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  1. Home
  2. Troubleshooting
  3. Might have bricked 60 WS2811 RGB leds

Might have bricked 60 WS2811 RGB leds

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Troubleshooting
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  • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

    I powered the Arduiono on RAW with the same 12V power source I power the led strip.

    AWIA Offline
    AWIA Offline
    AWI
    Hero Member
    wrote on last edited by
    #4

    @mfalkvidd You are using a 12V strip? If the supply voltage has not been above the rating chances are that the strip can still (partly) function. Have you read the überguide?

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    • mfalkviddM Offline
      mfalkviddM Offline
      mfalkvidd
      Mod
      wrote on last edited by
      #5

      Yes, the strip is 12V. Thanks for asking. I've added that to the original post.
      I have read the überguide but not lately. Will read it and see if I find any hints.

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      • mfalkviddM Offline
        mfalkviddM Offline
        mfalkvidd
        Mod
        wrote on last edited by
        #6

        I was already using a capacitor between +12V and GND (I'm using 300uF and the überguide recommends 1000uF though)
        I already had a resistor between the Arduino data pin and Din on the led strip.
        can't seem to find anything else useful.

        I measured the voltage on Din on the first section. It is 1.3-1.7V depending on the brightness level. When measuring Dout on the first section, I get no voltage. So the data signal is not forwarded to the next section.

        I am able to faintly light up the leds in the sections when using the diode tester mode on my cheap multimeter. From this my guess is that the logic chips are busted but the leds are still intact. Controlling them without the logic chips is a mess though.

        AWIA 1 Reply Last reply
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        • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

          I was already using a capacitor between +12V and GND (I'm using 300uF and the überguide recommends 1000uF though)
          I already had a resistor between the Arduino data pin and Din on the led strip.
          can't seem to find anything else useful.

          I measured the voltage on Din on the first section. It is 1.3-1.7V depending on the brightness level. When measuring Dout on the first section, I get no voltage. So the data signal is not forwarded to the next section.

          I am able to faintly light up the leds in the sections when using the diode tester mode on my cheap multimeter. From this my guess is that the logic chips are busted but the leds are still intact. Controlling them without the logic chips is a mess though.

          AWIA Offline
          AWIA Offline
          AWI
          Hero Member
          wrote on last edited by
          #7

          @mfalkvidd I am a little confused... the WS2811 chip is a logic chip that does pass a digital code signal not PWM.. or am I missing the point here..:confused:

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          • AWIA AWI

            @mfalkvidd I am a little confused... the WS2811 chip is a logic chip that does pass a digital code signal not PWM.. or am I missing the point here..:confused:

            mfalkviddM Offline
            mfalkviddM Offline
            mfalkvidd
            Mod
            wrote on last edited by
            #8

            @AWI are you referring to "I have added a PWM-driven led to the same Arduino"?
            If so, this has nothing to do with the led strip. It is only used to show that the Arduino updates the brightness when I turn the potentiometer (since I'm no longer able to see the led strip). It uses a different output pin.

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            • mfalkviddM Offline
              mfalkviddM Offline
              mfalkvidd
              Mod
              wrote on last edited by mfalkvidd
              #9

              I realized you might refer to my way of measuring the data signal. Just measuring the DC voltage is a crude way of measuring the signal, but that Dout of the first section has 0V all the time probably means that the signal is not getting through.

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              • tbowmoT Offline
                tbowmoT Offline
                tbowmo
                Admin
                wrote on last edited by
                #10

                @mfalkvidd

                Are you absolutely sure that the LED strip is 12V? ws2811 chips are 5V only.. If you need higher supply voltage on the LED's you need to add FET's / Transistors to the ws2811.

                If you read the specifications on the link, that you provided in the first post, then it also says 5V

                0_1461275219251_aliexpress-5mRGB.png

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                • mfalkviddM Offline
                  mfalkviddM Offline
                  mfalkvidd
                  Mod
                  wrote on last edited by mfalkvidd
                  #11

                  I am pretty sure but one can never be really sure when buying electronics from China :). I ran the strips at 12V för 10+ minutes before I decided to switch the Arduino power from 5V through the usb connector to 12V on the raw pin. I doubt 5V leds would survive 10+ minutes on 12V.
                  Also, the datasheet says 12V on page 5, application circuit 2.
                  0_1461276995789_image.jpeg the text on the strip also says 12V

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                  • D Offline
                    D Offline
                    drock1985
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #12

                    I'm not 100% sure on this but I think the LED's are ran at 12v (as described on Page 5) but the IC that controls the signal is 6-7v (see page 2 Absolute Maximum Ratings).

                    Again, i'm still new and could be wrong.

