Power supply to P12 and pixels

ShellNZ

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Jun 17, 2012
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Karaka, Auckland, NZ
I have a P12 that runs my 12v Megatree and my simple 12v equalizers. It also ran my 12v megastar on top of the tree.

This year I am looking at changing my megatree star from 12v 2811 10ic/30led stuff to 5v 2812b pixels. Therefore I need to add a 5v power supply to my megatree enclosure. I will daisy chain the 2 power supplies (Earth/Neu/Live) together so I only have 1 power cord coming out of it.

My question is with regards to configuration of the P12. Currently I am using Option 3 of the following.

P12PSmethod_zps67416686.jpg


Im going to have to change to Option 4 correct?
 

cozbert

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Sep 3, 2012
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Whyalla SA
so you will have both 12v and 5v pixels coming from the p12?

if so you should be able to just connect the 5v to p00 and leave p01 alone :)
 

Baf05

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Dec 15, 2012
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Shell, while I am by no means an expert, I am running both 12v and 5v pixels from my p12r.

I use option 1, running 5v into P13 and 12v in to P00

My understanding is that meant the 6 outputs P01 --> P06 are all 12v and the outputs P07 --> P012 are 5v.

I also assumed that the banks are both need to be powered if you want to use them all?

(I also think cozbert may have confused P13 with P01 as P01 is your first pixel output)
 

ShellNZ

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mmmm kay, thanks coz

My problem is the left bank (Outputs 1-6) are all 12v stuff.
Output 7 is 160px of 5v strip
Then Output 8 & 9 are 12v strip again.

Maybe its easiest to just power direct from power supply on this occasion?
 

Baf05

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I have had some success with this in practice early in the year, connecting both earth leads together, however I tried again recently I could not get it to work. But I suspect more operator error.... 8)
 

cozbert

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you will need to connect up the 0v and data from the p12 to the pixels and connect the 0v from your power supply to 0v on the p12 then the +5 to the +5 input on the pixels
 

scamper

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collie
I haven't used pixels so don't know about this, but couldn't you simply hook the data up from the controller and inject 5v into the strip instead of using the 12v that the controller supplies?
 

ShellNZ

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Jun 17, 2012
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Yes you can but the grounds need to be connected. So thats what Im going to do. Unfort theres going to be power injection involved with this 5v star as well dangit, hate PI.
 

davrus

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Jan 9, 2014
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Whitianga
Shell, stick with your 12V for everything ... and at the Star, use a DC-DC Converter to drop the 12V down to 5V (benefit is that you have minimal voltage drop, just the distance from the converter to your star.) Another benefit is that it is all the same power, same 12V, same ground.
 

fasteddy

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You also have the choice if you only need 1 or 2 outputs at a different voltage to just connect up the data and ground to the output and then just inject the different voltage in to supply power to those lights only, similar to a P2 but using different voltages.

I had one configuration that was running 5vdc lights out when the controller was using 12vdc on both banks. I then also had attached 24vdc pixels as well so effectively the string was both 5vdc and then 24vdc connected to a 12vdc powered controller. All I did was connect the ground and data between each and inject the correct voltage.
So you can use any voltage you choose, your not just bound by the controllers bank voltage.
 

mararunr

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Dec 31, 2013
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3505 NW Edgewood Ave, Bentonville Arkansas, USA
I wish I had seen this post about 3 hours ago (before I bought a second board - a PixLite 4). I was debating on whether I needed a second board to run my 12v lites since my PixLite 16 is running about 1,800 5v pixels. O well, now I know (and have a head start on boards for next year). Going to run everything off my PixLite 16 until I run out of outputs (was already running power directly to the strings since its a mega tree and needed injection a lot more than the outputs allowed so no rewiring either to add the 12v). Thanks Fasteddy! Can't wait to finally have this first year up and running (tree goes up this weekend for a little Halloween pre-show for the neighborhood).
 
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