Answered Help debugging new pixel icicle string

[Kjax]

I received my first shipment of lights and am having issues with one of the strings. Hoping someone can sanity check to make sure I'm not doing anything obviously stupid.

The string of lights is this one: (WS2811 icicles from ray wu)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32310871722.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.2b474c4dUY3cyQ

The icicle string has an xconnect connector, and I've got an xconnect pigtail connected to my F4V3 board.
I've verified the pigtail is correctly connected (it powers one of the non-icicle strings just fine, and it matches the wiring diagram ray sent me)

When I plug in the string, some of the LEDs flash red briefly, so it seems to not be completed dead. But nothing lights up when I run any of the test sequences.

Is there anything else I can test? or settings I can mess with? Thanks in advance!

 

[uncledan]

If the port on the Falcon and the pigtail work on other strings I can assume one of the following is the issue. 1) bad first pixel 2) bad pigtail on the pixel string 3)Wiring is different on the pigtail on the icicles then the other pixel string that worked 4) Wrong voltage (verify the pixels are labeled 12v on the PCB) I would probably start by cutting off the pigtail and connecting the string directly to the port on the Falcon. You should be able to trace the wires back to the first pixel to verify which wire is which. The pixel should be labeled 12v, D and GND

 

[Kjax]

If the port on the Falcon and the pigtail work on other strings I can assume one of the following is the issue. 1) bad first pixel 2) bad pigtail on the pixel string 3)Wiring is different on the pigtail on the icicles then the other pixel string that worked 4) Wrong voltage (verify the pixels are labeled 12v on the PCB) I would probably start by cutting off the pigtail and connecting the string directly to the port on the Falcon. You should be able to trace the wires back to the first pixel to verify which wire is which. The pixel should be labeled 12v, D and GND

Thanks! I tried all of these - the solution seems to have been a bad pixel somewhere in the first icicle. I'll just have 1 fewer icicles than planned. Thank you!!

 

[Trickyd]

Good afternoon,

Not to speak bad about anyone, but never connect with the power on any connector, my experience is it could damage the first pixel, especially with 12 v power.

even after power off wait a while until the power supply is totally gone to the no power state.
to be sure take a normal Led ( with resistor )as a power on indicator connected to the power supply.

Best regards
Dick de Wit
The Netherlands