                    My Projects
                    2 Door Chime Sensor
                    Washing Machine Monitor

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                    • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

                      I am pretty sure but one can never be really sure when buying electronics from China :). I ran the strips at 12V för 10+ minutes before I decided to switch the Arduino power from 5V through the usb connector to 12V on the raw pin. I doubt 5V leds would survive 10+ minutes on 12V.
                      Also, the datasheet says 12V on page 5, application circuit 2.
                      0_1461276995789_image.jpeg the text on the strip also says 12V

                      AWIA Offline
                      AWIA Offline
                      AWI
                      Hero Member
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #13

                      @mfalkvidd 12V on the a WS2811 is normal the Led's are connected in series. The chip cannot handle 12V itself but has a 'stabilivolt' feature which lets you run the chip upto 24V if you put a resistor in series.

                      0_1461301232757_upload-e43b1ce4-f39d-4efa-8318-df1939f44263

                      The data input (DIN) however is not very tolerant but is not connected to the output internally (some signal reshaping circuitry and logic in between). I would think that a peak voltage on the input would not be able to burn the whole chain.

                      Back to the resque: Do you have another proven setup where can connect the strip after removing the first 2 to 3 WS2811 (3 Led) segments from the strip?

                      mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
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                      • AWIA AWI

                        @mfalkvidd 12V on the a WS2811 is normal the Led's are connected in series. The chip cannot handle 12V itself but has a 'stabilivolt' feature which lets you run the chip upto 24V if you put a resistor in series.

                        0_1461301232757_upload-e43b1ce4-f39d-4efa-8318-df1939f44263

                        The data input (DIN) however is not very tolerant but is not connected to the output internally (some signal reshaping circuitry and logic in between). I would think that a peak voltage on the input would not be able to burn the whole chain.

                        Back to the resque: Do you have another proven setup where can connect the strip after removing the first 2 to 3 WS2811 (3 Led) segments from the strip?

                        mfalkviddM Offline
                        mfalkviddM Offline
                        mfalkvidd
                        Mod
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #14

                        @AWI said:

                        if you put a resistor in series.

                        by "you", do you mean me, mfalkvidd? Or the designer of the rgb strip? I think the rgb strip already has the necessary components built-in (especially since I got it working before frying the Arduino), but it could also be that the first Arduino happened to deliver a signal that got the strip working.

                        I cut off the last section of the strip and connected only that section to the Arduino. Nothing happens. So my guess is that the ICs of the entire strip are broken.

                        AWIA 1 Reply Last reply
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                        • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

                          @AWI said:

                          if you put a resistor in series.

                          by "you", do you mean me, mfalkvidd? Or the designer of the rgb strip? I think the rgb strip already has the necessary components built-in (especially since I got it working before frying the Arduino), but it could also be that the first Arduino happened to deliver a signal that got the strip working.

                          I cut off the last section of the strip and connected only that section to the Arduino. Nothing happens. So my guess is that the ICs of the entire strip are broken.

                          AWIA Offline
                          AWIA Offline
                          AWI
                          Hero Member
                          wrote on last edited by AWI
                          #15

                          @mfalkvidd you != @mfalkvidd (the resistor should be in the strip) ;-) I'll guess you are right that they died :cry: Destructive testing is a pain...

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                          • TheoLT Offline
                            TheoLT Offline
                            TheoL
                            Contest Winner
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #16

                            I fried up a ProMini when I provided 12V. Even though the specs says that it can handle 12V. Luckily I can stell power the Arduino through the FDTI power supply.

                            I still feed the arduino from the 12V power adaptor, that came with the LED strip. I'm doing it in two steps from 12V to 8V and from 8V to 3.3V. The LD33V can handle 12V but it get's really hot even with heat sink. By stepping down in two Phases both regulators get warm but not hot. After running this setup for a couple of weeks, I would dare to put that in a wall mount.

                            The schematics can be found at https://www.openhardware.io/view/50/Gesture-controlled-MySensors-Floor-lamp

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                            • mfalkviddM Offline
                              mfalkviddM Offline
                              mfalkvidd
                              Mod
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #17
                              This post is deleted!
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                              • martrwM Offline
                                martrwM Offline
                                martrw
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #18

                                Just echoing the 12V fried silicon. Specs don't really apply to these components, that is why they are not published. I smoked a Nano on 12V in less time than it takes to think "This might work"

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                                • greglG Offline
                                  greglG Offline
                                  gregl
                                  Hero Member
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #19

                                  Perhaps when the arduino died , the full 12v was put down the data pin to your led strip.... subsequently killing all ws2811 chips....
                                  🤔

                                  What voltage do you see on the data pin on the arduino now if you connect it back to the 12v raw??

                                  As you said, good thing these are cheap....

                                  mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • greglG gregl

                                    Perhaps when the arduino died , the full 12v was put down the data pin to your led strip.... subsequently killing all ws2811 chips....
                                    🤔

                                    What voltage do you see on the data pin on the arduino now if you connect it back to the 12v raw??

                                    As you said, good thing these are cheap....

                                    mfalkviddM Offline
                                    mfalkviddM Offline
                                    mfalkvidd
                                    Mod
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #20

                                    @gregl I don't think I have that Arduino around anymore so I can't check. Sorry.

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