Triggering SK6812 Led strips

[Ajax]

Goodmorning!

OK not sure were to start. All questions relate to using the SK6812 LED strips: https://www.btf-lighting.com/collections/pixels-led-strip-1/products/1-sk6812-rgbw-4-in-1-pixels-individual-addressable-led-strip-dc5v?variant=25757793452132

Questions #1:

I would like to create something similar to the stair lights that I saw here: https://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Stair-Lighting/ This is basically a stand alone system, but I would still like to control on/off with Isy/Insteon. What would the best way be?  I would guess a on/off outlet 2663-222, or is there another way you would suggest? From my search I did not see anything on Arduino integration

Question #2:

I will use the same strips for under cabinet and toe kick lightning. What would you suggest I use for control that would allow On/Off, color changing and integration with ISY/Insteon, I am planning on adding Polisy. Would something like this work? https://www.amazon.com/RGBZONE-DC5-24V-Controller-SK6812-RGBW-Android/dp/B075SXXXFY/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2JJWZM9X2FEPX&dchild=1&keywords=sk6812+controller&qid=1598363631&sprefix=sk6812+con%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-4

 

[larryllix]

Turning off the power to these types of devices does not usually work. The control unit will come back on with full On, the last known setting, or not at all. Then it will take 20-60 seconds to reconnect to your router and reset it's circuitry.

Likely you will have to get a packet sniffer and hack the bits coming out of the app, unless somebody has already done it for you or they publish a local API for the interface. With an Ardiuno i/f you may have a pretty good chance of access methods.

Those lights are pretty cool but any automated lights on staircases is a bad idea. If an off animation like that happened while somebody is walking down the stairs they would likely fall down the stairs. Even just plain old fashioned lights out can cause falls. People's brains react badly to simultaneous physical co-ordination and visual stimulation. Ask anybody that has experienced VR headset simulations.

Edited August 25, 2020 by larryllix

[Ajax]

@larryllix shoot ok I did not think of the delay to reconnect etc. Is there a way to incorporate the SP108E LED controller with a polisy node?

[larryllix]

6 hours ago, Ajax said:

@larryllix shoot ok I did not think of the delay to reconnect etc. Is there a way to incorporate the SP108E LED controller with a polisy node?

If my quick research is correct that controller is a Bluetooth protocol. I don;t think much will interface with that. You would need a BT access point within 12-15 feet of every strip, and software to interface with it. After 15 years of owning a BT AP I tossed it in the bin. BT is basically only for operating devices on your body.

Check out some of the old threads in the forums here. There is a lot of photos for LEDenet, and MagicHome, and MiLight,  RGBWW/CW controllers using WiFi. ISY and polisy support a lot of Ethernet devices.

[Ajax]

The version I am looking at is actually Wifi not bluetooth, although they do have bluetooth as well. I have read a fair bit of topics, the issue is most of those strips are standard 5050 strips these are individually addressable LED strips but I can keep looking maybe I missed something.

[larryllix]

21 minutes ago, Ajax said:

The version I am looking at is actually Wifi not bluetooth, although they do have bluetooth as well. I have read a fair bit of topics, the issue is most of those strips are standard 5050 strips these are individually addressable LED strips but I can keep looking maybe I missed something.

What would you address them with? ISY isn't capable of doing animation. ISY's fastest timer is Wait 1 second.

It could be done with an Ardiuno or RPi as in the link, I guess. Sending a signal to the LEDs would take a lot less controllers than one for each step strip.

BTW: I run my 5m long RGBW strips with a 12v 3 ampere PSU (36W) full brightness, no problem. The 5v 60A power supply (300W) in the article is ridiculous overkill. Even the wiring shown in the project link wouldn't handle that current.

[Ajax]

The controller I mentioned does most standard anamations/colors. I just need something that can turn on the controller signal. So basically the controller is plugged in and powered but not putting a signal out for color/animation. I was curious if I would be able to create a node that would use the native app for that controller to signal the strips to turn on. I can use the app to do everything, but my wife would much rather push a button and have the white channel come when she needs to. You know... happy wife.

Also according to the site I bought my strips they pull 18W per meter (60leds) at full brightness. x 17M just for the stairs gives you 306W @5v =61 Amps at full power. I will be injecting 5V every 2M. So my assumption is that each wire will be pulling a lot fewer amps. And that is at full power all 4 channels going, which will never really happen.

[Ajax]

Maybe a polyglot would be a possibility. 

will need to read up on it more. The polisy/nodes/polyglots are all new to me. 

[lilyoyo1]

9 hours ago, Ajax said:

I will be injecting 5V every 2M. So my assumption is that each wire will be pulling a lot fewer amps. And that is at full power all 4 channels going, which will never really happen.

I'd plan for the worse just in case. While your use case today is 1 thing, once set up, you may think of alot more that you may want to do with them over time.

