CYT3005 pixels revived

[zeph]

I was intrigued by:
http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209889132-320691333/5pcs-5050-RGB-pixel-module-waterproof-CYT3005-IC-512-level-gray-scale-DC12V-input-1-2W.html
When the Chinese new year is over, I can ask Ray if this is really 5 potted modules per $1.68US or just one - has anybody bought/used these? (I've found the discussion of low quality domes using this chip). I'm guess that the 5 pieces part is a typo.
It looks like there could be 4 x 5050 chips on the module. Are they each RGB? Stacking more than one LED drop would make 12v more efficient. It claims 1.2W. That would be 100ma at 12v, or about 33ma per color.
Ray's description refers to 512 levels, but the chip specs on this site refer to 4096 levels. Anybody able to resolve that discrepancy?
A comment at http://bleaklow.com/2010/05/27/how_the_hl1606_really_works.html thinks that either this chip or the 2801 has calibration abilities - it's certainbly not the 2801, but I doubt this chip would have any onboard NV memory to store calibration (light curve? gamma?) They are likely just confused, but...
The chip specs also mention bidirectional data. Unfortunately, it's mostly an electrical spec, without protocol or logic. Anybody know more? Would Ray's pixels have that ability, with the right driver? What can you read back?
Thanks for any info. It's hard to find much about this chip, or the above modules.

 

[Timon]

FYI, the 3005 is Compatable to the 3001 and can be driven from the E681/681.

 

[jstjohnz]

I was intrigued by:
http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209889132-320691333/5pcs-5050-RGB-pixel-module-waterproof-CYT3005-IC-512-level-gray-scale-DC12V-input-1-2W.html
Ray's description refers to 512 levels, but the chip specs on this site refer to 4096 levels. Anybody able to resolve that discrepancy?
A comment at http://bleaklow.com/2010/05/27/how_the_hl1606_really_works.html thinks that either this chip or the 2801 has calibration abilities - it's certainbly not the 2801, but I doubt this chip would have any onboard NV memory to store calibration (light curve? gamma?) They are likely just confused, but...
The chip specs also mention bidirectional data. Unfortunately, it's mostly an electrical spec, without protocol or logic. Anybody know more? Would Ray's pixels have that ability, with the right driver? What can you read back?
Thanks for any info. It's hard to find much about this chip, or the above modules.

It is a 12-bit chip, so 4096 levels. The bidirectional data feature doesn't involve the pixels talking back to the controller. It just allows you to send two separate data streams to the pixel string, one from each end. So each pixel actually has 2 data inputs and 2 data outputs. The idea is that it gives you some redundancy so a single pixel failure can't take out a whole string. If one pixel fails and stops sending data to the following pixels in the string, those pixels will start looking at the data stream in the opposite direction and keep working.

The strings that Ray sells don't use that feature. It would require an extra wire, and would need a controller that could send out both data streams, one a mirror image of the other.