HI guys, I’m having a problem with this 60 per 2012b and I hope someone will have some insight. We’ve built several of these rings for a project going out to the playa. All of the tape is doing what we expect it to except for this one ring. We bought the tape in four meter lengths so for these larger 56 inch diameter rings we’ve had to solder the tape together. The two other 56 inch rings don’t have problems. But this one freaks out under stress test.
Here’s the weird part. I’ve re-soldered the connection three times, cutting back a pixel on each piece of tape each time and swapping out to a different piece on the tail end once. All with the same result.
The long piece did come in a second order but from the original vendor. Powering from both ends is the only way to get the second strip to work at all and if separated and tested individually they both work as expected.
You dont have one of the strips reversed? I would test them individually, especially as they came from different sources, just in case they printing on them is wrong.
zut: I did test them individually. If I cut the strip thats freaking out I can alligator clip onto it and it works as expected. I hear ya on the printing but I don’t think 2012b will light with backward data.
Jon: what should the resistor value be? I thought that I had read that it should be 200k but when I put one before the first pixel, the whole project goes dark. We are running data a long way before it hits an LED. 10 feet in one instance and 17 feet in another.
Your data line resistor is recommended to be from 300 - 500 ohm. I didn’t read all the way thru the first time about your problems. It looks like you are going to have to power it from both ends.
I’ve also had a strip from the factory not hooked up right when it came to the power bus on the strip. Typically you will see a small dot, indentation, or hole that connects it to the bus. If it’s missing some of those, it could explain your voltage drop.
I use arduino to drive mine similar problems when using long data expecially when lots of outside noise I use 10k pull down I’m gonna try rca line and send data down signal line with grounded shield maybe more consistent good luck let me know how it goes
Jon: that’s interesting about the power bus strip. Are the holes you’re referring to the ones on the solder pads? And yeah the resistor I was using was way too high. Thanks.