How to Solder Waterproof Wiring to Pixel Strings (Video)

Worried about how to solder your waterproof extension cables to your pixel strings?  Worry no more, the following video shows how simple it is to solder on wiring to your pixels:

The following products were used in this video:

10ft, 3 core extension cable
12v, WS2811 Pixel String
1/8" Heat Shrink Tubing
3/8" Heat Shrink Tubing

Is a RGB Pixel Package A Good Choice for My RGB Project?

A very common question we get is - does HolidayCoro have a package or kit of RGB pixel items that can be used for RGB projects.  This blog post hopes to be able to provide you with sound advice about when a "package" or kit is a good choice and when it isn't a good choice for you and your project.  This article is a follow-up to our "Cheap Isn't Free When It Comes To RGB" blog post which talks about the pros and cons of DIY vs vendor developed solutions from a time and cost perspective.  First, let's start off with defining the project you plan to build - while there are many different types of projects that involve RGB and/or pixels - in this article we will use the two most popular uses of pixels today and the ones for which we receive the most questions about:

• Outline a House (soffit, fascia, roof line, windows, etc) with pixels (covered in this blog post)
• Building a pixel MegaTree

Outlining A House with Pixels

Each time we work with a customer on a house outline there are many common items/questions for all installations - length (linear feet) of area to cover, density of control (pixels per meter or inch), budget, controllers and the overall look the customer wants to achieve.  Let's start with these and look at the different options:

• Length of area to cover - There is never a single length for any house type because each house has different lengths and each customer wishes to outline different areas (windows or no windows, roof line or no roof line).  As such, any "package" deal would need to have the specific amount of lighting for that specific installation.  Additionally, other factors such as long run lengths that might need 12v lights instead of 5v lights can also factor into the decision based on the design of the house.
• Density of control - Some displays are viewed from hundreds of feet away, others are viewed from tens of feet - as such, the value of specific pixel density (30 LED/m vs., say 48 LED/m or 60 LED/m) changes from display to display.  Additionally, with different density comes different sequencing and bandwidth requirements, which, depending on the display, can be an important factor.
• Budget - Each person's budget is different and that factors into how they design their display.  Some customers will want nice moulded waterproof connections on lights, others are satisfied by basic, non-waterproof connections.
• Controllers - The number and type of controllers will vary depending on the physical layout of the house.  Sometimes it can be be cheaper and easier to install more controllers than less due to the amount of additional wiring that would be required to support just one controller.

As you can see, even with just this small subset of factors that go into the proper design of a house outline - there will never be the same "package" for each house because there are just too many variables involved.

For house outlines, you'll either need to use a guide like our, how-to blog post on the subject to design your own or use a design service offered by some vendors that look at your specific needs and then can recommend the exact right combination of hardware for your house.  Currently no other vendor other than HolidayCoro offers custom house outline services.  As HolidayCoro attempts to strike a balance as we are a low-margin hardware vendor we offer design services as an additional for fee service which can be found here:  http://www.holidaycoro.com/product-p/design1.htm

For a representation of the hardware in a common house outline, see:  http://www.holidaycoro.com/RGB-House-Outline-Packages-s/1967.htm 

Pixel MegaTree

A pixel MegaTree is a very common project for many displays.  A pixel MegaTree is pretty much just a large matrix of pixels, wrapped around a cone and is used to display effects.  There are a number of inputs into a MegaTree and they are:

• Height and Width of the MegaTree - Typically a "package" MegaTree will be set for a specific height because the diameter of the tree along with the spacing of the pixels in the package determine the final overall height.  If the size of the tree and the mounting method used to build that tree work well for you, a package may be a good choice.  If you have specific spacing requirements, such as the high density needed to display readable, scrolling text, the pixels included with a package may not be the best choice.  Additionally, if you have specific needs such as a smaller tree due to a small yard or close proximity to your audience, or, if your display is huge and you need something more in "scale" with your other display items, a packaged design likely isn't a good choice.
• Pixel Type - The type of pixel used on a MegaTree greatly affects the overall look and functionality of the MegaTree.  Choices can include nodes, strip or even bulbs.  Each physical type of pixel has a pro and con.
• Controller / Power - Since MegaTrees are typically full (360 degree) or half (180 degree) cones, it makes sense to have the power and controller centrally located in the trunk and thus most packages include a controller, power supply(s) and mounting box.

