Best pixels for long lengths

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Ks0410

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Sep 24, 2020
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Hi There - I have a significantly large eucalyptus tree in my front yard I’m planning on wrapping in pixels for this years show.

Any recommendation of what type of pixels are best suited to long runs? And, any tips for running power injection up such a large tree too?

Trying to keep things as clean as possible, but want to make this a feature of the show
 
I'd suggest choosing a pixel IC type that supports data backup via an additional (4th) wire. In case of single pixel failure, this should allow the remainder of the string to keep working. Some examples of pixels that support this are:
  • GS8208 (DC12V)
  • WS2815 (DC12V)
  • WS2813 (DC5V)
WS2818 also supports data backup, however the voltage varies between products. This may be 5V, 12V or sometimes even 24V (e.g. for addressable RGB strip or modules with 6 LEDs per pixel IC).

If it were me, I'd choose a 12V IC where the LED is powered in series such as GS8208, due to the lower peak power draw (e.g. for white light) compared to 12V resistor and regulated solutions. You might find the following post interesting with a comparison of WS2811 12V and GS8208 12V power usage:
auschristmaslighting.com

GS8208 12V pixel strings - A wildcard third option for the 5V vs 12V WS2811 question?

'5 volt versus 12 volt, which one do I choose?' How many times have you seen someone ask the above question? More than likely they are not sure whether to buy WS2811 5V or 12V RGB pixels. Well how about a third contender, GS8208 12V pixels? Not all 12V is the same, as it turns out! Spoiler...
auschristmaslighting.com auschristmaslighting.com
 
Just how big is the tree? How many pixels are you looking to run?

I know @SarahD has a front years tree in a bunch of pixels and was testing return-wire seed pixels - but I think they could only do runs of about 100.

How are you thinking about sequencing it? I think the kinds of things you want it to do are then going to influence the physical layout/connections and therefore the electrical ones as well.
 
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