Need help verifying my connections on my new ECG-P12R

[joeengler]

Well, I received my 2 ECG-P12R boards, imagine my excitement when I rushed home to test out my new RGB lights. After configuring the board to connect on the network, I connected the the string of WS2801 pixel RGB LED'z, after about 5 minutes of farting around I did see something but it was not light it was a lot of SMOKE.

I quickly removed the power scratched my head and put it away for the night. The next day I reviewed my connections and everything looks correct however the wires leading to the first LED were toasted. I'm ready for another test but want someone to review the attached photos to see if everything looks correct before I power up again.
Ray's website list the connections as
RED WIRE: DC5V input +
yellow wireATA
greem wire: clock
blue: Ground

 

[BrianJ]

Never trust the description on the website, wire colors vary and there is no standard in China.


You should be able to see the pcb inside the pixel casing. One side of the board will be marked with the wiring order.
This is an example of the markings on a pcb ... it is not necessarily the pcb in your pixels it is just an example. The o stands for out so co is clock out and do is data out. There is also frequently an arrow on the pcb indicating direction.

 

[fasteddy]

Never ever trust cable colours, i have seen pixels where the black wire is the positive. there seems to be no real standard as far as cable colours and these seem to change with batches and manufacturers.

It seems like you you either have the wires not correctly connected or a short at the first pixel.

What is important is that you get the +V correct, if this isnt correct then this will create smoke, If you get the data, clock or ground wrong then these wont cause smoke. So first thing i would be checking is that red is in fact the +V

Now was there little black plugs on the end of the cable, more times than not there is a plug fitted to both the first and last pixel in a string. The plugs will have the ground, data and clock, the wires without the plug will have one as +V and the other will be the same colour as one of the wires in the plug as this is the ground.
Another way to try and find the +V is to look very carfully at the pixel where the wires come into the little board, there should be some markings, these can be hard to see under the frosted cover of the pixel but they can be seen if you use good light and magnification to view.

Also the +V and ground should be able to to have a circuit from the first pixel to the last pixel.

So start with ensuring your red wire is in fact the +v

 

[joeengler]

Well,
I figured out what I was doing and it seems like it only cost me 2 strands of lights. :'(
This was my first year with the Pixel strings, I looked them over and did not notice there was a in and out like on the strips. So I grabed a set and powered them up backwards, then did the samething to another strand before I figured out there was a in and out.
Good News was I ordered 2 extra strands to have them built in case of failures during the show.

 

[BrianJ]

try cutting off the first(last) couple pixels you may have only damaged the first one or two (last one or two) Most of the string may be OK

 

[fasteddy]

Generally connecting a string or strip up to the outputs shouldnt damage the pixels, ive done it a few times with no ill effects. To get smoke you must have also had the +V mixed somewhere.

 

[DeeJai]

or also, at the end of the string the exposed ends of the wires may have been touching. I have done this and lost the first pixel in the chain.