So, while a MegaTree does allow for some level of "standardization" to allow for it to be put into a package, make sure that package meets your pixel type and density requirements - if your specific needs, such as height, spacing or node type differ, you'll likely be better off with a custom solution instead of a package.

HolidayCoro offers common pixel tree formats of 50 pixels x 12 or 50 pixels by 16 in strips and nodes:  http://www.holidaycoro.com/RGB-Pixel-Mega-Tree-Packages-s/1964.htm

If your needs are more specific, HolidayCoro can also design a MegaTree based on your specific project requirements through our consulting service: http://www.holidaycoro.com/product-p/design2.htm

A Demonstration of the Effects of Power Draw on Long Lengths of RGB Lights

Todays blog post is about the effects that power draw has on RGB lights.  We've taked about it before in our blog post about how wiring affects power distribution and in our demonstration example house where we lined it with pixels and handled the issue of power consumption.

This video is pretty simple - it shows 160 pixels (480 DMX channels) connected to a single power supply and our HolidayCoro pixel controller.  It is intended to show the effects that the gauge of the power wire and the power consumption of the pixels themselves have on the actual light output.


(open in YouTube with High Def for better viewing)

Post any questions below.

Thanks,
David
HolidayCoro.com

Outlining Your House in RGB Lights - Detailed Instructions

Updated 25-Aug-2015 with Brilliant Bubs and Updated Spredsheet

In our prior blog article – Outlining Your House in RGB Lights – A Primer we covered the high level decisions that needed to be made when designing system for RGB lights on the fascia of a house.  This article, unlike the first, provides in-depth information on how to layout and spec such a design.  Not included in this article are the specific step-by-step instructions on how to wire controllers, wire power supplies, how to solder or any other physical setup – but don’t worry – that is actually the easy part, it is the design that most people find the more complicated part.  I should also mention, just as our blog article No Free Rides – Cheap Isn’t Free When It Comes to RGB – there isn't an “off the shelf” solution for doing this – each house, each display, each budget and each level of skill is different and the only person that knows all these requirements is yourself.  So, expect to spend some time doing research for a complete solution.

One last thing - if you have not already done so, be sure to start with our RGB Projects Primer post.  This post covers all the major steps you need to consider when designing a pixel based project.

Ok, so let’s get started.  We have selected the house of Nathanial R. to build this real-world sample project from.  This house (shown below) has many areas that need to be covered – 19 in all, so this house will serve as a good example of how a house with many complex roof lines can be handled.

 

Design – Always the first step

Often people try to determine which hardware will fit their house without first starting with a design.  The absolute best method is to always start with a design prior to purchasing anything.  Design can comprise many aspects but in essence it is – What do you what your display to look like?

Normally you would look at the entire house/display and determine all the elements that you wanted to add – mini-trees, megatrees, bush lights, candy canes, cutouts, garland, icicles, borders, etc. and then create separate “projects” to focus on each one.  In this case we are focusing on a sub-element of Nathanial’s display – to outline the fascia of his house with RGB pixel lights.  He has already determined that he likes this look but just isn't sure what is required and the issues involved in the project.

So, start this project by going outside and taking a photo of your house from the approximate location(s) that your viewing audience will view your display.  These photos will serve to allow you to sketch out your design and to also layout measurements, cable routing locations, controller locations and other relevant information.

 

Smart or Dumb?

This is the first major intersection on your project – you need to determine if you want to go the dumb RGB or Smart RGB route.  Here are some of the pros and cons of each for this project:

	RGB Smart/Intelligent/Pixel	RGB Dumb/Basic
Lighting Costs	Smart RGB modules and strip are about 10-30% more expensive than dumb of the same physical items (modules, nodes, strip).	Lights are about 10-30% cheaper than Smart.
Lighting Functionality	Smart RGB lights can be controlled either by individual lights or in small sections (usually less than 3” each).	Dumb RGB lights cannot be controlled individually – all lights attached to a controller will be the same color and intensity.
Controller Costs	Smart RGB controllers are about 50% to 100% more but generally you need fewer since pixels can be used with power injection.	Controllers are less expensive but you are likely to need more of them along with more power wiring.  Long runs are extremely complicated to perform with dumb RGB.
Controller Functionality	Smart pixel controllers are able to control each light or small section of lights individually.	Dumb controllers can only control a string of lights, not individual lights within the string.

