Connecting an RGB LED strip: circuits with and without a controller

Modern technical innovations open up new possibilities for designing interesting design solutions in your own home, in stores, on enterprises, etc. A new milestone in the strengthening of contour lines is the LED strip, which is installed to illuminate the ceiling, signage, furniture and other elements. Compared with the classic white LED strip, the installation of multi-colored, for many residents, seems a relatively complicated process. Therefore, now we will analyze the features of connecting an RGB tape and selecting components for its full-fledged work.

Required Items

The abbreviation RGB, means the three primary colors of the glow of the diodes used to obtain gamma:

• R - means red (in the English version red);
• G - means green (in the English version green);
• B - means blue (in the English version blue).

For each color, a crystal is responsible, for the power supply of which its own path is supplied, because of this, 4 or 5 wires are used to power multi-color RGB tapes.

Therefore, the full power supply of the light source requires the installation of additional equipment that converts the parameters of the electric current and voltage from the network.

RGB controller

This unit is designed to separate the electrical signal into three or four colors. The number of controller pins is selected depending on the parameters of the tape. RGB controller allows you to control the color or hue of the glow. According to the control method, they are divided into wired and wireless. The latter option is the most convenient and popular, it can be controlled by:

• Wifi - are controlled both from a standard remote control, and with the help of a mobile application, which is tied to the controller through the gadget;
• Infrared input - the controller in such devices should be located in the field of view so that the beam from the console can be directed in its direction;
• Radio channel - controlled by radio signal, in this case, you can switch the LED device from anywhere in the house.

When connecting to the control unit, it is important to observe the color coding for the findings:

Power Supply

Due to the fact that multi-color diode tapes do not use standard power from the mains, but a lower voltage level, you will need install power supply. For power supply of RGB tapes, a voltage of 12 V is used, and in some situations a nominal value of 24 V can be used. Depending on the type of tape selected, the output voltage of the unit is also selected.

The second determining parameter for the PSU is the rated power, which is also determined in accordance with the power of the RGB LED strip. As a rule, power is indicated per meter. For example, you have a tape power of 15 W / m, respectively, to power a strip with a length of 5 m, you need 15 × 5 = 75 watts. In addition, it is necessary to make a power reserve of 20 - 30%, that is (75 × 30) / 100 = 22.5 W, so the resulting the power should be at least 75 + 22.5 = 97.5 W, you can take a model for 100 W, and in the absence of one at 120 Tue

In addition, PSUs for RGB tapes differ in the degree of protection from external factors. For bedrooms, halls, hallways will be sufficient degree of resistance to moisture and dust IP20. For rooms with high humidity, for example, bathtubs, kitchens, laundries, it is necessary to use models with a degree of IP67 or IP69. When connecting, be sure to follow the terminal connection procedure

RGB tape

This is a flexible design with LED modules located on it. Each of the modules of the RGB tape in the standard version contains three crystals (one for blue, red and green color). To power such a strip, four outputs are used, of which three are used to supply a color signal, and the fourth is a common plus. The disadvantage of such tapes is the lack of a pure white glow of LEDs, as the result of combining the three primary colors is significantly different from the classic monochrome models.

But, everyone who wants to get a pure white glow comes to the aid of LED RGB-tapes with four crystals in each block. They received the marking RGB W, as the fourth crystal gives a pure white color. Due to the presence of an additional crystal, power is supplied through a five-wire system. Accordingly, five-pin controllers are used to power such RGB tapes.

It should be noted that when choosing RGB stripes, it is preferable to use models assembled from newer SMD 5050 LEDs, as they able to change the color of the crystal, in contrast to the older versions SMD 2835 and SMD 3528, in which each crystal shone with one color.

Amplifier

The RGB amplifier is used to power strips longer than 5m, where due to loss of power and voltage drop, the brightness of the glow will significantly decrease. The standard length of one coil may not be enough to highlight the perimeter you need, so you will have to use several coils or add a piece of tape. The signal amplifier is designed to increase the supply voltage and give an additional power limit.

The amplifier is selected according to the power of the section exceeding 5 m of the total length. If the total length contains several sections of 5m, then after the first, each of them requires its own amplifier. With sufficient power PSU, the amplifier can be powered from the same unit as the first section of the tape. If not enough, then each amplifier must be connected to a separate unit.

If the space for placing the amplifier is limited (a niche in the box, junction box, etc.), you can use a micro amplifier. It is much smaller than standard devices, but allows you to perform the same functions.

Connection principle

To mount a working system with RGB tape, you must perform the following steps:

• Create a device layout - this will help to pre-calculate the required length of wires, the installation location of the blocks, etc.
• Glue the RGB tape - for this, a clean fat-free surface is used, and if necessary, an additional aluminum strip is installed for better heat removal;
• Connect RGB Ribbon Leadsobserving the color coding (R - red, G - green, B - blue) to the controller;

  

• Connect the controller to the power supply, to the terminal + 12V and - 12V;

  

• If necessary, connect an amplifier to the power supply unit, notice that the RGB LED strip is connected in series to the amplifier circuit;

  

• Connect the ready-made backlight circuit to a 220V network.

Wiring diagrams

Depending on the length of the RGB tape, different equipment is used and the order of its inclusion is changed. For a better understanding of the principle of constructing an electrical circuit, you can familiarize yourself with ready-made options for their implementation in your own projects.

With amplifier

It should be noted that the amplifier does not affect the brightness of the glow, so it makes no sense to use it for an RGB tape up to 5 m long. Installation of the amplifier is justified only in situations where the total length exceeds 5 m. Depending on power sections of the amplifier can be powered from the same power supply as the controller or from separate.

In this scheme, the power supplies are connected in parallel to the ribbons connected via the RGB amplifier.

Without amplifier

If there is a need to connect strips longer than 5 m, they can be powered without using an amplifier. But at the same time, it is necessary to install both a separate power supply unit and a controller for each section up to 5 m long.

Look at Figure 9, this circuit has a separate power supply for each RGB tape, which ensures autonomy for each of them. But the disadvantages of this scheme include the control of the color scheme and the operation of the backlight with a separate remote control for each section.

With controller

The simplest RGB ribbon power scheme is with one power supply and one controller.

Look at Figure 10 - this is the simplest option that allows you to connect an RGB tape with full functionality. Its only drawback is that you can only feed a strip up to 5 m.

Without controller

It should be noted that an RGB tape without a controller cannot fully function, since without this device it is impossible to switch colors. But, as a temporary option, for the period of replacing a failed controller, this connection scheme can be used.

Look at Figure 11, you need to connect the common wire from the tape to the positive terminal of the unit power supply, and solder colored wires together in parallel connection and connect to the negative terminal block. But the whole RGB strip will only burn in one color.

Frequent connection errors

Despite the simplicity of the above works, during the connection they often make mistakes that can negate all your efforts. Therefore, it is worth focusing on them:

• Connection is made in strict sequence - power supply - connector - RGB tape - (amplifier) ​​- RGB tape.
• When peeling off the film on budget models, factory solder contacts are often exposed, which, when mounted on a conductive surface, can burn from load currents;
• When combining several sections of the tape with each other, their connection should be done using special connectors or soldering, but by no means twisting;
• The cross section of the wires for the connection should be selected in accordance with the magnitude of the load, otherwise they may burn out;
• The power of the PSU can not be chosen end-to-end, it is imperative to provide a reserve;
• High-power LED strips must be installed with a heat sink device;
• Serial connection of more than 5m RGB tape should be done only through an amplifier or from a separate PSU and controller.

Help video