Help with Rectangle Nodes

[jeffcoast]

I got a set of the rectangle nodes and am trying to figure out what I am doing wrong. There is nothing to indicate which direction is the input side. I assume D0 and tried it, but no luck. Then tried D1. I also think in my testing I've fried my controller, since I took one off the house that works with the flexible strips I use to line my roof, and when I put it back out there the strip won't light up anymore. I am afraid to do anything else with them until I know what I might have done wrong. Also, the 3 wire connectors I have, do not seem to be wired to the same color standard that is on the wiki page for them. When I use my continuity check on my multimeter the data is on the top right side, Ground is top left and 12v is the bottom one. The wiki picture shows Data and Ground opposite that. It also doesn't help with the color change of the new 3-wire connector.

Here is a picture of the node.

[Steve Gase]

DO is data out
DI is data in

[MrChristmas2000]

Actually he is probably being confused because it actually is D1 and not DI. Guess its an oriental thing.

[jeffcoast]

If it did happen to be wired wrong and power got sent down the data line, what would need replaced on the controller? It is a v1, the PIC?

[MrChristmas2000]

If you switched the power and signal the probably nothing is broken. I'd just rewire it and try again.

If you hooked it to the output just rewire and try again.

[jeffcoast]

I tried again with another working controller to the D1 side and it didn't work, and when I plugged that controller back into where it goes on the house, that strip did not light up so seems like I fried another controller. So frustrating.

[tbone321]

I hope that you didn't connect it to the same rectangular node.  The problem there is that you really don't know what damage you may have caused to that node.  Do you have a volt meter?  If so, I would connect only the power leads to the node.  Then I would take a voltage reading from D1 to ground on the node.  There should be 0V there.  If you are seeing 12V, then your previous mis-wiring of the node has shorted it out and it is now injecting 12V into the data lead of your controller and it cannot handle that much voltage and you probably fried the PIC on both controllers.   

[jeffcoast]

Ok, finally had a chance to try it, hooked up a new node to one of the bad controllers, but left the data completely unhooked. I get 12 V between the + and - and 6V coming back through the Data. Is this what it should be?

[tbone321]

That is not exactly what I had in mind but we can work with it.  Where are you taking your data measurements from, the SSC or the node?  I assume that you are taking it from the D1 line of the node.  6V on the disconnected D1 line does not sound right but I would need to hook up one of mine to check to be sure and I will not have time to do that until later tonight or tomorrow.  Were these nodes connected together during the first controller hookups?  What I was suggesting was hooking up the old node leaving the D1 disconnected and see if it was returning 12V on the D1 line because that would fry any controller connected to it. 

[jeffcoast]

I hooked up the old node and it did have 12V on the D1. These nodes have been cut into single nodes that I am going to splice in longer wire to put inside of carved pumpkins. So the new node I tired had never been hooked up to power at all and it was 6V on the D1 with it not being connected to the SSC.

[t.jo13]

I will try to help a little if I can. First off if you are going to play a lot more with  rgb I would reccommmend the th2010 controller from ray ( I think that is the right number ) I will check that later for you. It was a common used item on here for some time and it comes in very handy. I use it to burn in new nodes and test after making mods to them . Now as far as the pigtails there are a few color combos. I pick one color as 12 + and one for data and   one for ground .use your color combo as your own standard for for your display and keep it uniform. So coming of the SSC  red to blue on pigtail would be + and then blue on pigtail to + on node ( example).  As  all ready stated D1 on the node you are using is the input side. If you have another SSC that you can test on your flex strips first do that to verify you have a working SSC. Then try to use a known working unit
And pick your color combo as stated above to try and get a couple  nodes working. Use a couple of new ones .See if that will help you

Joe

[jeffcoast]

I have been using the flexible strips for 3 years and haven't had any trouble with them, other than water getting into the cat5 connection. Decided to get some Rectangles to light up these pumpkins but they have stumped me.

[t.jo13]

I am taking you a little backwards to go forward :-)  find a SSC that works and test it with your flex strips then when you have a working one then we know that the issue is past that point. If everything is fine ( Flex strip lights after SSC ) then you know you are working with a good SSC. From there if the SSC you test works then wire the rectangle node as I stated above 12v to 12v  ect. From there if I recall you have change a setting in the SSC utility. Not by a computer right now but I think that is what I had to do not 100% sure as I used rectangle nodes a couple of years ago. Something in the utility that changes the type of node you are using

Joe

[tbone321]

As I thought, the node shorted out and killed those two controllers.  You can probably revive them by replacing their PIC's.  As for the other node with 6V, you could be seeing float voltage, especially with a digital volt meter.  You could put a 10K resistor between D1 and ground and measure the voltage again with D1 not connected to the controller.  If the voltage drops to zero or at least under 2V, then the node should be ok and you can proceed.  I will check with one of mine a little later today to see what it shows on the D1 connection. 

[tbone321]

I set up a string of rectangular nodes and measured for voltage on the D1 and to my surprise, there was some but not enough to affect the controller.  You can ground the D1 if you want to drain the voltage but 6V should not be enough to harm the controller.  I would hook it up to a functioning controller and see what happens but watch the wiring and ignore wire colors as they seem to be subject to change without notice.