Today, in 2015, it is hard to make a good case from going with dumb RGB for a house outline in all but  few cases.  Pixel solutions are easier setup than dumb and the cost differences are minimal when all other factors are included.  If you are going dumb RGB outline, you should know why it was selected over smart.

A few caveats on this – some people would design this using pixels and using either functions in their software or controller, would limit the control to sections or controller outputs.  Some pixel controllers have an option to control an entire length of pixels with just three DMX channels instead of each pixel with three individual DMX channels.  This allows simplicity in setup and sequencing at the trade-off control but still allows moving to a full pixel display later on down the road when you are ready to do so.

For simplicity and brevity, we will be focusing only on pixels in this case since this is the direction that Nathanial has decided to go - though you will find dumb or basic RGB have many similar design requirements (power, signal) but just slightly different hardware (controllers and lights) than pixels.

 

House Measurements

An absolute requirement for this project is to determine where you want your RGB lights to be located.  To do this you will first need to determine where you will be installing them and how you will be installing them.  We won’t delve into specific mounting methods as there are just too many options depending on your house constructions and overall look you are going for – such as under soffit “wall washing” instead of fascia mounted or directly viewable RGB lights.  (See our budget PVC pipe mounting method here and our high-end aluminium mounting strip here.)

So, get out your ladder, tape measure, thinking cap and determine the exact length of each section where you wish to place the RGB lights and record it on the photo of your house.  When you are done you should end up with a photo that looks something like this: 

You can see that he has measured each and every section of the fascia that he intends to mount the RGB lights to.

Why does it matter that you are accurate in the measurements you take?  The reason is that, depending on the RGB lights you intend to use, even just several inches of RGB pixel lights could result in 3 to 6 DMX channels and if you miss a few inches here, a few feet there, your final design could be off several dozen or hundreds of channels depending on the size of your display.  This is not to even mention the issues in properly calculating the power consumption.

 

Selecting RGB LED Types

The next step is to determine the actual type of RGB Pixel LEDs you will be using.  Which pixel type you select depends on a number of factors, such as the density of lights and control you want, the amount of cost you want to expend, the type of “look” you are going for and a number of other minor factors.  Let’s go through some of the areas you should be looking at when you select the type of RGB pixels you intend to use:

·         The “look” you want to achieve – There are a variety of different types of pixels on the market – nodes (with and without diffusers), strip and modules.  You need to determine the type of look you want – is it a more retro look like with C7/C9 diffused RGB nodes or do you like the close spacing in strip that offers a more “neon” appearance?

·         Costs – Each different type of RGB light has different costs.  Some of this cost can be a result of a better quality pixel, level of control it offers or density the RGB lights in the pixel.  Typically, strip lighting is always going to be the lowest cost method of getting RGB lighting onto a house outline.

·         Mounting – Each pixel type has a different method of mounting.  Some may be able to use existing mounts such as those based on C7/C9 devices (rare) or they may require a mounting substrate (PVC pipe, 1"x2", etc).  Think about how you will be mounting the type of RGB pixel you select and what effects it will have on the mounting method and the cost of that method.  Also keep in mind how complex it will be to mount and dis-mount the pixels – saving 50 cents per pixel won’t seem like a great deal if it takes you two times as long to mount them.

 

The Number Crunching

A this point you have now selected the types of lights you want to use and you have collected the lengths of each section on your house that the lights will cover.  The next step is to enter this data into our spreadsheet.  This spreadsheet (requires MS Excel 2007 or later) only requires you to enter each of the lengths (sections) within your project and select the type of light (strip, module, node) you wish to use and it will then output costs, number of RGB and DMX channels and power requirements.  This gets you part of the way toward your final design and it also allows you to play around with different lighting to determine channel counts and costs but it can’t completely design your display because there are just too many factors to take into account.  There are many small but important decisions that need to be made based on the specifics of your house and design.  Here are some of the issues:

·         Location (and type) of controller(s) – There are three basic options for pixel controllers – a centralized controller solution, a de-centralized controller solution and a mixed centralized/de-centralized controller solution.

