What LOR components are needed to run intelligent RGB Lights

BundyRoy

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Apr 9, 2014
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LOR are about to send me the starter package. I have two 10m lengths of intelligent RGB lights I would like to incorporate. Is there anything else I should be getting LOR to put in the box before it is sent so I can use these lights or is it better/easier/cheaper to use non LOR equipment. I have the power sources for the lights, just need to be able to hook up my computer/controller to the lights to run them.

I know I will have plenty of questions on how to understand the controlling of these lights but I need to decide on LOR stuff today as I have an email saying my other order is ready to ship and if possible I would like to try and get it in one box to save postage.

I'm pretty sure I will at least need to upgrade my software but I can do that online.

Thanks
 

Kaden

Pixels! I need more pixels!
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BundyRoy said:
Is there anything else I should be getting LOR to put in the box before it is sent


At this point no. It's time to do some reading and ask a lot of questions. Then you will decide how you want your display to look and what you will need to buy.
 

BundyRoy

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Thanks for the reply. I have had a look at the manual but it is a little confusing for someone with no real experience with the gear. I will try and outline my understanding of things and we can go from there.

The controller I have ordered handles 16 channels of 240V ac lights. So effectively I can plug 16 strings of lights straight in and the controller turns them on and off at the times I program. Effectively 16 on/off switches.

Now I have the smart RGB strip. From what I gather this is driven by some sort of board that plugs into the computer/controller using a network cable. The board and the rgb lights need a external DC power source. Now this board on LOR says it can handle 24 channels. http://store.lightorama.com/cmdedcca3.html . Now the most confusing part. My RGB strip has 30 LED/m and each pixel has 3 LED. So 10 pixels/m. Each pixel is 3 channels. So 30 channels/m. I have 2 x 10m strips. So 2x10x30 = 600 channels.

I'm guessing I've got something wrong here as surely you don't need 600/24 = 25 of the LOR boards just to run 2 LED strips. If that was the case it would make the cost of my dirt bike racing hobby seem trivial. I'm assuming that the LOR controller (or equivalent) with 24 channels can run 24 smart LED strips with maybe a length restriction on each strip.

Anyway, I'm sure I've got things bamboozled but I am struggling to take in so much foreign/new info in a short time. I hope I have not wasted too much of your time, but any help would be appreciated.
 

mborg10

Michael Borg
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Those lor controllers are for dumb rgb strip and it sounds like you have smart pixel strip. Dumb will change the entire strip the same colour where as smart has an ic which controls each pixel. Dumb controllers are not comparable with smart pixels.
 

BundyRoy

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Christmas @ the Myrtle (Damicka10) said:
Those lor controllers are for dumb rgb strip and it sounds like you have smart pixel strip. Dumb will change the entire strip the same colour where as smart has an ic which controls each pixel. Dumb controllers are not comparable with smart pixels.

Thanks Michael. I didn't notice that. They also seem more expensive than the other smart RGB controllers listed in the manual. They do handle more channels though.
 

Jago

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Feb 15, 2014
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Townsville
LOR is pretty expensive however it is designed to be easy to use. Most their boards support either the LOR protocol or DMX.

With DMX you are limited to 170 RGB smart pixels per universe (that's 510 of the 512 channels). With DMX there is one universe per cable leaving your control computer, as you can see that's very limiting. To handle the high channel count E1.31 was introduced this allows lots of DMX universes to be sent over a IP network (normal computer network). LOR S3 does have support for E1.31 Cant say what license level you need to be able to use it fully.

I think its best to always try and look for hardware that supports open protocols as there is more flexibility with control software.
 

bluzervic

65,768 Channels, 185 Universes
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Dec 31, 2011
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Fremont, Calif.
Here is an example of how I run mine.


Eth switch port 1 <> PC Network adaptor (E1.31 Network)
Eth switch port 2 <> J1sys D4 DMX to E1.31 Bridge (4 Univ.) -> (LOR x-over) -> LOR devices (4 ports LOR DMX)
Eth switch port 3 <> J1sys P12S Pixel Controller (12 univ., 150 pix, 450 channels) (12 outputs)
Eth switch port 4 <> J1sys P2 Pixel Controller (8 Univ., 100 pix, 300 channels) (2 outputs)
Eth switch port 5 <> Pixlite Controller (32 univ., 150 pix, 450 channels) (16 outputs)


Any one of us can help you.
Also, do some reading on the forums and jump into chat


-Blu
 
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