I have this RGB strip ( https://a.co/d/f3GpCqq ) mounted under the eave of my roof on the front of my house, and am using this ESP to attempt control it ( https://a.co/d/hFUQN0b ). I am using a 12v 3A power supply to power roughly 200 LEDs, and have had luck in the past using this strip inside (with WLED) without a logic level converter. Now, I have hooked it up outside using maybe 30-40 ft of cable from outside to inside my garage where the electronics are. The ESP is being powered by a wall adapter to the micro USB, 5v 2A. Again, this has worked with shorter wires, without a logic level converter. Now, with a multiconductor cable, roughly 20 gauge solid per conductor, it does not light up at all. I have verified voltage and continuity with my multimeter for each conductor. I also have tried using SN74AHCT125N with no change. Been using pin 2 on the board linked above. If anyone has any ideas, I’d appreciate it.
Make sure your data connection from the ESP32 through the '125 shifter has both a Data and Ground connection to the strip. Ground must be common between all your power supplies and devices.
When using the '125, make sure you have no floating inputs and use a 100nf bypass capacitor.
At 10m+ of distance, you’re getting to the category of long data lines, check the KB article on using a TxRx differential pair for your data line. You can probably power both boards from the USB PS and as long as your current data line has 4 conductors available, you should be good to go.
BTW, you don’t need the '125 or any data line resistors with the TxRx solution.
The '125 chip needs a small ceramic 100nF (0.1uF) capacitor near the chip’s power supply pin to ground.
Common for TTL chips, it’s a power supply bypass capacitor.
For that distance, size and type of multi conductor shouldn’t really matter. I often use 22/4 alarm wire or Cat5e. I would bet in the long term, you’ll be much happier with a TxRx solution.
