Initial Setup for Fairy Light conversion

[jarrodl]

So after recently reading a LOT of the forums and the guide I settled on a HE123v2 + BBB as my controller. Everything is up and working and licensed (thanks to all on the forums). Now I'm trying to connect up a 2811DC30 to the HE123, the 2811 is powered and wired (See Picture).

Now I'm trying to get a single fairy light string light up connected via pigtail CH1 on the 281. Im not sure now if its config in the FPP I need to setup to get it to work, or if this is the way a HE123 + 2811 is supposed to connect up.

Any points / guide / youtube etc would be great. Just want to see some lights on. Hoping to learn so I can then expand it ... tried to start simple

 

[Skymaster]

Hi @jarrodl

FPP setup becomes interesting as it doesn't support single channels in a pixel string, just groups of three (rgb) when configuring.
That said, it's not impossible to do. Means it's a bit more fun when pushing config from xLights as well. xLights will handle the single channel data so sometimes it's easier to just configure FPP by hand for that one board.
Might be best to set uo some time on zoom to go through it.

I notice that you've only got two pins connected to the 2811dc30.
Are the strings you're using the two-wire ones from bunnings? Or are they three/five wire and you've only connected two so far?

The reason I ask is the two wire versions operate by switching polarity to light up alternative A or B LEDs on the string, and this board will only control one half (it didn't do polarity switching) - - you'd need the 2811Dc2-30 (note the 2) for those kind.

 

[jarrodl]

Hi @jarrodl

FPP setup becomes interesting as it doesn't support single channels in a pixel string, just groups of three (rgb) when configuring.
That said, it's not impossible to do. Means it's a bit more fun when pushing config from xLights as well. xLights will handle the single channel data so sometimes it's easier to just configure FPP by hand for that one board.
Might be best to set uo some time on zoom to go through it.

I notice that you've only got two pins connected to the 2811dc30.
Are the strings you're using the two-wire ones from bunnings? Or are they three/five wire and you've only connected two so far?

The reason I ask is the two wire versions operate by switching polarity to light up alternative A or B LEDs on the string, and this board will only control one half (it didn't do polarity switching) - - you'd need the 2811Dc2-30 (note the 2) for those kind.

Zoom sounds good , the more I read the more I’m confused … lol

 

[AAH]

Before you get too carried away trying to configure everything in xlights and fpp you have a wiring mistake in the photo. There is power to the HE123 via the 3 pin terminal but there is nothing going to the pixel outputs. The 2811DC might get away with just having gnd and data going to it but it really should have the 5V or 12V that you would normally supply to a pixel. The input will likely work but you won't get the output of the pixel connector to do anything as it relies on the incoming power to supply the logic on the pixel section of the board.
I saw on a teamviewer session recently the results of pushing 1 channel lights to fpp. It gave results that ended up with an end channel 1 less than the start channel. It was some sort of perpetual motion thing. For every channel you assigned you got an extra back. Light 10 for instance may have had a start channel of 10 and an end channel of 9. :/ . I changed the fpp setup to 10 pixels manually rather than 30 individual lights and that fixed that problem.

 

[jarrodl]

Before you get too carried away trying to configure everything in xlights and fpp you have a wiring mistake in the photo. There is power to the HE123 via the 3 pin terminal but there is nothing going to the pixel outputs. The 2811DC might get away with just having gnd and data going to it but it really should have the 5V or 12V that you would normally supply to a pixel. The input will likely work but you won't get the output of the pixel connector to do anything as it relies on the incoming power to supply the logic on the pixel section of the board.
I saw on a teamviewer session recently the results of pushing 1 channel lights to fpp. It gave results that ended up with an end channel 1 less than the start channel. It was some sort of perpetual motion thing. For every channel you assigned you got an extra back. Light 10 for instance may have had a start channel of 10 and an end channel of 9. :/ . I changed the fpp setup to 10 pixels manually rather than 30 individual lights and that fixed that problem.

Ok let me try and redo based on what you mentioned. I’ll post another pic once done, probably take me a little bit to make sure I understand what you said