this is another level for me 
i tried following the text but cannot get visual studio to work
Thank you all for showing support to a complete coding illiterate and electronics novice 
That’s the controller (I presume) and it definitely looks like they’re outputting 5V data (via the HC245).
The question is what does receiving end look like?
That’s why I was looking to see the inside of one of the lights.
sorry, i misunderstood 
. i will have to get some tools at it tomorrow as they are set toge
ther in some form of resin. i am guessing for IP rating
Well, see what you can see.
If you’re planning on using them outside, you don’t want to destroy that seal.
Might be worth attacking the last one in the chain so you don’t kill the whole string if something goes wrong…
Agreed with @divsys the internal structure of the controller is not that special and certainly isn’t sending a differential signal so, so far the Dig-Uno should in theory work the same way except maybe for the protocol the lights use.
this string that is in the photo was purchased as a sample so that I can try and figure out how to control these with WELD so if it has to be sacrificial so be it :). I made a start last night on tearing it down and went for light number 10 so that the earlier ones still have a chance of working
UCS , not USC,
up to 24V drive, RGB+W and differential , long range, parallel not serial, input signalling , they are popular in fairground lighting.
Need an Address Writer to change addressing bit of a downside.
Addressable LED roundup, Crowd sourced, user editable, see something missing? Please add it:
awesomeledlist dot com
Quinn better placed to tell you about available I/O pin to run a MAX485 / SN75176/ ebay TTL to RS 485 board to output DMX on Uno specifically.
This sort of thing, first cheapy in search
Compile your own flavour , online, DMX flag is one of the checkboxes
https://wled-compile.github.io/
Precompiled popular , plug and prog , really impressive
@clockmill thank you for this but this is way beyond my level. the chip that you have shown is, maybe in my 2 recent pics. the quality is not great as the board is encased in a resin type material. can i ask what you mean about compiling?
Try my best at a jargon decoder .
That`s actually, I think,a UCS , not USC, pixel IC as linked above.
These read DMX 512 protocol on the A +B data lines.
Very briefly, DMX 512 is a stage lighting protocol, 512 addresses , 256 levels (8 bits) per address. Block of 512 addresses is called a Universe.
DMX512 is the software protocol, timing etc, it is physically sent down a twisted pair of wires using the RS485 electrical standard.
RS485 is balanced line , its very resistant to induced interference on connections and can go long distances, 100s of meters.
DMX 512 things have an address set, then the data pair daisy chains along all the receivers in parallel, failure of a receiver dosen`t affect others. Things follow their set address regardless of order they are plugged together.
Can also use RS485 directly with pixel data, think Quindor has a video on that, different subject really.
Pixel takes a DMX address per colour, RGBW will use 4 addresses, so only get 128 RGBW pixels per universe or 170 RGB with 2 addresses spare.
ArtNet and sACN/ E1.31, are a way of sending DMX 512 on an Ethernet network.Can stuff a lot of universes of data along an ethernet link.
As far as can understand , Wled can only generate 1 universe of DMX from incoming data per unit.
RS485 card turns single ended output from the WLed ESP to RS485 data pair , its a line driver.
Probably need a dedicated Wled board with RS485 card per 128 RGBW DMX pucks.
Compiling, as in configuration to compile your own WLED software with special settings and/or usermods. DMX needs switched on in firmware before installation.
Its just understanding differences between couple of control protocols, dont have to go much deeper to actually make practical use of them.
Rate my jargon 
you are knowledgeable, this kind of makes sense.
“Probably need a dedicated Wled board with RS485 card” do you have an example of what to buy so i can try?
“DMX needs switched on in firmware before installation” i have tried this using a youtube video. i think it was intermit or something like that. but i failed while using visual studio. the current wled download is different than is in the videos. are there any uptodate videos that i have maybe missed?
you don’t know of anyone in the UK that i could perhaps have a zoom call with to compile this via screen sharing do you?
Control protocols know enough to be dangerous, compiling from source?
I`m at the follow along a youtube level as well
Going by silk screen on board have changed chip to this
So still DMX control protocol.
Need to add this type of board from output pin of ESP32
Compile for DMX to output pin, try link above allows compiling remotely on Github.
Or, this looks interesting, Pixel to DMX, would be wary of using it on moving heads because of how flaky pixel data can get, but, for your use , driving DMX pixels, plug and play,
Hi, I am trying to operate an LED with TM512AC chip in the DMX protocol with the WLED application.
I used this method as the closest and most reasonable method. I have an ES8266 Nodemcu and Max485 Converter. I made the connections according to the diagram here, but I cannot control the LEDs. Can you help me if I need to make WLED led prefences settings or other interface settings?