Large amount of digital ledstrips in the celling

Issues
1

Helo !

im been looking for a forum for help, so i try here, if someone knows about a better place, please shout out to me :smiley:

look here for some pictures, and a roof-plan (hope this work);

I’m seeking a little advice/help to a project i have been starting on. its kind of working now temporarily, see the pictures attached.

I have also added a roof-plan so you can see how big it is. Its about 60m with “WS2815 DC12V” ledstrips. Did buy it from Ali, also bought the 12v drivers there https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005879490993.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.40.1b171802S2YQ2w

The plan was first to do it with 4 x ESP32 chips and Wled, but that was not a good plan, to much trouble getting it to work, and not easy to link it to the existing system… So i bought this controller; https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005188257655.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.29.1b171802S2YQ2w So i can connect all 9 lines to it, and they can control it with the dmx system, or the software that’s follow the box.

I am an electrician, i’m used to work with 230v things and low voltage stuff. Have done lot of light project before, but never so large like this. I know the owner of the club, and i was kind of smart to say yes to help him with this lights, cheap…

I have done smaller/medium scale digital led-lights project before, some led-signs with 6-7m, some funny light logos etc, with no problems.

So to the questions/problems;

Is it good enough to use WS2812 12v strips to this? with those lengths ? its maximum 6m on the left side, and on the other side it is 2 + 5m, with cable between. See the plan attached, have i done something stupid? should cable be thicker ? other things ? About the plan, i have written wrong cable type, its actually 3 x 0,75mm2, se the cable type attached.

I didn’t read me up good enough on what digital ledstrips actualy requires, first after when i see the problem, i was starting looking closer on it, at internett. i think i already have done something wrong

i have problems now, when running it with esp32 and wled, flickering leds, and unstable ledstrips, one of the strips goes totally crazy… Will a new controller solve some of the problems , the controller mentioned above?

The led-strips are glued in led alu profiles, the profiles are screwed to the roof. should the alu profiles be grounded/connected to the minus, to that help with the noise etc?

Thanks for all help and advice to this project ! :smiley: i need it to be up and running as soon as possible, the owner of the club has been waiting for a long time…

2

You didn’t link the power supply, what’s the ratings on it?
3x1.5 would have been better than 3x0.75 indeed. What’s the length of the cable between the 4m and 2m strips?

Likely you will need other power supplies to inject power at both ends. Measuring the voltage at the end of the strips would help validate.

3

roof plan
roof plan1644×970 201 KB

its on the drawing above how its done now. i feed it with 4 pieces 12v 400w and one 300w for the smallest strip

Strip 1 = 300w
strip 2+3 = 400w
strip 4+5 = 400w
strip 6+7 = 400w
strip 8+9 = 400w

i have connected ground/minus together within all the drivers, so they all have same potential

4

5m is pushing max for data, did you use level shifters on your ESP32

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5

ok so you think that would help, thanks learned something new today :slight_smile: maybe i didn’t read the article good enough, but where in the circuit should the shifter be ? at/with the controller box? the point with level shifter, is that it kind of boosting the data signal? is the cable good enough, or should the data line be separate when so many strips etc? Thank for all help everyone :slight_smile:

6

Level shifter lives right beside controller.

Data line may also benefit from a resistor in line beside controller watch the video.

Try feeding the strips form a controller plugged right in beside them.
Seperate wether its a power or data issue,

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