Review of Technicolor Strings

[txag2008]

Just got my technicolor lights in but will be waiting on my etherdongle coop to hopefully show up next week.  Just to see them lit up, could I hook up 12v+ & ground from a female 3 conductor pigtail and plug into the technicolor string?  Will the string light up with just power/ground connected and no data?

[jnealand]

I have tested short strings using a nine volt battery and the test firmware.

[Steve Gase]

Just got my technicolor lights in but will be waiting on my etherdongle coop to hopefully show up next week.  Just to see them lit up, could I hook up 12v+ & ground from a female 3 conductor pigtail and plug into the technicolor string?  Will the string light up with just power/ground connected and no data?

dumb strings just need power.
 
BUT smart strings require a controller.  if you have power and a SSC with test firmware, you can get the Technicolor strings (or other smart pixels, flex, etc.) to light up.

[txag2008]

Just got my technicolor lights in but will be waiting on my etherdongle coop to hopefully show up next week.  Just to see them lit up, could I hook up 12v+ & ground from a female 3 conductor pigtail and plug into the technicolor string?  Will the string light up with just power/ground connected and no data?

dumb strings just need power.
 
BUT smart strings require a controller.  if you have power and a SSC with test firmware, you can get the Technicolor strings (or other smart pixels, flex, etc.) to light up.

Thanks.  I have the SSC V4s which don't appear to have test firmware out.  Guess I'll have to wait until my etherdongle comes in....

[arw01]

But then, if something else is not working, you really don't know what's good and what's not!  I bought a pixelnet usb dongle just to move along and be able to test some stuff since there was no test firmware.

[bassmants]

How are you guys addressing the connectors being different pin layouts?  I have all of my SSC V3's and V4's pre-done per the Wiki and it seems these strings are layed out differently.  Would the simplest way be to redo the 3 pin connector from the SSC to match the string?  Do the connectors even fit together?  Thanks.

[Steve Gase]

the connectors are the same size and fit together... ray's pigtails and the technicolor.





I have made adapters to convert the old to the new pinout... that allows the SSC to work with the old or new strings (when the new have the adapter).


if you use the zeus board, its easy to just connect long pigtails directly to the board and readjust to the technicolor scheme.


You might choose to rewire your SSCs and old strings to use the new scheme.


I think your choice should be based on how much you already have built and your tolerance to change it.


I have gotten to using colored wire tires around the connectors to remind me which scheme is being uses...  pink for power-only to the dumb string controllers...  red for the old smart string...  blue for the new smart string...  green for RGB coming to dumb strings.

[bassmants]

Thanks for posting the pictures on the first page.  It will be a great help. 

[bassmants]

One more thing, maybe a stupid question.  Can these be cut/customizable just like the wiki nodes?

[Steve Gase]

yep, they can be cut between nodes.


its not a dumb question... there are some strips that can be cut only at certain places because the chip drives multiple LEDs.  In the case of strips, look at the "cut here" or scissors mark for where the cut is allowed.

[bassmants]

Just looked closer...Looks like the 12v and data are switched.  Ground looks to be the same.

[bassmants]

OK, so I decided to cut off the connector and put the white one to go along with the ssc's I've already done.  Something must be off, because it popped the little green fuse on the hub.  Looking at the lights, the 12v should be on the side with the arrow, data middle and ground on the opposite side of the arrow.  That is what is pictured on pg 1.  Am I reading that right?  I am leary now and don't want to damage anything.  As of now I have, with the lights laying flat pointed away from me, arrow on the left side, left wire attached to yellow/green(12v), middle to brown(data) and right to blue(ground). 

[CW]

My notes for the Technicolor are the wire closest to the arrow is negative, center is data, and farthest from the arrow is 12+.
This is opposite page one picture with the arrow on the pixels.  The picture with the connectors and added labels looks correct.
I went with Ray's picture on the product page when I tested a while back: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

I initially tested with Rays TH2010x controller and then SSC V4 and they worked well.

Craig

[bassmants]

Ok, I bit the bullet and switched the 12v and ground and they work.  Contradictory to the pics on page 1, the 12v is opposite the arrow, data middle and ground on the side of the arrow. 

[Steve Gase]

Ok, I bit the bullet and switched the 12v and ground and they work.  Contradictory to the pics on page 1, the 12v is opposite the arrow, data middle and ground on the side of the arrow.

Are you talking about the picture with labels on the wires being wrong, or the picture with the labels on the pins being wrong?

I've retested the pins, and I'm 100% that this picture is right.

The wires -- I haven't tested that, I took the info from another diagram.

I've updated the Wiki page with a list of the pigtail colors used for the Technicolor scheme.  I've tested this as well.  Note the table below the pictures:  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login