Microcontroller/Strip layout/control question

Questions
1

Hello. I have built two desks that will be side by side - I routed out tracks on the surface and underside of the desks. I have installed LEDs on the surface and underside of both desks - I’ve tested each individual LED strip and everything works really well but I have yet to try everything at once and had some questions about strip layout/microcontroller layout.

Materials:
LEDs: .amazon.com/dp/B088BPGMXB
Microcontroller: www.amazon.com/dp/B08246MCL5
Power supply: .amazon.com/dp/B06XK3X3PW
Microphone: .amazon.com/dp/B09G4RNT3G (I haven’t plugged these in yet or played around with them yet but plan to attach them later for sound reactive effects - not essential just a fun addon).

The LED strips are in 4 distinct strips:
Desk 1 top(surface): 128 LEDs
Desk 1 bottom (underside): 206 LEDs
Desk 2 top(surface): 110 LEDs
Desk 2 bottom(underside): 185 LEDs

I haven’t used the above power supply yet I was using a smaller supply for testing purposes.

The strips all start at a common spot in the middle of the two tables. I plan to wire all the +V lines together to a common +V wire using a WAGO connector and connect that to the power supply. I will do the same with the - wires to the power supply.

I was going to keep 4 unique data connections and 4 unique ground connections for connecting to 2 microcontrollers (the ESP32). I know the ESP32 can control up to 10 strips but I’m not worried about resource cost and using another controller and just thought it might be easier but I’m open to suggestions.

One controller for the top of the desks, another controller for the bottom strips of each desk. Essentially one of the desks is my desk - the other desk is for my girlfriend. I want to basically have different units of controllable sections and I’m not sure this is the best plan as most documentation/info I’m finding is for segmenting long strips not pairing discrete strips.

Essentially I want to be able to do the following things:
Control all 4 segments of lights at once.
Control the top of both desks.
Control the bottoms of both desks.
Control top and bottom of desk 1.
Control top and bottom of desk 2.
Control top and bottoms independently for each desk.
Basically I want my girlfriend and I to control our desks independently but also share lighting and effects if we wanted.

I was thinking of doing the attached imagine for my wiring of the LEDs (top1 and top 2 to one controller - bottom 1 and 2 to other controller).

image
image1920×767 98.2 KB

It might make more sense to wire all 4 strips to one controller or to wire one desk per controller instead of combining the tops and bottoms to separate controllers

I have not hooked up multiple strips to a controller (or used multiple controllers yet) to play around with the WLED software but I just wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations before I started since I am new to this.

Any feedback appreciated!
Thank you!

2

If you and your gf want to run different fx at the same time the easiest option would be one controller per desk.

It can be done with one controller, but you will have to select your segments and set it’s effect, deselect your segments and select her segments and set the effect and then save the preset.

Also with one controller per desk your could use a Wiz Remote and have easy access to 4 presets without even opening the software.

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3

Do I do the wiring that I wrote above? Basically 1 strand per GPIO pin? Should they use separate grounds as well or share the one ground pin?

Thank you for your response!

4

Ok I hooked up on of the desks to one controller and I have to say the controlling is pretty haphazard - at least how I’m doing it.

I have 185 LEDs set to GPIO 2 (the desk underside) and then I have 110 LEDs set to GPIO12 (the top). I have to manually go in to LED preferences and set the GPIO port and the number of LEDs every time before I can switch in between them.

Is there no way to set like a quick access/switching where you set the different strips (GPIOs) as segments or something else for quick swapping/preset setups?
When I try to set segments they get cleared as soon as I go into LED preferences and switch the GPIO and LED number.

I’m sure I’m just doing something wrong surely someone else has solved this? I guess I could just buy another controller and run each strand on a separate controller I don’t mind doing this but seems overkill…

5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzi5UIGnY2A - should answer if anyone has similar problems - thanks

6

For segments to be saved you have to save them in a preset and then call the preset. :slight_smile:
All DC grounds must be common.

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