Help needed please - advice on wiring

moricild

New elf
Joined
Aug 22, 2020
Messages
5
Hi all

As a brand newbie with instructions from the family to take Christmas decorations to the next level, I have been studying these very helpful forums and I am hoping that you will take a look at my draft wiring diagram attached and lend me your wise counsel (I.e. help me to make sure I don’t blow myself up or burn down the house).

For my first show, I am planning some outlines (using strip) and strings of pixicles. If I have time, I will add some other elements.

For the strip, I am looking at https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33013911791.html and for the pixicles I am looking at https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000791230891.html

I would be grateful for your thoughts and advice on fusing and power injection in particular, and pointers on any other mistakes you think I may have made in putting the proposed wiring together.

Thanks so much.

M
 

Attachments

  • Wiring diagram.pdf
    332.4 KB · Views: 91

Srmorgan

Full time elf
Joined
Jan 26, 2020
Messages
100
This is my first year as well but it looks good to me. The only problem that I see is in the top two pixel runs the first power injection points of both do not have a v- with it. Power injection should always have a v+ and a v-. This is also assuming that the black and red wires coming from the f16 are also v+ and v-.
 

TerryK

Retired Elf
Joined
Feb 9, 2020
Messages
655
Location
West Central Ohio
Looks like it should work to me as well. I would suggest however that for the 2 groups of three (drawing left top) if you inject v+ that v- should be injected too. Voltage drops occur in both the v+ and v- power lines relative to the current being carried (within that particular conductor of course).
 

TANSA

Sparky with Blinky Lights ;-)
Generous elf
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
177
Location
Bentley Park
Dude don’t power from your controller and PSU to the same set of lights, one or the other.
 

tooms

12v4life
Joined
Jan 2, 2015
Messages
208
Location
Kalgoorlie
That is a lot of power injection, I can generally get around 100-120 12v bullet / square pixels with no power injection.
 

burnt

Full time elf
Joined
Nov 17, 2014
Messages
189
what i like to do .. is if i have connection between strings or strip do a power injection.. your doing a connection anyway. also i inject at the end, u have no connection so easy to do.
 

TANSA

Sparky with Blinky Lights ;-)
Generous elf
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
177
Location
Bentley Park
In the PDF he has power from the F16 on one end and power from the PSU to the other end and no break in the positive.
1598746669490.png
If you want to feed from both ends not problem (I do) but not from 2 different sources and fuses.
The loop at the end of string 2 and 3 ??
If the red wire from the F16 is Blue and the loop blue for data all good. Data and Power both Red is a disaster waiting to happen.
You want to do that, you do it.
8.3A across 2 fuses depending on wire size of each feed and length of wire, if all is equal 4.15A from each (PSU and F16)
Zoom picture has a break in the Positive.
 

marmalade

cats & pixels
Joined
Dec 1, 2015
Messages
284
Location
newcastle
I prefer to power all the leds/lights independently, essentially making the controller a simple data source (signal & ground).

Minimises the chances to fry a controller with spikes,shorts,loose/bad wiring, wrong voltage etc. A few stories of F16's with melted phoenix plugs, tracks exist, mostly just before christmas :)
 

moricild

New elf
Joined
Aug 22, 2020
Messages
5
Thanks for your help. That makes sense. Will likely take the same approach as @marmalade and power just from the PSU, not from the controller.
 
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