pink while you're having the problem? If so that would indicate a power drop while you're having that problem. If those two are on the same power supply try unplugging the matrix and see if the problem happens with that off the circuit. Then you would know that you just need more power or a separate power supply for the matrix. You can also try at the other direction unplug the Icicle lights and see if the matrix goes pink.

[Ebuechner]

Have you ever been looking at the controller when this all happens? Now I'm wondering if you have a voltage drop that causes your controller to reset if everything happens at the same time. Everything would act up all at the same time until the controller finishes going through its reset. Does that sound likely? Anyhow it has to be getting late for you tomorrow's a new day for checking things out. I wish wish I was there to see this in person I know that I could fix it a short time.

Edited November 21, 2015 by Ebuechner

[EmmienLightFan]

So do I understand this correct your matrix goes pink while you're having the problem? If so that would indicate a power drop while you're having that problem. If those two are on the same power supply try unplugging the matrix and see if the problem happens with that off the circuit. Then you would know that you just need more power or a separate power supply for the matrix. You can also try at the other direction unplug the Icicle lights and see if the matrix goes pink.

No. Sorry. I didn't make it clear. I meant before I added power injection to my matrix and there was voltage drop, the pixels would go pink. The matrix is on another power supply so it doesn't really make any difference what the lights on this one are doing. 

 

The controller stays on. It doesn't just happen when on full load. The pixels do all kinds of things whatever is happening. I just went outside to get something and I managed to film the icicles doing their stuff and played a sequence.

[EmmienLightFan]

Here is some video:

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B6dCx7Jc8zNnfnVuMVZEY0pGRldjdFFBU1duQXROSm1kLWRzTjZyZXFDczZJa0JyaHlCb28

 

I have more uploading.

[EmmienLightFan]

In the video of the flag, around 1:30 you see it happen and a bit earlier.

In the other one, they are supposed to be doing what the window frames are doing.

 

They should be fading up and down in pastel colours but they don't fade much at all.

 

 

 

 

I have a better video uploading but it keeps failing.

[Ebuechner]

I tryed to open that but it tells me that I can't view it or it's been moved

[EmmienLightFan]

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6dCx7Jc8zNnTXYwRUU4X0tUTm8

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6dCx7Jc8zNnUEM0VmhoaEdNZ1U

That should work

[Ebuechner]

That didn't work it told me I needed permission. On one of the links I clicked on the button that asks you for permission. So you should be receiving an email

[EmmienLightFan]

I havhave given you permission

[EmmienLightFan]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6dCx7Jc8zNnTXYwRUU4X0tUTm8/view?usp=docslist_api

That is the best video.

It should be first a red and green vertical expanding effect (Hard to see on only three pixels) then a red and green chase going from right to left.

It used to look so neat and tidy but as you can see it looks awful.

[Ebuechner]

I'm assuming everything else on that controller is working well. And everything worked until you added the extra wires? For that short of run you really shouldn't need power injection if you have enough power at the 1St pixel. So I think you should upgrade the wire from the controller to the first pixel to something with a little heavier gauge. Most people on the forum agree that stranded wire works better. Like I said before when they're on sale I buy the green heavy duty outdoor extension cords that are 16 gauge with 3 wires. I cut the ends off and I use the black wire as my negative white wires positive green is my data. I've had some pretty good luck with that. Then I would disconnect all the other wires temporarily until you know everything works. You said everything worked before you installed the extra wires. Sometimes you have to take a step backwards before you can go forwards.

[EmmienLightFan]

But I think that I need power injection. You need it every string, I thought, and I have two strings. I will disconnect wires so it is the same as it was before today.

[dgrant]

On one of my pixel trees, I have 3 strings of pixel nodes, wired in series, times 5 sets, plus one extra for 16 total. Each set of three, I run a parallel line of +/- power to between the 2nd and 3rd string. Before doing this, I saw the same color change as the power diminished over the string. Since power can be run either direction, I placed it in the middle of strings 2 and 3 of each group. Whites are white, reds are red and etc...I use the same power source for all so there's no difference. Remember too, depending on how many you are running, full white, draws the most power. I cooked a 200Watt power supply from LOR when I turned another 16 string pixel tree, all white. Power draw was way more than it could handle and ruined it. Depending on what voltage you are running, most are available up to 360-400 watt.

 

Now over there, the 220 @ 50hz as opposed to the 110 @ 60hz here, not sure if you'll run into issues there. Depends on how the PS was designed and if that difference was accounted for. Most have a voltage input switch so no issue there but frequency, not sure if designed properly. Yes, it matters for motors but that's not the case here. When I lived there, I had a Sony TV that was worldwide. It didn't care what it was plugged into, it just worked but other things, US type, had to use a transformer which I moved around the house as needed but that didn't take care of frequency issues.

[Ebuechner]

That sounds like a good place to start. And make sure you have good heavy wire to run the pixels from. And when do you do Power injection make sure you're using decent wire not that skinny speaker wire. Get out your voltmeter and start testing once you get it back to the way it was.

[EmmienLightFan]

Well, I think I just fixed it.

 

 

The problems were getting worse and worse and all lights were coming on white and would just flicker.

 

There were two lights, however, that were blue, one near the end and one near the beginning. I decided to remove that  pixel. 

 

I took a leftover pixel from my matrix and replaced the first one and now all the pixels after it are working fine. It even fixed the pixels before, which were doing weird things but not as much as the ones after.

 

 

I will replace the second one in a while. I have learnt a lot from this thread and thank you Ebuechner!

 

The pixels were from Ray Wu. Do you think I could get a replacement?

[dgrant]

Ray is really good at sending replacement strips for defective ones. He's just a retailer so he's stuck with the quality of the manufacturers over there.