Quick question on pixie 16

[nortonz]

I have a 16 channel pixie controller, with 100 rgb bulbs, for each channel. Do you have to use the same number of bulbs on each channel?

I want to put them around my windows, but I have 2 small windows that will only fit 50 bulbs. And one that might take 150.

[dibblejr]

1 hour ago, nortonz said:

I have a 16 channel pixie controller, with 100 rgb bulbs, for each channel. Do you have to use the same number of bulbs on each channel?

I want to put them around my windows, but I have 2 small windows that will only fit 50 bulbs. And one that might take 150.

No. Use as many as you want/ need. Up to 170

JR

[TheDucks]

11 hours ago, nortonz said:

I have a 16 channel pixie controller, with 100 rgb bulbs, for each channel. Do you have to use the same number of bulbs on each channel?

I want to put them around my windows, but I have 2 small windows that will only fit 50 bulbs. And one that might take 150.

No. Just pay attention to power limits.  4A per port. 32A per BUS(bank)  (16A for Pixie8)

[hasslerk]

I assume you are fine, but note that all pixels on a Pixie16 must be of the same pixel type (RGB IC) (e.g. WS2811).  Refer to LOR documentation here: http://www1.lightorama.com/PDF/Pixie_Man_Web.pdf

 

[Vince4xmas]

Agree that documentation may state only 100 pixels per port but you can run 170 per port on any Pixie.

I did it in several locations this year with no issues.

 

[dibblejr]

9 minutes ago, Vince4xmas said:

Agree that documentation may state only 100 pixels per port but you can run 170 per port on any Pixie.

I did it in several locations this year with no issues.

 

No where in the doc does it or has it ever stated 100 pixels per port.

It has always been 170 since beta but now it says up to 200 which may be because of the pixielink that I have but have not tested yet.

JR

[zooo]

On 1/21/2021 at 4:20 PM, Vince4xmas said:

Agree that documentation may state only 100 pixels per port but you can run 170 per port on any Pixie.

I did it in several locations this year with no issues.

 

Does this include the CCC II?

[dibblejr]

57 minutes ago, zooo said:

Does this include the CCC II?

No, I am pretty sure the max for the pixie 2 is 100 per port 

JR

[bmtouhey]

58 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

No, I am pretty sure the max for the pixie 2 is 100 per port 

 

I was able to run 150 pixels on 1 port of a pixie 2.  I did not try any more than that.   I ran 3, 50 pixel trees on each port for a total of 6, 50 pixel trees off of 1 pixie 2.  One pixie 2 was running 300 pixels for me.  i did this on 2 pixie 2's for a total of 12 50 pixel trees.  I removed the same jumper as on the pixie 8 and pixie 16 to be able to run more than 100 pixels on the pixie 2.  I think it was JP5.

 

Brian

[dibblejr]

35 minutes ago, bmtouhey said:

 

I was able to run 150 pixels on 1 port of a pixie 2.  I did not try any more than that.   I ran 3, 50 pixel trees on each port for a total of 6, 50 pixel trees off of 1 pixie 2.  One pixie 2 was running 300 pixels for me.  i did this on 2 pixie 2's for a total of 12 50 pixel trees.  I removed the same jumper as on the pixie 8 and pixie 16 to be able to run more than 100 pixels on the pixie 2.  I think it was JP5.

 

Brian

They could have made an update but the pixie 2 was rated at 200 pixels for the 2 ports.

 I never used mine and sent them to another friend here

Thanks for that info though.

JR

[nortonz]

Ok thanks for all the reply’s.

[MrMatt]

On 1/30/2021 at 6:08 PM, bmtouhey said:

 

I was able to run 150 pixels on 1 port of a pixie 2.  I did not try any more than that.   I ran 3, 50 pixel trees on each port for a total of 6, 50 pixel trees off of 1 pixie 2.  One pixie 2 was running 300 pixels for me.  i did this on 2 pixie 2's for a total of 12 50 pixel trees.  I removed the same jumper as on the pixie 8 and pixie 16 to be able to run more than 100 pixels on the pixie 2.  I think it was JP5.