o   Centralized – These controllers, such as the AlphaPix 4 and AlphaPix 16, are units that take an input of DMX data (over Ethernet using the E1.31 protocol) and output over 4 or 16 outputs (separate strings or DMX universes).  This means that you can hookup a single string of RGB pixels, ranging from 320 (AlphaPix 16) to 680 (AlphaPix 4) pixels per controller output.  There are some issues here though – there is usually a limit to the length of distance between the controller output and the start of your string of lights and these limits vary but are often (with most pixels HolidayCoro sells) around 15 to 20 ft.

o   De-Centralized – These controllers, such as the EasyPix allow you to take an input of DMX data (from a DMX dongle, such as the ActiDongle or from the RS485 output of our AlphaPix controllers (3 on the AlphaPix 16 or 1 on the AlphaPix 4) and output the data to a pixel string, usually up to 170 pixels per controller.

o   Mixed Centralized & De-Centralized – There maybe cases, most often with large houses or wide spaces, where it makes sense to use a mix of these two controller types.
o   Power Management – Just as important as getting a data signal to pixels is getting the proper amount of power to the pixels and there are a myriad of issues involved, such as:

o   Cable/wire gauge – This is a complex issue but it really boils down to ensuring that for the amount of power you will be using, that you have sufficient method to get it to where it is needed and this means using a wire gauge that meets that need.  We've talked about this in our “Technical Guide to RGB Wire Selection” article, so we suggest starting there.  Be aware that the wire gauge involved isn't just that leader cable from the power supply to the pixel but the actual gauge of the wire inside the pixels themselves.

o   Power consumption of each pixel (or group of lights that make-up a pixel) – The spreadsheet will help with this calculation but also be aware that there is a limit to the number of pixels that can be run in a continuous length due to power consumption by the pixels themselves.  Some pixels may only be able to be run continuously in lengths of 40, 50 (common in 5v pixel nodes), 100 or they may be able to take a single injection of power at the start and run for a full universe of 170 pixels (510 DMX channels).  For most of HolidayCoro's pixels, you'll find a information on power consumption and length limits before power injection is required.

This is why you see 12v pixels vs. 5v pixels.  A 5v pixel is closer to the actual voltage of the LED and IC chip using the power and thus is more efficient as where 12v has to be “dropped” down by use of a voltage regulator circuit (not as common) or dropping resistors which waste the power.  The trade off is that you generally can run 12v strings of pixels, given the same gauge wire, longer distances than you can 5v pixels without the need to re-inject power as often.  This is an entirely separate and complex discussion.  In general, you'll find it "easier" to work with 12v RGB lighting which is more forgiving than 5v lighting which requires more accurate planning and power management.

 

The Real World

Now that we've covered many of the basics, we are ready to turn our attention back to Nathanial’s house and start working through the design.  First, we input the data into the spreadsheet (version 2.1 / 25-Aug-2015) and select RGB pixel strip as the type of lighting we want to use (RGB Pixel Strip in this case):

This provides us with some important starting points:

·         The total number of DMX channels is 1,308 and since each DMX universe is 512 (actually 510 for pixels or 3 channels * 170 pixels), we end up with needing 3 universes.

·         We will need a total of 436 RGB sections and/or RGB channels

·         We will need about 324 watts of power

So, now let’s go back to the photo of the house and the location of each section of RGB strip he intends to use:

The first issue we need to address is that with some controllers (does not apply to HolidayCoro AlphaPix controllers) no one continuous length of strip can be more than 170 RGB pixels/channels (510 DMX channels - Red, Green, Blue channels * 170 pixels) in a typical controller.  As a result, we need to look at logical sections that might be a continuous length and determine if they are under 170 RGB channels or less.  If we look at the front section of the garage facing the street, we have a total of 26 linear feet of strip we need to place.  We can see that the spreadsheet has calculated that this is a total of 80 RGB channels – OK, good there, what about if we include the side of the garage over the garage doors at 34 feet.  We get 182 RGB channels – nope, can’t do that, its 12 RGB channels over the output of any single output (170) so our options are to either adjust the lengths and remove a section, or break it down into two sections.  We are going to go with two sections for the garage section – with 80 RGB channels for the front of the garage facing the street and 102 RGB channels for the section of the garage over the garage doors.

