garageCube

[tangent]

Hi
Im a long time Madmapper user when it comes to the Video aspect,
but venturing into the Madlight/DMX side of things.
I have a project at work coming up which we are looking at using MadLight and some LED strips.

Looking at addressable LED strips.
A friend recommended using the APA102 type or WS2812b

Trying to get my head around a few of the tech things
If I'm following this as tute my basis http://www.madmapper.com/controlling-le ... madmapper/
do I need any additional tech (like an audino or a pixel pusher) to control the individual addressable pixels/LEDs?

or is a unit like the Dimmer in the tute enough for the this?


Im looking at using 5m
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/5v-24-36 ... 55288.html
or something like
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/2715930 ... 107&chn=ps

with an Enttec ODE https://www.enttec.com/?main_menu=Products&pn=70305
a 5v power supply (with appropriate wattage)

Is the only other thing need a dimmer?

cheers,
Tom

[randymgn]

I'm currently using a Enttec USB PRO and outputting to a LT-DMX-2801 decoder to control some WS2801 addressable strips. I've also got a strand of WS2812b connected to a tiny PCB which is working well off my Enttec. I prefer the WS2801 leds though, as the WS2812b are 60led/m so by length they eat up more dmx channels for the same length of strip as WS2801.

[Xaver2k]

you will need a different controller and not the dimmer!!
i am using some meters of the WS2812b, about 1200LEDs
you can take a pc-to-dmx and a dmx-to-ws2812b or directly a pcArtnet-to-ws2812b controller (for example an arduino).
for the power supply take care to have enough Amps ^^

i don´t know anything about the APA102 but it should be something similar just another protocol.

@ randymgn
i´m using the 60leds/m, but there are also 30leds/m and 144leds/m available.

[moodgorning]

The APA102 are similar to the WS2801, as in they have a 4 wire connection, "Power, Clock, Data, Ground" The WS2812b only use 3 wires to connect, which makes them easier to use in some scenarios when you design your own hardware. The WS2812 also have a lower refresh rate, so if you move them or are going for Persistance of vison effects, you will see visible lightpoints instead of a continuous light line while the leds move through your field of view.

The APA102 are more expensive than the WS2812 and newer, so if you are a beginner with LEDS, I would suggest you stick to the WS2812b, since there is tons of examples and support for these out there on the internets. I haven't found anything close as much on the AP102 LEDs.

I am personally using the WS2812b for a project of mine, where I built my own controller based on an ESP8266 Wifi chip. I am driving a total of 2590 LEDs with 35 of these small modules using mad mapper and it's artnet support great fun.

I hope this helps

[mad-matt]

There is a feature in MM 2.1 to driver LEDs directly from MM through USB port (with a 20$ teensy). Check out the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er_PZZwlWdM
A tutorial and teensy (arduino compatible device) source code is linked in the video description
Cheers!