Hello all From Doug

[RGBmeforfun]

This is my first year tying this, but I'm real excited to get going. 61-year-old ADHD mech engineer looking for projects to do in retirement. Not real good with computers but can make almost everything I have seen in the great videos. Using xlights enjoying trying to make my sequences 1/2 as good as most of yours. Love looking and reading about how things work.

 

[RGBmeforfun]

Hello again, I have a question and thought this would be a good place to post it. I purchased a mega tree kit and it uses all 16 spi port for the tree. I made several props and did a roof outline. I am using xlights to model my work. My question is instead of making a 16 string with 50 pixels on each. Can I do 8 strings with 100 pixels or 4 with 200 per string so I can use the other ports for my props? It seems like only using 50 each is a waste.
Next question if I go to the main forum how do I search for previous asked questions or topic. Thanks for any help. Doug

 

[uncledan]

A little more information on controller and the pixels (strip or nodes and voltage) would be helpful. The answer is most likely yes, but you might need to power inject.

 

[RGBmeforfun]

hinkspix pro controller, 12mm nodes at 5 volts. I plan to run the tree at 50% brightness as I am not far from road and read this would be good. I understand power injection and can do. Thanks

 

[uncledan]

Not familiar with the controller but I'm assuming 200 pixels per port isnt an issue. You'll just have to power inject.

 

[RGBmeforfun]

thanks, i appreciate your reply

 

[uncledan]

No problem. Forgot to reply to your question regarding searching forums. There is a search feature, towards the top right. Looks like a magnifying glass. Welcome to ACL and best of luck with display! Majority of my display has 200+ pixels per port with power injection. I know thats an HC controller but shows as being no longer available so I cant find the specs.

 

[merryoncherry]

I use some of those controllers, you can definitely do this with very little trouble.

I am taking a guess that the 5V pixels came from the same place, but 100 is not too many without PI, even at 100% white. (They might look slightly pinker than a 12V pixel, but that can be fixed in the software.)

200 of them might be too many at 100%, but the power injection for this is very simple, you can use the mass produced parts and no soldering required; you'll just put power in the existing waterproof female connector after pixel 200. Sometimes, the port has plenty of power, but by the time it gets through all the wire to pixel 200 there's a voltage drop. In this case, all it takes is a 3M-3M-3F tee, with the data pin pulled out of the middle male connector. Insert the tee at the input end of the string, plug the far end of the string back into the tee where you pulled the pin (making a loop for power only). (Because you start at the bottom of the tree, and go up and back down again, the start and end of the string is close enough to make it practical.)

Now, if you have a problem with that scheme (and at 50% you really should not), it's still easy to fix... you just use a second power connection from the same supply (use male pigtail with data pin pulled out so you remember what it is) to go to the far end of the string. One of the fascinating things about most of the 5V configurations of those controllers is that the power supplies are rated for more than the sum total amps coming out of the port fuses... for example the 16-port version is usually 600W, or 120A, but it has 16 5A fuses, only 80A... and lots of space in the box, and lots of room through the bulkhead strain relief, so no harm in adding a power distribution board and a few injection pigtails directly out of the unit. But check your configuration, they do make a variety, but the 16-port enclosure is designed to hold 2 power supplies and they're easy to add.

And if it still doesn't work, you can always put another injection tee between strings at pixel 100/101. Very easy to fix any problems later, so definitely free up those ports and get more blinky things!

 

[TerryK]

@RGBmeforfun: First, welcome to ACL Your avatar indicates the US, what part of the US might you be located in? Even though ACL is an Australian site there are quite a number of US members.

As Dan indicated the 'magnifier' icon works but I use this:

Both @uncledan and @merryoncherry have answered the string length question. Have you downloaded and read the ACL 101 Manual? If not it will help answer not only the whats/hows of power injection but other topics as well. The 101 Manual can be found here:

Once you search the forums you will discover that power injection is broadly discussed and that there are a number of different approaches to implement it, based mostly on the physical layout of the controllers/lights and the designer's (that would be you) preference.

I would also like to add that there is the Chat Room for question or conversation. Usually someone is either there or monitoring. I'm typically in and out through the day and there are a few Australian early risers and late 'sleepers'. To the point, ask away and check back if no one immediately or shortly responds. Cheers.

 

[RGBmeforfun]

Thanks, I did download the 101 manual. Read most of it. it was very helpful. I live in Harrisburg PA, USA. I believed I could do this, and emailed HC did not get real good answers. Not sure if I stated my question well or they wanted to sell me more stuff.

I will use the other options for my next questions.
Thanks all!

 

[merryoncherry]

HC has given me a mixed bag of answers as well. I ended up with way more controller ports than I needed because they provided detailed LED specifications... that were off by 2x. (I don't think it was intentional, the material was just outdated or for a different product or something.) There were other cases where they were better. So, I'd make a point of asking someone who's actually tried to do what you're doing, that will be more helpful most of the time.

I'd be interested to see which controller you have.

Have an aunt/uncle/cousin in Harrisburg...

 

[RGBmeforfun]

I just got it a week ago. I can take a picture of it. if you are from the area, I could buy you a beer at Troegs Brewery for a beer and discuss things

 

[merryoncherry]

Family in PA still, but I moved on to New England.

You didn't ask, but I'll mention it anyway... HC has a lot of knowledge base videos about how to set up the HinksPix, but these are based on the idea that the controller is a stand-alone thing at the center of the world. Joe Hinkle put a lot of work into all this stuff, but if you're going to use xLights, don't even bother watching those videos, too complicated and you don't need any of it.... xLights will set up all that stuff for you and you'll hardly use the web interface at all. Ryan Erickson, Scott Hanson, Keith Westley, and others have promoted a better approach, far easier, you'll find those videos on YouTube if you even need the instructions at all.

 

[RGBmeforfun]

I did watch the videos and just completed the Wi-Fi one. Still working on it. You described my system to a tee. the videos say each port could do 680 pixels, so I think it is a waste to only have 50 on each. To add any other pixels, I would need an extra board. I plan to use xlights so before I go any further, I will watch theirs.

 

[merryoncherry]

I see.

They only put one power supply in there, so you'll run out of amps at a couple/few thousand pixels, long before you run out of anything else.
It'll hold a second, takes a bit of disassembly and reassembly, but nothing you can't do with a screwdriver and opposable thumbs.

Looks like you got 1 of the long range boards sandwiched in there. That's another good option for expansion. You can use their smart receiver boards with it, but I found them a bit expensive and tricky to work with. I've started using other people's "dumb" / regular differential receivers, but you have to tweak the pinout a bit, which is again pretty easy to do if you put CAT5 bulkhead connectors on. Those make life a lot more convenient (just plugging things into the bottom, rather than messing with the center strain relief).

Looks like they didn't even put the network cables through the bulkhead, which is strange, usually they do that... I use a wired network for the controllers so that's the first thing I'd have to do to that unit...

But your install needs may be different.