Will my controller work with addressable lights?

[JoshPoget]

I have the CMB16D-QC V1 and would like to use it for permanent style Christmas lights I found 12 Volt addressable LED lights that allow each bulb to be controlled separately (500+ bulbs). Is this something my controller can do? If not please give me some examples of how I could use this controller for a permanent light setup.

[k6ccc]

No, the CMB16D drives dumb RGB or non-RGB devices.  It can not drive smart pixels.

Are you able to determine the chip type for the lights that you have?

 

[JoshPoget]

Thanks @k6ccc for your reply! I haven't bought the lights yet, was going to get the Rextin WS2811 Pixels Digital Addressable LED String 12V Lights. Would it still run those just no color changing or individual bulb programming and I could get another controller later and swap it? Or what was your thought on the chip type question you asked me?

[k6ccc]

WS2811 pixels are very standard and can be controlled by almost any pixel controller - including the LOR Pixie or PixCon 16 controllers.

 

[JoshPoget]

If I use the controller I have with these lights I would just be able to on/off/dim/fade the entire string that is on a channel right? Is there a way to set the color with my controller or do these not work at all with my controller?

[PhilMassey]

To reitterate from above. You cannot use smart, addressable ws2811 pixels with your controller. You need a Pixie or other smart controller.

The only thing you can run on the 16dqc is dumb pixels or strips. They are not addressable, smart or have a chip. They can be any color from the lor software, but the entire strip or string will be the same color.

Smart or addressable pixels with a chip, ws2811 , for example, allow you to make any bulb, any color.

[JoshPoget]

Ok, so with the LOR software I can program the entire string to alternate colors and fade in/out, just not per bulb right? I bought the controller 10+ years ago for a different project and I am trying to remember what software it came with. Is there is a specific LOR software I need for this?

[PhilMassey]

https://store.lightorama.com/pages/im-new-what-do-i-do

[TheDucks]

2 hours ago, JoshPoget said:

If I use the controller I have with these lights I would just be able to on/off/dim/fade the entire string that is on a channel right? Is there a way to set the color with my controller or do these not work at all with my controller?

No! Dumb have 4 leads R,G,B and +12. Applying ground in some fashion, is how the string works.

Smart has +12, DATA, Gnd.  Applying power just gets the string NODES ready to accept data. Data is a deck of packets (think instruction cards). Each node takes/uses the top card and passes the stack on to the next node