MR16 Wiring

[claytor1999]

In one of the first posts on the MR16 board RJ talks about connecting the LEDs using common ground.

"How about one +12 and 3 grounds? since the MR16 board switchs ground it would be better.    But yes it would work fine. I am going to do the same but my cannons will have 3 of each color on them and the same colors will hook together at the canon and feed 4 conductor. The four conductor can run a lot of mr16's on it.

Then back at the controller the first canons red will hook to channel #1 neg terminal, green channel #2 neg terminal, blue channel #3 neg terminal. Then cannon #2 will hook  reds to ch #4 , etc, etc,

but since the pcb has spade terminals I am just going to put them on the end that hooks to the controller and so I want use the plug.

Just thought I would let you in on what I have in mind for it.

RJ"

Is the diagram below correct?

Thanks,
Robb

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[kylec]

Are you trying to control each MR16 individually?

Kyle

[claytor1999]

More than anything I'm just trying to understand the best way to hookup multiple lights on any channel. The picture just represents what I think RJ is saying in the text I quoted. It could be any amount (other than one MR16 per channel).

RJ has already answered the question above... I'm just trying to get it through my rather thick skull.

Thanks,
Robb

[RJ]

This is correct if you want to control all the red for example as one item. So every red would be what channel 1 is set to.

If you want to make light cannons you would remove two of each color. Then repeat what you would have on the next 3 channels to give you seperate control of each light cannon and each color on it.

RJ

[claytor1999]

Thanks RJ - sorry to make you answer the same question twice. Appreciate your patience.

Robb

[ThaiWay]

I'm looking at Robb's diagram though, and thinking it is not necessary to run a separate "+" wire to each MR16 in the cannon, right?  i.e. only one "+" is needed for all the reds which would be controlled by channel one (with a resistor at each MR16 bulb?)

In other words if a cannon has three colors (regardless of the number of MR16's on each color) and you're using 4-conductor cable, you would use a common "+" wire for all the MR16's in the cannon, and a discreet "-" wire for each group of MR16's of the same color that you want to control as a set (provided your cable supports the current required.)

Unless of course you want to control EACH MR16 in the cannon individually, which is why kylec asked that question Robb...

Correct me if made any misstatement here, as I need to understand too.

John

[Ron]

In other words if a cannon has three colors (regardless of the number of MR16's on each color) and you're using 4-conductor cable, you would use a common "+" wire for all the MR16's in the cannon, and a discreet "-" wire for each group of MR16's of the same color that you want to control as a set (provided your cable supports the current required.)

Right, assuming you want to control all the same color in each canon with one channel.  That would give you a light canon with 3 colors, however many lights you want, controlled from 3 channels.

Ron

[claytor1999]

Sorry for the confusion guys. I'm trying to build my first MR16 and thinking ahead to the wiring. Since I didn't have a specific layout in mind I just went with RJ's example to get my head around the circuitry. I understood how he wanted to control the lights but didn't understand the wiring that went with it. I figured if I could understand his example I could figure out my own configuration when I created it. Sorry if it sounded like I wasn't directly answering Kyle's question... I didn't phrase my response properly.

What I think I'll end up doing is physically grouping 3 MR16s together of different colors (RGB) which would constitute 1 canon. I would then have several of these groupings (multiple canons) but would wire the reds together, greens together, and blues together. So no matter which cannon the red MR16 is in it's being controlled with the other red MR16s. I updated the diagram but it will make you cross-eyed.   

Once again - thanks for all your help,
Robb


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[ThaiWay]

...and while you're at it, why not daisy chain the "-" from the first of each color to the next just like you daisy chain the "+" ?

Yes, I'm cross-eyed now 

John

[RJ]

This is fine but you will not have seperate control of the canons. This is the reason there are 16 channels on the controller.  Do as you have in the last drawing but leave only the first cannon hooked up to the first three channels. Move the second cannon to the channnels #4 ,5 & 6.   Move cannon #3 to channels 7,8 & 9.  Now you can make the cannons different colors and brightness. This is the idea. You can have the cannons all hooked to the same channel but that is very limiting to be only able to light every thing or nothing or only be green or red or blue all or none.

And to make it clearer the (+ or pos) ouputs on the controller are all just hooked together on one big trace. The (- or NEG) outputs are the ones that are controlled seperately as channels.

RJ

[kylec]

Here's a picture of how mine were wired up.  This controller ran four 4 channel light cannons.  Each MR16 has it's own - wire hooked up to an individual channel on the controller.  Each light cannon has a single + wire running to it, and then the + daisy chains to all 4 MR16s on that cannon.  One of the light cannons that was hooked up to this controller  was actually a double size one (8 MR16s all individually controlled).  That is why you only see 3 + wires hooked up.  The 8 channel cannon shared 1 common + connection.

Hope this helps,

Kyle   

[ThaiWay]

Now we're talking!

Well said gents

John

[claytor1999]

Thanks guys - great information!

Robb

[Sloanhaus]

Here's a picture of how mine were wired up.  This controller ran four 4 channel light cannons.  Each MR16 has it's own - wire hooked up to an individual channel on the controller.  Each light cannon has a single + wire running to it, and then the + daisy chains to all 4 MR16s on that cannon.  One of the light cannons that was hooked up to this controller  was actually a double size one (8 MR16s all individually controlled).  That is why you only see 3 + wires hooked up.  The 8 channel cannon shared 1 common + connection.

Hope this helps,

Kyle   

Hey, where do I get those clips at for the MR16?

[wbuehler]

Wirekat has the sockets on his web site.
Click the MR16 sales link in his profile.

Bill