We’ll do the same for the top of the house with the sections that are 8.5’ + 8.5’ + 1’ + 9’ + 15’ + 11’ for a total of 53’ linear feet and a total of 160 RGB channels.  Then for the bottom section of the front of the house at 6.5’ + 6.5’ + 9’ + 9’ for a total of 31’ or 94 RGB channels.  So, to summarize, we have the following segments:

·         Garage Front:  80 RGB Channels & 240 DMX channels

·         Garage Entry:  102 RGB Channels & 306 DMX Channels

·         Front House Top:  160 RGB Channels & 480 DMX Channels

·         Front House Bottom:  94 RGB Channels & 282 DMX Channels

You can see these numbers match perfectly to the spreadsheet calculations of 436 RGB channels and 1,308 DMX channels.  Of course this assumes that your controller can handle a total of 170 RGB channels per “output” – adjust as necessary to meet the specific requirements of your pixel controller.

Power Distribution

This is where things can get a little tricky – while we will be selecting a controller that can output a total of 170 RGB channels, that doesn't mean that if we apply power to the start of the strip (in this case), that a sufficient amount of power will make it to the very end.  As power runs down the strip, most of the power is lost to the LEDs using the power and the remainder is lost to the resistance in the strip itself or the wire between modules.  So, we go back to the spreadsheet again and we look at the power consumption for a given grouping of sections.  We get:

·         Garage Front:  60 Watts

·         Garage Entry:  76 Watts

·         Front House Top:  119 Watts

·         Front House Bottom:  70 Watts

Here is where it gets a little grey – you can check with your lighting vendor and they may list voltage drop over a given length of RGB pixel – say, input of 12v, 11.5v at 50 pixels, 8.5v at 100 pixels and 6v at 150 pixels but that isn’t common, so more than likely you’ll need to measure this yourself.  How you do this is:

·         Hookup a section of RGB pixels, say 50 or 100 to your pixel controller

·         Using your sequencing application, the built in test function of your controller or a test tool like xLights, output a solid white to all the lights on the section you are testing.  I’d recommend leaving it on for 15 to 30 minutes to let it warm up, which will result in a slightly higher power drop.

·         Using a multi-meter/VOM, measure the voltage coming directly out of the controller to the lights – record this voltage

·         Again, using the mutli-meter/VOM, measure the voltage coming out the last pixel on the string – record this voltage

You should notice a drop in voltage at the end of the pixel section.  How much of a drop is bad?  Well that depends.  Usually less than 10-20% is ok, over that amount you could run into problems either with a dimming of the lights at the end of the string or in the worst case, if the voltage drops low enough, below that required by the IC chip to operate, your pixels will have “random” failures as the voltage fluctuate from high to below what is required for the IC to operate.  This is why running 12v pixels can sometimes be less fraught with issues than 5v pixels.  For example, look at these hypothetical voltage drop examples:

·         Input:  12v / Output:  7v | 5v total drop – A total drop of 41%

·         Input:  5v / Output: 3v | 2v total drop – A total drop of 40%

So, even though the 12v pixels dropped a higher voltage, it was still the same percentage of drop when compared to the 5V dropping to 3v.  Now this is where it gets a bit complicated.  Say that the power has dropped to 3v at the end of that hypothetical string of 5v pixels – normally a pixel chip requires around 5v of power to operate but some pixels actually can take lower levels of power and still maintain operation and a the same level of light output.  For example, WS2801 pixels can run on voltages from 3.3 to 5.5v DC (12v strings that use 2801 drop the power down by using resistors) and maintain a constant current to the LED (thus ensuring they are all the same brightness) but TM1804’s are constant voltage and the LEDs will dim over long runs without power injection.  There are also side issues such as power losses on 12v pixels but that maybe a mute issue for those in snowy areas that find value in a “heated” pixel.

We would always recommend testing your build before and after construction because nothing will be more frustrating than putting all this up only to learn that you’ll need to re-wire it because of power issues.

What do you do if the power drop is too great?  We’ll you’ll need to split the power about half-way down the line, and then using a higher gauge wire (14 AWG and up is always a good start) from the power supply up at the start of the string, carry the power down to the split – the data will pass right through (it is regenerated at each pixel).  This diagram shows and example of the power injection:

 

Controller Placement

We’ve already touched upon the three different types of controllers – centralized, de-centralized and a combination approach.  Now it comes down to the actual placement of those controllers.  There are three additional major items to consider here, other than the controllers themselves – where the DMX is coming from (and how much it costs), the overall cost of the controller(s) and distances from controller to the strings they are driving.

