Hardware > Lynx Smart String

What is a Lynx Smart String?

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RJ:
Some background on the Smart Sting, What it is and why I created it.

I have thought about using some RGB nodes for a while but something about the complexity and cost held me back. I also had other members say the same thing. I asked and a few said they were looking for a completely DIY solution that was simpler and cheaper to do. One person said I wish I could just use my Lynx DMX Dongle to run enough of them to be useful. I said you could and then the conversation went on and he said that after all his reading he was under the impression you needed Ethernet to run enough channels to be useful.

This is where Smart Strings comes from, I took that and went to the bench to create my simple approach to the problem.

Smart Strings uses a standard Lynx Dongle with updated firmware flashed in to send out 4096 channels of data. This data is sent to a simple ultra cheap 16 channel Hub (splitter + Injector) and I have different size hubs laid out, but for my tree this year I wanted 16. This $30 hub splits the data and lets you inject the power for the strings. Now the problem is the strings up till now have been 5 volts and I saw this as a problem. First it takes too much current to power very many nodes over cat5. Also the voltage drop requires short cables and injectors connected about ever 50 nodes. So instead of overcoming these short comings I instead designed my own version of RGB strings and had them manufactured to run on much higher voltage. This allows me to power up to 128 nodes (approximately a 40 ft string) of lights per string over the cat5 with the data. So Smart Strings can have anywhere from 1 to 128 lights on them.

The next part of the simple is that I built the Controller for the string into the string itself so you use them like regular strings. You pull them out but instead of plugging them into AC power you use standard Cat5 cables to plug them into the Hub.  That is all there is to them as the cat5 carries both your power and data.

The best part? The Smart String Controllers cost about $8 to build. The new string cost the same as the 5 Volt ones and most people have at least one Dongle already.  The whole project is cheap, and simple to assembly (the Smart String can be assembled in 15min and the Hub in 30). It uses all through hole parts.

Like most node type controllers it can be run as 3 channels per node (light) or 3 channels per string so you can use them either way and can run the channels either direction of the string.

The system has been designed to be upgradeable next year to over 16,000 channels allowing you to run larger shows on this same equipment with a new simple and cheap dongle.

Here is a demo video of the system.

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RJ  

i1uhrace:
Awesome! How soon till a Coop?

batdive:
Oh god I think I just spent next years budget... Shhhh dont tell the wife, or should I just tell her to watch the blinky as the bank account goes down.


Awesome RJ as usual    <res.



Are these addressable per pixal or sets of pixal or per strand (might of said it in the video, but my jaw was open in the ahhh condition and unable to think for most of the video).



-JS

D56VillageNut:
I'll second the "there goes the budget" comment.  

I've been procastinating on doing some of the RGB pixels because of the limitations you mentioned.  These are awesome and they sweep my issues right off the table.

Looking forward to seeing these come out.

Alan T

tbone321:
Man... I'm going to go broke with this stuff LOL!!!

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