Analog RGB Strips controlled by a Digital Driver Chip?

1

Im not sure if this has been discussed here or if someone makes this exact product but couldn’t something like a Texas Instruments TLC59731 be used to take the control signal from NodeMCU and control Normal non addressable RGB strip via some Mosfets. If that was the case you could run lots of strips each on there own sub division within WLED.

I ask because I have a PC im building and I want to control lots of RGB (Non Addressable) Sections, Like water fittings Plexi pump housing with RGB’s. There are also some addressable fans on it as well.

Is WLED able to control a SDI input on these chips? or is there a premade product im missing?

https://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tlc59731.pdf?HQS=TI-null-null-mousermode-df-pf-null-wwe&ts=1598963963132

These chips are very cheap.

2

Unless I’m reading your post wrong, you don’t need the chip. ESPs can do that. Just add MOSFETs. There are a couple products shown here that you would just need to flash.

3

Ah yes but can you control lots of separate strips or sections of strips from 1 node or do you need lots of nodes?

Lee

4

I built a system that drives four, RGBW LEDs from one node.

5

Ah excellent that’ll work for me I think ill need about 12 channels so would be easier and cheaper with 3 nodes rather than the way I was thinking.

Where do I look for your project or is it unpublished?

6

Unpublished so far. Just a 5V regulator (12V LEDs), relay, eight, dual-channel MOSFETS.

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7

Hi
there are cheap boards already available and are supported by wled.

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8

Amazing. I’ll get some of those in order. Are they supported by wled now? Or do I have to do some special compile?

Lee

9

Hi,
you would have to compile WLED yourself.
Uncomment #define USE_P9813 in NpbWrapper.h
Also the current Master of NeoPixelBus is needed.

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10

Excellent thanks. Just ordered 10 on aliexpress with 20-40 day shipping so ill come back to this :slight_smile:

11

Ok been messing with this all day and got pretty far but hit a roadblock.

Got it compiled and setup but am just getting a pulse out of two of the channels and nothing out of the third.

When I make a colour change it gives a burst of light so there is some communication going on.

Any tips on what could be going on if anyone recognises this problem.

Thanks

Lee

12

Hi,
can you post a better picture of the connections between the esp and the driver.
It looks like the driver is not connected to 3.3v from the esp.
I am getting the same blinking if i disconnect the 3.3v from the driver.

Connection should be:

Nodemcu to Driver
D3(GPIO0) to CIN
D4(GPIO2) to DIN
3.3V to VCC
GND to GND

greetings
Maik

13

You can’t just daisy chain WS2811 and make them control individual RGB strips with MOSFETs ? To WLED, that would be just a very long addressable strip, on which each element is in fact a RGB strip… I thought about that to actually combine addressable RGB strips and non-addressable RGB strips all in one segment without modifications to the code. Technically, just make sure your MOSFETs are big enough, and the power supply too… That could even work with 12V non-addressable strips : you control the MOSFETs in 5V and you make them output 12V… In a computer, it’s very easy to get both 5V and 12V in the setup.

I haven’t tried that yet but I don’t see why it would not work.

14

hi yes that was it I didn’t realise it needed the VCC. The spec shows 4.5v to 5.5v on mine but tried it with both 3.3v and the 5v and both work fine for me. Ill post a video soon of the completed project. looks really mad.

Thanks for the help everyone

Lee