DMX Signal Source – There are two major methods of DMX signal generation:

·         Serial based DMX output dongles – these devices (such as the ActiDongle) connect to a PC via a USB port and appear usually a as “COM” port or similar interface.  Each dongle outputs 512 DMX channels to an RS-485 line (see our blog article on RS485.)  These are used with controllers that take a DMX over RS485 connection.

·         Ethernet based DMX output – some controllers (AlphaPix 4 and the AlphaPix 16) take a direct Ethernet connection into the controller and use the E1.31 protocol which is basically DMX running over TCP/IP (running over Ethernet.)  While somewhat more complicated to setup, E1.31 offers huge numbers of DMX universes in a single data cable.  This means that you could have as many as 16,320 DMX channels on a single CAT5 Ethernet cable to a single controller.

Controller Costs – In almost all cases, it is less expensive to hook up a E1.31 based controller to drive pixels (as low at $129 USD) vs an RS485 based dongle ($50) and a pixel controller ($40) - the difference being that the E1.31 controller could handle 2,720 pixels and the RS485 based controller could only handle 170 pixels. 

Here are some of the thought processes I go through when looking at this design:

·         If the controller supports forward or reverse addressing, I'm not limited to putting the controller on the left side with the strip going to the right (left right addressing is easier and more common.)  So when I look at the house I see at the front corner of the garage two different start/ends occur which could allow me to place one dual output controller there along with a power supply.  I also see the same thing above the front door where the top of the bottom sections of the house come to two points.  All HolidayCoro pixel controllers support forward and reverse addressing.

·         I know I’ll need four outputs since we have already determined that we need four separate sections of strip.  I also can tell that I need to keep the strip under about 30ft to avoid power problems so for the section on the top of the house (30 LED/10 ICs or Pixels per Meter) I’ll need to do power injection but for the other sections I should be ok for power injected at one end of the strip.  Again, you'll need to do your own testing here to determine maximum length.

·         I could place a single, centralized controller on the wall above the front door but I need to consider that it will have long lengths from the controller to the start of the strings (much more so for the string on the front of the garage) and while I could use ghost pixels to repeat the distance, I still would be using a large controller in an awkward spot and I would have a controller with a lot of extra outputs that I won’t use (in this design.)

·         I could use single or dual output controllers and place them at the corner of the garage and above the front door and that would remove my issues with distances but would still mean that I would have controllers in an awkward spot directly in the front of the house.

So, what was the final design decision?  A centralized controller.  This was selected for the following reasons:

·         Ghost/Phantom/Null pixels can be used to repeat the signal from the centralized location where the controller is located to the start of the string.  That resolves the issue with distance (within reason.)

·         The additional outputs of the controller (16 outputs total) can be used for other elements within the display.

·         In this design the power requirements (324 watts) match up well with a single 350 watt power supply.  This isn't to say that more power could be required - test, test, test!

·         This allows a E.131 connection without additional dongles – so one cable for all the channels required.

Here is a photo showing the final layout:

·         The green lines are power (12v DC in this case) using a minimum of 16 AWG wire

·         The purple lines are data (SPI) signals from the controller to the strip

·         The green circles are where power injection on the strip occurs

·         The blue square is the 350 watt power supplies (or supply)

·         The red square is 8 to 16 output pixel controller

·         The orange lines are the pixel strip

·         Black dots are estimates for locations of null/ghost pixels

Our overall hardware costs for this project are:

·         $175 for AlphaPix pixel controller

·         $325 for RGB pixel strip (30 LEDs/m) or $2.25 per foot / 144 ft

·         $40 for 12v, 350w power supply

·         $70 for misc wire (extensions and bare wire)

·         $30 for waterproofing enclosures and mounting hardware

·         $60 for mounting substrate and clips (estimate)

·         $70 misc additional costs (screws, connectors, etc)

·         $770 Total

So there you have it – while this is a very lengthy article for a blog posting, it doesn't encompass EVERY feature, function or possibility – this article should help you work out the major issues in completing a project of similar nature.  You will also notice that we have not even covered the software side of this project – setup of E1.31, configuration of the channels within a sequencing application or even issues involved with sequencing 1,308 channels which is a project unto itself.  We hope to tackle this issue in future blog articles, so stay tuned!

