Strange results with bullet pixels

jpapa

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Feb 5, 2023
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FPP to San Device E682 to 12v Ray Wu WS2811 bullet pixels and/or strips
Currently have everything up and running, test patterns from the FPP working great!

Bought some more WS2811 bullet strings from a new supplier (great service, I've purchased there before)

NONE of them behave correctly... one string will light up in all white (when I select WS2801??) but won't run test pattern.
Another string will only light a couple of random pixels. Another string won't light at all, and the last string lit up like a rainbow but again, won't run the test pattern.

V is fine, wiring checks out with multimeter - these strings came with connectors, that is the only difference (it seems) between them.

I'm am pulling my hair out trying to get these to work, ready to send them back.

Thoughts? Thanks!!

Joe
 

merryoncherry

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WS2801 and WS2811 are very different. The former is older and wants a clock signal, the latter is what most of us are using, sounds like what your pixels are also. The WS2811 pixels have 3 wires, make sure they are connected to power, ground, and data, but not "clock"... you won't need "clock" for anything common this year.
 

TerryK

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If they are WS2811 then trying to drive them with a WS2811 protocol should work. Other things to check would be are they the same voltage (not trying to mix 5 Volt with 12 Volt WS2811 pixels. Driving from the correct end, that is, is the controller conected to the DI end of the string, not the DO end. Power injection or voltage drop might be another although typically one would see color degradation looking down the string.
 

jpapa

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voltage on all strings = 12v
All wiring 3 wire and double checked.
direction is correct.
maximum # of pixels on strings = 100, so no voltage drop.
not using clock connection.

Thanks!
 

merryoncherry

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Electrically sounds good, wondering about the controller settings then.
If you don't have a little pixel tester or something to serve that purpose, not a bad thing to get. (I doubt it's pixels this time, but eventually it'll be handy.)
 

TerryK

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A couple other thing to look at. What type of connectors and are you sure that you are applying V+, V-, and data correctly to the pixels? There have been situations where connector wiring isn't quite standard. Same controller port or another?
 

jpapa

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What does a pixel tester look like?

I have been using the same port for all strings so as not to add another variable.

I have the wires correct according to the vendor and there is light displaying but it appears the data isn't being conveyed correctly to the string??

I'm about ready to cut off the connector and wire my own pigtail to see if that works...

As far as I can tell the controller settings are correct, and my older Ray Wu store strings work perfectly
 

jpapa

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Feb 5, 2023
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here ya go:


I have one of each of the last three 12mm WS2811 entries on the page
 

TerryK

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For a pixel tester something like a SP-105 or SP-108 (as I recall the numbers). And there are others. Amazon has them as well as various pixel vendors.

While I am inclined to avoid the suggestion to remove the connectors, from what you have indicated that probably is the next step. My only other thought is if the Ray Wu string is 50 pixels and the Holiday Light Express are 100 pixel, there could be a configuration problem in the controller.
 

merryoncherry

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It doesn't seem like anything ought to be wrong. They're ray wu connectors, I assume those match what you have from before, and it is amazing that they don't "just work". It'd be tempting to do what you said and cut the connector off and try something else, just to be sure. Make sure the data is going in the side with the resistors / regulator, and coming out the side with the WS2811 chip on it.
 

scamper

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double check the input and output are correct, just because it is the same plug does not mean they put the male and female on the same end.
Look carefully into the pixel and you should be able to find an arrow which shows the direction of data.
 
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