 

Brian

Hey Brian did you do power injection with that?  after 100 pixels or did it handle them all?

[dibblejr]

42 minutes ago, MrMatt said:

Hey Brian did you do power injection with that?  after 100 pixels or did it handle them all?

There is absolutely no reason to pi 100 pixels on a pixie16 .

JR

[MrMatt]

13 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

There is absolutely no reason to pi 100 pixels on a pixie16 .

JR

He was at 150 pixels on a Pixie 2,  I am getting into Pixie controllers for the first time, and trying to research what is required for power injection if you max out the 200 pixels per channel. Maybe you have a good reference for me?

[k6ccc]

Yes.  Hook up the lights that YOU will be using and test the way YOU will be using them.  The general rule of thumb is 100 pixels at 12 volts or 50 pixels at 5 volts.  HOWEVER, lots of variation.  I have some 12 volt pixels that can't get 100 pixels without MAJOR voltage problems.  With low power pixels or if you run them at a reduced power percentage, you can get more pixels without PI.

 

[KYHI]

Beware: There are (15 Watt) 50-Count Bullet Pixel Strings & (30 Watt) 50-Count Bullet Pixel Strings

So if Specs are 48 watts Per Port, then you can safely run at 12 volts - 150 Pixels with 15 Watt Strings or 75 Pixels with 30 Watt Strings

Light-O-Rama, Rextin and ALITOVE - all sell the lower wattage Bullet Pixel Strings.. All the others seem to sell the 30 watt strings 

My Custom Pixie16 Build Guide

Edited February 14, 2021 by KYHI

[dibblejr]

11 hours ago, MrMatt said:

He was at 150 pixels on a Pixie 2,  I am getting into Pixie controllers for the first time, and trying to research what is required for power injection if you max out the 200 pixels per channel. Maybe you have a good reference for me?

Buy a pixielink. If yiu go above 200 pixels on a pixie device that is it! No power injection will help. That is the max pixels that a pixie controller will controll.

Do not sweat what some people say about pi, it sounds cool but rarely needed! 
 

I may know a little something about pixie controllers and what they can handle.

JR

[dibblejr]

1 hour ago, KYHI said:

Beware: There are (15 Watt) 50-Count Bullet Pixel Strings & (30 Watt) 50-Count Bullet Pixel Strings

So if Specs are 48 watts Per Port, then you can safely run at 12 volts - 150 Pixels with 15 Watt Strings or 75 Pixels with 30 Watt Strings

Light-O-Rama, Rextin and ALITOVE - all sell the lower wattage Bullet Pixel Strings.. All the others seem to sell the 30 watt strings 

My Custom Pixie16 Build Guide

Hopefully you are sharing your own guide and not using the information I shared with you!

JR

[overeazy]

On 1/21/2021 at 9:59 AM, TheDucks said:

No. Just pay attention to power limits.  4A per port. 32A per BUS(bank)  (16A for Pixie8)

Now there is some information I need to make note of.  Been use to figuring out mini light amps and how many can be used.  So 4A per port, can you tell me what you mean by bank?  Is that like in the LOR control boxes 15 amps a side max 9 on a circuit?  If I was using 12v REGULATED WS2811, how many amps should I figure each pixel would use at white?  Thanks

[k6ccc]

2 hours ago, overeazy said:

Now there is some information I need to make note of.  Been use to figuring out mini light amps and how many can be used.  So 4A per port, can you tell me what you mean by bank?  Is that like in the LOR control boxes 15 amps a side max 9 on a circuit?  If I was using 12v REGULATED WS2811, how many amps should I figure each pixel would use at white?  Thanks

Yes, banks are a similar concept to the left and right sides of a AC controller.  Output ports 1 - 8 are on one physical side of the board and are fed from one power inlet, and output ports 9 - 16 are on the other side of the board and fed from a second power inlet.

Most WS2811 pixels are about 55 - 60 mAmp per pixel at full white.  So figure a string of 50 pixels is about 3 amps.  LOR sells lower power pixels that are about half that.