Edited September 4, 2020 by lilyoyo1

[larryllix]

10 hours ago, Ajax said:

The controller I mentioned does most standard anamations/colors. I just need something that can turn on the controller signal. So basically the controller is plugged in and powered but not putting a signal out for color/animation. I was curious if I would be able to create a node that would use the native app for that controller to signal the strips to turn on. I can use the app to do everything, but my wife would much rather push a button and have the white channel come when she needs to. You know... happy wife.

Also according to the site I bought my strips they pull 18W per meter (60leds) at full brightness. x 17M just for the stairs gives you 306W @5v =61 Amps at full power. I will be injecting 5V every 2M. So my assumption is that each wire will be pulling a lot fewer amps. And that is at full power all 4 channels going, which will never really happen.

I think that power consumption is way overstated but to support that you will need to radial feed every strip or use #8 wire. Good luck with your branch splices connecting #8 AWG to say #16-#18 tap-offs
A combination of techniques may work better. Use four main runs of #14 (15A each) to feed each set of 3 steps. Soldered and shrink wrapped tap-offs may work better with those wire sizes.

To use the system in the thread you found above, you would need a controller box every step. If you have the space, it would cost a lot more, about $12-$15 per controller/step. I have python3 software that could drive those in sequences easily, and I receive ISY NRs to control the sequences/colours etc. If you know python3 you should be able to adapt it to your needs. I currently run it on my polisy box but came from a RPi where I did animations for a wedding tent once. I used 12 x 5m strings in a ceiling spokewheel configuration. It was fun. The controllers and PSU all sat on a common central hub wooden platform attached to the main tent pole by the ceiling.

Edited September 5, 2020 by larryllix

[ELA]

SK6812 Individually Addressable Leds seem like fun for the right application.

300 watts to light a stairway is awfully inefficient.  Pull up a chair and watch my stairs animation?

  Most of the LED strip lights are very inefficient.

I would not be so concerned about multiple parallel #18 awg or one #8 awg wire.  I would be about the fact that a lot of these LED strip lights are basically LEDs in parallel across power/distribution traces that are about the equivalent of a #26 awg conductor (5050 type string).

      The 18A per 5m string figure is based on no voltage drop across the string ... as in if each individual LED was fed directly by its own external supply.

if the overall number of LEDs (300)  is kept the same on a 5050 type string...

The shorter the length of each "stair" string the more overall current demand there will be (less voltage drop across the string conductors).    One 12V - 5050 5M string has about a 3 volt drop across the string conductors themselves. 

Looks like the SK6812 chip has a constant current source so the two types of strings may not compare very well in terms of current demand vs. length - as long as the voltage is still within their normal operating range.  It also looks like the SK6812 string may have wider track widths than the 5050 type for less voltage drop ( since they are only 5V).

Edited September 6, 2020 by ELA

[Ajax]

On 9/6/2020 at 4:34 PM, ELA said:

SK6812 Individually Addressable Leds seem like fun for the right application.

300 watts to light a stairway is awfully inefficient.  Pull up a chair and watch my stairs animation?

  Most of the LED strip lights are very inefficient.

I would not be so concerned about multiple parallel #18 awg or one #8 awg wire.  I would be about the fact that a lot of these LED strip lights are basically LEDs in parallel across power/distribution traces that are about the equivalent of a #26 awg conductor (5050 type string).

      The 18A per 5m string figure is based on no voltage drop across the string ... as in if each individual LED was fed directly by its own external supply.

if the overall number of LEDs (300)  is kept the same on a 5050 type string...

The shorter the length of each "stair" string the more overall current demand there will be (less voltage drop across the string conductors).    One 12V - 5050 5M string has about a 3 volt drop across the string conductors themselves. 

Looks like the SK6812 chip has a constant current source so the two types of strings may not compare very well in terms of current demand vs. length - as long as the voltage is still within their normal operating range.  It also looks like the SK6812 string may have wider track widths than the 5050 type for less voltage drop ( since they are only 5V).

Yeah the 300W is at full brightness for all 4 channels. I dont think that will hardly happen and if it does it would be for a split second. I only chose the Sk6812 strip so that I have options. Currrently I dont have big plans for it but figured just as well install something that can be useful or more fun to play with  

[ELA]

Hi Ajax,

Thank you for introducing me to the Sk6812 Individually addressable LEDs.  I am going to investigate a  panel of these LEDs for another project.   Good luck on your toe kick project.

[danbutter]

You should look into WLED...

https://github.com/Aircoookie/WLED

This has an API and can do lots of neat stuff with these addressable LED lights.

Don't know how to do that stair animation, but lights on and off or with effects using a $2 ESP8266 is pretty cool.

[Ajax]

14 hours ago, danbutter said:

You should look into WLED...

https://github.com/Aircoookie/WLED

This has an API and can do lots of neat stuff with these addressable LED lights.

Don't know how to do that stair animation, but lights on and off or with effects using a $2 ESP8266 is pretty cool.

Will check it out, thanks. The stair animation program I already have that is an arduino sketch running on an arduino Uno. But yes for the toekick LED's this would work great

Edited September 10, 2020 by Ajax