Features of connecting RGB LED strip
In recent years, LED-illuminators made in the form of ribbons have become popular. A variation of such a lamp is an RGB tape that allows you to change the color of the glow in static and dynamic modes.
The principle of operation of the RGB lamp
To approach the issue of connection with skill, you need to understand how this lighting device works and how to control it. The tape consists of individual segments into which it can be cut in the indicated places.
Each segment contains three groups LEDs - red, blue and green. They are assembled sequentially by colors and combined in parallel according to the scheme with a common anode. Each color chain has its own current limiting resistor. Positive voltage is always present. The LEDs are lit by connecting the cathode to a common wire.By separately adjusting the brightness of the glow of each LED, you can achieve almost any color, with the exception of natural white.
To obtain a white glow close to natural, one white LED is added to each element of the tape. Such a device is indicated by the letters RGBW.
What you need to connect the lamp
To connect an LED strip to an RGB circuit, you will need blocks:
- the actual lighting device of the desired length;
- power supply (possibly several);
- RGB controller;
- amplifier (several);
- connecting wires;
- power switch;
- connectors (but it is better to master soldering).
This list is complete, some elements may be missing in a particular scheme.
Of the tools you will need:
- nippers for cutting wires of the desired length;
- a fitter's knife for stripping the ends (or better, a special insulation stripper;
- soldering iron with consumables (for real craftsmen).
You will also need fasteners, but they are selected in place.
Which controller to choose
The controller is needed to control the colors of the glow of the LED strip. It allows you to set the required proportions of red, green and blue colors and get almost any color, including conventional white. You can also control the dynamics of the transition from one color to another. The regulation is performed by the PWM method, so the power loss when the brightness changes is small. According to consumer properties, most of the color dimmers can be divided into categories:
- With remote control. The choice of the mode is made from the control panel (similar to television or from other household equipment).The connection between the remote control and the controller is via the IR channel or via the radio channel (such units are labeled RF). In the first case, during installation, it is necessary to ensure direct visibility between the transmitting and receiving parts. The second has no such restrictions. You can control the glow even in the next room or hide the receiving and executive part behind the interior elements.
![RF controller for 12/24 V and current up to 18 A.]()
RF controller for 12/24 V and current up to 18 A. - Embedded in socket boxes or in furniture elements. Such a controller looks like a futuristic light switch. You can set the operating modes in the same way as with the remote control.
![Embedded control unit.]()
Embedded control unit. - Controller, controlled from a personal computer. The possibilities for creating lighting effects are endless. But you need a PC turned on at hand.
The choice of the control unit for electrical parameters is made according to two main characteristics:
- operating voltage - must match the voltage of the tape and the power supply;
- the highest power - must correspond to the total power of the tape that is planned to be connected.
If you want to adjust brightness a very long (and therefore very powerful) lamp, which no industrial controller can handle, will need an amplifier.
Is it possible to do without a controller
The controller is not a fundamental element, without which the RGB lamp will not work. Connecting the RGB tape can be done without it, turning on all the elements of the lamp constantly at full brightness.
In this version, the lamp will emit light close to white. From an economic point of view, it makes no sense - tape with white radiation is much cheaper. Another option is to connect a colored tape for separate manual channel adjustment. This can be done with potentiometers or in another way.
In this version, the brightness of the channels can be adjusted separately by setting the desired glow color, but part of the power is uselessly lost on variable resistors. Instead of potentiometers, you can put separate switches and mix colors at full brightness.
You can look for other ways to adjust the current in manual mode, but all these methods allow you to get only a static picture. Dynamic lighting effects are only possible with an RGB controller.
You can also connect a monochrome lamp to the controller for the appropriate voltage and power. It is connected to one of the outputs of the control unit and operates in dimming mode.
When You Need an Amplifier
If the power capabilities of the controller have been exhausted, and it is necessary to increase the length of the luminaire, you can use an amplifier - in foreign terminology, an “RGB signal repeater”. And in fact, in terms of voltage, it repeats the signal applied to the input, but amplifies it in terms of current. Choose an amplifier for several parameters:
- the voltage must correspond to the voltage of the controller (respectively, the voltage of the power supply and the lamp);
- power should provide with a margin the energy supply of the intended section of the tape;
- the number of channels - at least three for an RGB lamp;
- execution - in most cases with a common anode, but it does not hurt to check.
You can also pay attention to other parameters - operating temperature range, degree of protection, etc.For the most part, this is necessary if you intend to mount the repeater in difficult conditions (outdoors, etc.).
Color tape connection options
The connection scheme option is determined only by the total power consumption of the LED strip, which depends on:
- specific consumption of one meter of cloth;
- the total footage of the lamp.
The more the lamp consumes, the more complex the circuit.
Important! Circuit options are given depending on the footage of the tape, but the actual consumption must be clarified each time according to the technical characteristics of a particular RGB lamp.
Standard scheme
According to this scheme, it is possible to switch the lamp if the total length of the canvas or the sum of its segments is no more than 5 meters.
The task is only to select the power source and control unit of the required voltage and power. Usually this is not difficult.
Power supply scheme for an elongated RGB tape
If the length of the canvas is more than 5 meters, then successively connect segments it is forbidden. Too much current will go through the conductors of the lamp, but they are not designed for it. Therefore, it is necessary to connect pieces of tape with a length of no more than 5 meters in parallel, connect with connectors, and better - by soldering wire segments.
In this case, it is also not difficult to choose a power supply and a controller of the required power.
Connection diagram for long canvases
If the total length of the canvas segments does not allow you to select a suitable controller in terms of power (or even a power supply for the appropriate current), then you will have to use RGB signal amplifiers (one or more) to build up the system. For example, you need to connect a canvas with a length of 20 m or more.All tapes are divided into groups so that the power of each group did not exceed the capacity of the controller and amplifier.
In theory, the system can be expanded indefinitely. If the voltage source alone is able to provide power to all components of the circuit and everything is located close enough so as not to experience inconvenience when laying the power cable, then additional power supplies will not be needed.
How to avoid mistakes
The most common mistake even for experienced electricians trying to connect a control panel to an LED strip is exceeding the capacity of the power supply, controller or amplifier in terms of power. This happens when the circuit is going "on edge" and the power supply seems to provide current, albeit without a margin. As a result, the service life of an expensive device is very short.
Another underestimation is the lack of wire cross-section. A powerful consumer is connected with wires that are too thin or too long. The first case leads to overheating, the second - to a voltage drop on the supply line and a dim glow of the lamp.
| Cross section of copper conductor, mm | 0,5 | 0,75 | 1 | 1,5 | 2 |
| Maximum allowable current with open laying, A | 11 | 15 | 17 | 23 | 26 |
You should also pay attention to the correct pinout of the RGB lamp. If you connect the wires not in accordance with the colors, you can get an incident when different groups of LEDs light up on different sections of the web. This often happens when using soldering to connect pieces of fabric.
At the end of the video: Instructions for connecting the LED strip to the infrared controller with a remote control.
Other errors may be the result of inattention and negligence when installation. Immediately after completion of work, it is necessary to check the correctness and reliability of the connections. If you do this before the first voltage supply, then the RGB lamp will last a long time.