Hi Everyone,
I am planning to install 12v WS2811 strips in my living+dining areas. Since this is a big install, I just wanted all of your inputs/suggestions for any flaws/improvements before I go for it. The setup connection plan and length of strip segments looks like in the 2 images.
I have 2 options, first with a single PSU and and the second to use 2 PSUs to avoid long power lines. I am really sorry if the diagram is too confusing. Please let me know.
The things which I am confused about are the following(Hoping that the connections are ok):
What gauge wires should I be using for the power lines and the data lines.
What size PSU should I be using so as not to overkill.
Which amongst the 2 options would be more preferable ?
Hard to be more accurate without more info as to section lengths and the max current for each LED (and/or sections).
Guessing that you’ve got some longer distances there (no scale on the drawings) so I’d suggest you want central power injection working outwards from the middle to make sure there’s enough for all sections.
Won’t be able to spec a power supply(s) until you specify how much current the LEDs take and/or what’s your usage expected to be like.
Is this room lighting or just accents?
Do you expect to use them at 100% brightness or some reduced value?
Note, you show the ESP32 connected directly to the 12V supply.
That will only work if you have a controller board specifically designed for that, many are not (what board are you thinking of?)
For calculating the apropriate power supply and wire gauge you need to specify wich WS2811 12v you are using. some draw 0.25W and some more. the ones from BTF lighting use 0.3W per led, that means you need roughly 500w for power. Again this is an estimate with the BTF lighting strips.
for the cables we need to know how long each cable will be.
Thanks for the response. Here are the details you asked for.
The LED package says 72W per 300 Leds. So I guess it is 0.02A per LED. I would want them to run at 100% brightness.
The length of the LED segments are mentioned in the image (count of LEDs in each segment) For example number of LEDs between point 4 and point 5 is 225.
As per the controller, I built a custom one with can take 12V input and I am using only data out from the controller. I dont intend to connect the power out from the controller.
0.02A equals 0.24W per led that makes it 403.2W in total. With 100% brightness in mind i would choose a supply a little higher than 400W.
The total lenght doesnt matter that much. the longest wire is the one you will be calculating. if you got the longest wire lenght you can use the power wire calculator from https://wled-calculator.github.io/ to calculate the wire thickness
There’s no such thing as “3.3V data” for addressable LEDs. They all use a 5V data line whether the LEDs have a 5,12, or 24V supply. That’s why some kind of a levelshifter to bring the ESP’s 3.3V output up to 5V is normally required for reliable operation.
The length of the data line is usually limited to around 3m or less although you may be able to go farther depending on your setup. The size of that data wire is not critical, 24AWG to 20AWG are suitable. I’d suggest running a pair, a separate ground line along with the data line. That ensures proper signal ground.
You still want to consider the actual length of each section (how many LEDs/m or how long is that 72W/300 LEDs?) as that will give you an idea of how many injection points you might need. Remember, the LED strip is a wire too. It will have an effective size and voltage drop. You compensate for that with your injection points.
They are 60 LEDs/m and yes 72W/300. After how many LEDs do I need an injection point ? I was planning to use 18AWG for the injection power lines and 22AWG for the data lines. But I was worried if 18AWG is too less for this big setup.
Roughly speaking, your probably looking at 1 injection point per strip over the lengths and # of LEDs you’ve shown. Do you have any of these LEDs yet? It’s much easier to measure the real world draw of a strip and see what distance you can get before drop in a strip becomes a problem.
As well, it would be good to know what you intend to use for your ESP32?
From what you’ve described, your 2nd diagram is closer to what you need.
I would update that diagram to include the length of each section and the total current for each section.
That way you can see what current you’re trying to supply and what distance it needs to go over your injection wires.
The other thing to include is the minimum distance from the power supply(s) to the first injection point and the distance between sections that are linked together.
Lastly, you’ll need to consider the distances of your data runs. For eg. connection “7” in your diagram comes out to a distance of 7+m. That’s well into a long data run that will need some extra consideration. Checkout the KB: Long Data Lines
