A controller for an LED strip with a remote control is a popular element of a modern interior. Such illumination can highlight a certain area in a living room and create very interesting media facades. Due to their beauty, practicality and low price, such lighting devices quickly gained popularity, so many people have a question about how to install and configure them.
Content
- Understanding ribbons
- Installing LEDs in a niche
- RGB power supply
- Backlight controller
- Connecting to the network
Understanding ribbons
Tapes are often installed in a ceiling recess above a specific area in an apartment (for example, over a sleeping area or dining area). Many residents cannot say for sure what color they need, and over time, the same backlight can get bored. In such a situation, an RGB controller for an LED strip will help out, with which the backlight can be adjusted individually.
The name RGB itself stands for three words - Red, Green, Blue, that is, red, green and blue. It is difficult to choose one color from such a poor offer of color solutions, so many masters recommend installing controllers. Thanks to these devices, residents will be able to customize the colors to their liking, for example, yellow, orange, purple, as well as adjust their intensity.
Before purchasing LED strips, you need to understand a little about their classification. Usually there are two of them:
- SMD 3528;
- SMD 5050.
Both types of tapes differ in size and parameters: for the first, the dimensions of the sides are 3.5 mm by 2.8 mm, for the second - 5 mm by 5 mm, which is reflected in the names themselves. The abbreviation SMD (Surface Mounted Device) literally means “surface mounted device”.
Another important feature is the luminous flux power. In SMD 3528, it is lower, since in such a strip the LEDs are single-chip, while in SMD 5050 they are three-crystal. The second type will shine brighter, but it will consume 3 times more power.
An important parameter is the number of LEDs per 1 meter of tape, where they can be 30, 60, 120 or 240 pieces. The more LEDs, the brighter the backlight will shine. But tapes with a lot of small bulbs will cost more. Experts advise not to purchase too bright devices, since 60 diodes per 1 meter are enough to illuminate a niche in the ceiling. For decorating furniture, you can purchase the simplest tape with 30 diodes. These recommendations are optimal for any interior.
To install lighting in a ceiling niche, for example, you can take a tape of the SMD 5050 type, containing 60 diodes per 1 meter. It has the following characteristics:
- the color of the diodes is RGB, that is, multicolor;
- number of diodes - 60 pieces per 1 meter;
- power - 14 W / m;
- voltage - 24 V.
Also on the package will be presented the abbreviation IP with numbers adjacent to it. This characteristic indicates the degree of protection. For example, the box says IP33, which means the following:
- The first number 3 indicates the degree of protection against the ingress of foreign bodies and other contacts with the lighting fixture. On a scale of 0 to 5, it indicates protection against small particles up to 2.5 mm in size.
- The second number 3 indicates the degree of protection against water. The LEDs are protected against oblique splashing at an angle of up to 60 degrees.
The tape is wound on a reel (or spool), its standard length is 5 meters, so it is best purchase two coils, since it often takes from 5 to 8 meters to illuminate various niches, and sometimes more. The device is conventionally divided into several small sections, each of which has 6 LEDs. The segments are a completely independent lighting fixture that will light up when connected to the network.
LED strip is very plastic, so it can be fixed in niches of any complexity and shape, not to mention straight lines and transitions. On the back of the LEDs there is a sticky double-sided tape, which will make the colored design adhere firmly to any surface.
The tape can be shortened as needed. To do this, it always shows the place of the cut with a scissors icon and a line. Failure to comply with this rule will lead to the fact that when dividing in the wrong place, the working tracks will be damaged, which means that the LED strip will be damaged.
Installing LEDs in a niche
Colored LED lighting must be installed in the existing niche in the ceiling. The perimeter of the niche is 8 m, there is 10 m of tape in the skein, therefore, it will need to be shortened to the desired length strictly along the cut section.
It is best to fix a plastic electrical appliance not to a wall or a niche box, but to a cable channel previously purchased for this purpose. If the perimeter is greater than the length of the whole skein, then about 10 mm should be retreated from the edge of the glued tape and another one should be attached. It turns out that at the edges of each segment there should be wires hanging freely, four for each.
Since multicolor LEDs have been selected for illumination, the cuts are equipped with four wires, three of which (red, green and blue) indicate the colors, and the fourth (black) is the common terminal. The single color backlight has only two wires. If there are metal screws in the place where the LEDs will be located, then it is recommended to isolate them with electrical tape.
RGB power supply
In order to connect the LED backlight to the network, you must definitely purchase a power supply. It is strictly forbidden to connect RGB directly to a 220 V network, as this will lead to an instant burnout of the backlight. This unit must be purchased with a voltage corresponding to this indicator for LEDs, that is, 12 V or 24 V.
It is easier to connect a single-color tape, since it is connected directly to the unit itself. This is not the case with RGB as it requires a controller. It will act as a color adjuster. If you do not use it, then the function of changing colors will be lost. The controller, like the unit itself, must have an appropriate output voltage.
The power of the power supply must match the power of the LEDs. The manufacturer usually indicates this figure for 1 meter of tape, for example, 14 V. It is easy to calculate that there will be 112 V per 8 meters, which means that the unit should also have a capacity of 112 V. It is necessary that it has a current margin of about 20-30%.
A high-quality power supply unit must have a high stability of the output voltage, have built-in EMI filter and protection against voltage surges, overloads or short closures. Its body should be made of perforated metal, which contributes to good ventilation and the absence of overheating. If its temperature during operation reaches 70 degrees, then the load should be reduced.
The power supply is installed with the free space around it to provide natural ventilation. If this is not possible, then it will be necessary to think over the issue of installing forced ventilation. When you need to install two blocks for RGB, do not place them close to each other.
Backlight controller
The controller for LED backlighting must be selected taking into account the power and the value of the output voltage. All other characteristics (functionality, programs and other additional features) are designed exclusively for the taste and needs of users. The device is installed next to the power supply. The controller should also be supplied with a remote control, which has a compact form and touch-sensitive control buttons.
Connecting to the network
To connect the power supply, it is necessary to supply power (220V) from the switch to the “phase” (L) and “zero” (N) terminals of the block. The conductor of the supply cable (PE) must be connected to the "Ground" terminal. The controller is connected by output terminals to input terminals as follows:
- + V - DC +;
- -V - DC-.
If you neglect the polarity when connecting the controller, then it will simply fail.
At the very end, you can connect the RGB tape itself. Here everything is as simple as possible: the red wire is connected to the R output, the green to G, and the blue to B. If you confuse the outputs and wires, then nothing terrible will happen, the backlight will work properly, but when you adjust the colors with the control panel, interesting inconsistencies may arise, for example, residents want to highlight the ceiling in blue, and it will shine green color.
It is important to know that only a five-meter tape or shorter can be connected to the controller. This is because each LED track is rated for a specific maximum current. If you connect a five-meter tape with a few more meters of the same, then the current will increase, and the diodes will burn out very quickly. When it becomes necessary to connect a long tape, then it is highly recommended to purchase an additional RGB amplifier.
After the work done, it remains only to check how the built-in backlight works. To do this, you just need to press the power button on the remote control, after which the ceiling will light up red (standard mode). In the second and third modes, the backlight will be blue and green, respectively.
The rest of the modes will allow you to select other colors, such as yellow, orange, purple, pink, blue, light green, etc. This stage of checking the operation of RGB is considered final, it indicates that the LED strip is installed correctly.
