max current through flex strip

[lboucher]

Hi all

Anyone know that max safe current to put through these flex strips?
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I need to lengthen a few by 5-10 fee and the would prefer not to power inject. Looking at similar ones on rays site I think I would be OK as long as I am under four amps.

Thoughts?

[tbone321]

It's not the safe max current on the strip that is the issue for us, it is the safe max current on the cat5 cable that we use which is 4A.  Because of this limitation, the rest of the system was designed around it.  The fuses on the hubs and the max count of 128 nodes that the SSC's will work with are based on this.  The big issue here is the max node count.  Regardless of how long you may want to extend the strip, the node count cannot exceed 128 and any nodes in the strip past that simply will not light.  You can get around this by using a separate strip with its own controller butted up to the first one.

[Steve Gase]

The WS2811 strips mentioned here have 3 leds for each pixel.  So, with 10 ICs per meter, and 5 meters there will only be 50 controllable pixels.  It will work with SSCs -- but may not be what you want.


If you are trying for 150 pixels, use the TM1809 strips and have Ray customize them to 5m lengths.... but then you exceed the 128 max pixel count allowed by Zeus and SSCs described by tbone321.


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back to the original question...  what about power?  the TM1809 strips use 7.2W/meter -- 5 meters is 36 watts.  12v will be 3 amps for the 5 meters.




the specs for the WS2811 use 5.76W/meter -- or 28.8 watts for the 5 meters  and 2.4 amps at 12V.


So... power looks good.

[lboucher]

Thanks all

I do understand the node count and the current limit of current limit of the smart string system.
My question was specific to the copper traces on the flexstring, which I am sure were developed without any consideration for SSC controllers. (Why would they be when ray (china) will sell their own controllers.

I was particularly wondering because the flexstrings come with different 3 pin connectors with a male on one end and a female on the other allowing one to connect multiple flexstrings, but it also has a female barrel plug for power injection, making me think you must inject if connecting flex strings.

In my application I only need to extend by about 10-20 nodes an I am not sure if he copper traces on the flex string are sized for about 3-4 amps. ( whatever 70 nodes of this type actually draws.

I have to imagine the trace on the flexstrings is less actual metal than the wire in an Ethernet cord, but maybe I am wrong.

[tbone321]

I would say that the traces on the flex strips are actually heavier than the wire in cat 5 cable since they are designed to carry current and cat5 for the most part isn't.  You may also want to take a closer look at that barrel connector.  Many of those type of strips are DMX addressable and if so, that connector is probably for that addressing rather than power injection.  Also as Steve said, that type of string has 3 nodes addressed as 1 so it only uses 1/3  the node count as the other strips which should easily give you the length that you need.  Just make sure that you don't exceed the 4A current limit or you could blow fuses on the hub which are a real PITA to replace.  The reason that we use 12V is to significantly reduce the need for power injection so I doubt that you will need to do that. 

[lboucher]

Sounds good, will give it a go.

I am absolutely fine with 3 LEDs per node. That's lesssequencing.
Will look again, but I am certain that barrel plug goes straight to the pos and negativ leads.

[jnealand]

My new TM1809 flexstrips also came with the new end connectors and the single round (barrel) connector which looks like a plain old power connector.  This is new this year as my strips from prior years did not have any of those connectors.

[Steve Gase]

My new TM1809 flexstrips also came with the new end connectors and the single round (barrel) connector which looks like a plain old power connector.  This is new this year as my strips from prior years did not have any of those connectors.

jim, can you attach close-ups of the connectors and connections? 


since power connectors are 2-wire, i'm curious how they convey current and data wires.


thx!

[lboucher]

So I'm not used to actually getting any documentation on this stuff from china but what do ya know. The bag they came in says not to operate more than five meters in a serisn circuit.....

Well I already spliced one. Let's see what I can get away with.

[lboucher]

FYI, here is what the barrel plug looks like.
Definitely connected to +12 and return.