Please note that due to the number of requests we receive, HolidayCoro is unable to provide free design services due to the amount of time it requires to evaluate each individual solution.  We do however, offer consulting services if you should need them.

Thank you,
David
HolidayCoro.com

27-Mar-2016
Here is a follow up video that shows a design process using RGB nodes:

The Good, Bad and the Future: Pixel Nodes



Channel Letter Sign with 8mm Pixel Nodes

8mm Tri-Color RGB Node with 12mm Case

First, a little background on the 8mm, tri-color LED node.  For anyone that has been to Asia (mainly China), you'll notice that they have many signs produced that use these nodes.  These signs are what we would, in the US, call Channel Letter signs.  In the US, we normally have channel letter sign that has an acrylic face with sheet metal sides and back that form a box, which is then illuminated with either neon (older) or LED modules (newer).  This channel letter design in the US produces a smooth clean, single color letter. 

While China also has the same type of channel letter signs, they also have the same sign but instead of an acrylic face they again use sheet metal for the face.  In that sheet metal they then punch ~12mm holes.  In these holes they install either dumb or intelligent RGB nodes.  This creates a sign that can be addressed either as a matrix (intelligent pixels) or just as a single color (dumb).  This type of sign design is nearly non-existent in the US currently.  So, why does this matter?  Well, this explains first why the physical case of nodes are generally 12mm in diameter.  It also explains why the little "fingers" that are on the side of the nodes are only about 1/16 of an inch between the top and bottom - they are design to fit into thin gauge sheet metal and pretty much nothing else. 

Here is the problem - they often are not exactly the same diameter, either from a single vendor, even within a single string or very often from vendor to vendor.  So you might have nodes with diameters of .40", .42", .44", .46" and so on.  So, if you want to make, say, a scrolling matrix panel (see sample panel video we've produced for a customer to the right) with pixel nodes. 

What we found is that when we produced these panels from ABS plastic, a hard, stiff plastic sheet, they would hold perfectly but only if you cut the hole with .01-.02" of the actual diameter of the node.  Any more and the node would either fall out or would be wonky and not point straight out.  Any less and it was impossible to get the node in at all - in fact many people had to use lubricant just to get some of the nodes in a string into the holes (which were all exactly the same diameter).  So, it was clear that if we wanted to sell a product that would hold and mount RGB nodes from any vendor, that we would need a different method of mounting them. 

At first this seems simple - just find some plastic that can hold them, right?  Well, it turns out that isn't the case.  In holding pixel nodes, you have a number of factors to consider:

• They need to be held tightly so as not to point different directions, causing different levels of light output.
• The material needs to be able to "adjust" to slightly different sized nodes from different vendors.
• The material needs to stand up to UV and a wide range of temperatures (-20 to 130f).
• The material needs to be at a cost point that the final product is reasonably priced.
• The material needs to be strong enough to handle 5-15 pounds of nodes.
• The material needs to be strong enough when mounted to a frame or other material to resist tearing, sagging, stretching or failing in high wind loads.
• And finally the material needs to be easy to machine on our CNC equipment.

It's a tall order and that's why we've yet to offer a "standard", non-custom mounting frame.  So, starting in February, we spent countless hours researching the tens of thousands of materials out there that could be a possible match for the magical material so we can bring products based on nodes to you.  As of March 8th, 2013, we have narrowed the field down to two companies that make very specialized plastics that meet our needs and we are working with them to produce and test the plastics that we hope will solve this problem.  We hope to have material in the April/May time frame after testing is completed and products shortly there after.

  

So, what do we plan to produce with this magical plastic?  Well that's a good question.  We know that lots of you out there want a method of creating a simple scrolling matrix screen like what is shown in the video above, so that's a pretty much no-brainier - we'll offer complete kits to build exactly that. 

We also plan to offer a mini-tree that also holds the nodes and is curved like a circular tree with the nodes "studded" through out - this would be offered as a dumb and smart mini-tree kit.

As is often the case, once we have a starter product, often customers are the source of some of the best ideas out there that we could never imagine.  So, if you have ideas for a product that incorporates RGB nodes, smart or dumb, feel free to email us or leave feedback below on the blog.

29-Mar-2013 - Update:  We have released the matrix panel here:  http://www.holidaycoro.com/Pixel-Matrix-Mounting-p/265.htm
 

Thanks,

David

HolidayCoro.com