smart rgb help ccp

[drumm42]

I want to make a string of pixels like the ccp by lightorama. Wondering if you have a diagram on how to build a control and run 200 rgb pixels from one controller? All I have now is the basic software. Wondering if this will work? Also will the lor dongle work or will I need something else? I just want to build something that is compare to ccp but cheaper. Any help would be great. Thanks

 

[fasteddy]

I want to make a string of pixels like the ccp by lightorama. Wondering if you have a diagram on how to build a control and run 200 rgb pixels from one controller? All I have now is the basic software. Wondering if this will work? Also will the lor dongle work or will I need something else? I just want to build something that is compare to ccp but cheaper. Any help would be great. Thanks

Lets start by making sure you understand the differences between going down the LOR or DIY path so you can ensure you make the right decision.

LOR offers an easier solution to doing pixels as it has been designed for all levels of knowledge. LOR also offer great quality, support and warranty. As expected this means the price is higher than the DIY option

DIY is much cheaper in cost but requires a bigger investment in time and effort and quality can sometimes vary.

So now thats been said, if going down the DIY path then first start with the ACL 101 lighting manual to start getting an understanding of using RGB pixels

Ok now time to answer your question

First you will need to upgrade your LOR software to the advanced version as this will enable DMX and E1.31 support that is mainly used with DIY systems

Next you must decide which way you will go, DMX or E1.31. It is best to think about a long term plan here and think about what pixels you will be wanting to run in the future. E1.31 is the best communication to use when dealing with large numbers of pixels. The fact that you you want to use 200 pixels means that you would have to run 2 DMX universes as each DMX universe will take up 512 channels, so 200 pixels equals 600 channels. It will also be more cost effective for your first year to use E1.31 if all you plan this year is to add the 200 pixels.
So if looking for more info on E1.31 then look here

So on saying that there are a few E1.31 controllers on offering

There is the J1SYS controllers and the Sandevices controllers. Both have great features and are both developed by very talented US developers, there is a bit of choice here for you.

If budget is your main concern then personally i would reccommend the ECG-P2, this controller sells for $64 and will allow upto 8 universes of pixel control (4 universe per output) which is well within your needs. This will connect directly to your RJ45 output of your computer instead of your USB port like LOR comms uses. The other advantage to using this controller is that there is an additional board that is in current development that will allow the ECG-P2 to be standalone and easily used for other lighting uses.

So the diagram below shows how the power and the pixels would connect up to the ECG-P2 controller. The controller RJ45 port connects back to your computer

[attachimg=1]

The other choice is to use the ELOR which is a sandevices LOR to E1.31 controller ($125 assembled). The issue with going down this path is that you are converting LOR comms to E1.31 and in the future when you expand your show, then this choice is far less scalable then using the native E1.31 outputting from LOR S3. It is also more expensive because you will still need the pixel controller connected to the ELOR instead of using E1.31 directly from the computer to the ECG-P2.

Now the pixels. There are a variety of pixels and strip available to the DIY community and a choice will need to be made on what type of Pixel type you want to use

I am now using the 2811 which is 8 bit 3 wire (256 dimming steps per colour) this is a new pixel IC that has been released and is cheaper than the other types.
Now a note on the 2811 and the ECG-P2, The 2811 is currently not officially supported by the ECG-P2 but this is due to change very soon with a firmware update which is easy to do. You can still test the 2811 pixels using the 1804 output.
When purchasing pixels make sure you only use the IP68 resin filled pixels as anything else can give you water ingress issues.

And finally a power supply is needed, You coukld either just use a power supply that is just rated for the 200 pixels or you could buy a higher rated power supply so you can add next year.

The thing with DIY is there are many many options and what i have suggested is not the only choices that are available, so take your time investigating the options and learning DIY, dont try to take on too much so the experinece becomes negative for you.

Hope that helps

 

[drumm42]

Thanks again Eddy for all your help. I just want to make sure I got this right.

1. I'm going to buy the ECG-P2.

2. I'm going to upgrade my lor software to the advance verison.

3. I'm going to buy the pixel strings http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/WS2811-LED-pixel-node-DC5V-input-full-color-RGB-string-50pcs-a-string-IP68-rated/701799_581805567.html

4. I'm going to buy the power supply http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=92251-53027-EE0124BK&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3069659&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

I think this is everything that I'm going to need for my project. If you have any better ideas or things you think I should try please let me know. Thanks again Eddy for the help!!!

 

[Chuck Moore]

Drumm42,
Sir, I would examine your choice of Power supply. The pixels you showed are 5V DC. What is the output voltage of that power supply. You will need a DC power supply to operate the pixels.

Chuck.

 

[fasteddy]

Drumm42,
Sir, I would examine your choice of Power supply. The pixels you showed are 5V DC. What is the output voltage of that power supply. You will need a DC power supply to operate the pixels.

Chuck.

I agree here with Chuck, this power supply is not a good choice at all.
It appears the power supply you linked to is a transformer type which means it is most probably AC instead of DC, the lights you linked to require a 5VDC power supply and you would need a 100 watt switch mode power supply to run the 200 pixels.
The other thing is there is no mention of voltage. I would seriously reconsider your power supply choice.

 

[jonnyci]

Drumm42

The power supply you are linking to and suggesting you are going to buy will not work. What you have linked to is a power supply for outdoor garden lights. These transformers are designed for the "clip in" lights and have built in timers. This is AC current used here in the US and will not work with the Pixels

 

[drumm42]

Thanks for the input on the power supply. I think I have found the right power supply this time http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/350W-Dual-Output-Switching-Power-Supply-88-264VAC-input-5V-350W-output-CE-and-ROHS-approved/701799_289599937.html
Any input would be a great help.

 

[fasteddy]

Thanks for the input on the power supply. I think I have found the right power supply this time http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/350W-Dual-Output-Switching-Power-Supply-88-264VAC-input-5V-350W-output-CE-and-ROHS-approved/701799_289599937.html
Any input would be a great help.

Yes that power supply will do perfectly for 5VDC pixels. But a little word of caution on the Cheap Chinese power supplies, they have been known to fail, so you may want to get a spare, or maybe get 2 x 200 watters as your total load is under 100 watts, this way you have both a back up and a way of expanding later.