O'what have I done

Hello all.

I wanted to build a project with my 12 y son this summer I'm very new and green to electronics so I thought I would start with a led banner
just like this one off youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbdvrfwr6Sg
so as normal I jumped in and started ordering parts for the project as I have banner material sitting in the garage (well outside) Black and white PVC.

as normal I ran off and ordered some led strips RGB AND STARTED RUBBING my hands together and patting myself on the back, now here's the kicker I think I've ordered the wrong strips.

I maybe wrong but the strips I ordered from ebay are these one **broken link removed**

I thought I was ordering RGB leds but they are not !! They are just solid RED GREEN AND BLUE LED'S or am i wrong. is it just the controller that can't mix the colour of each individual led, I under stand it's three separated dice that change the colour of the led.So is it just the controller I need to change/make

I need help with this what can I do with the LED'S I've bought ???

GreenJames

Do you have another link, yours comes up "This listing () has been removed, or this item is not available."

Here is the new listing **broken link removed**

if it's addressable strips I need then I will abandon this project and move on to POV Display like is one https://www.instructables.com/id/POV-DISPLAY-1/

James

Those LEDs certainly look RGB. Have you had any luck at all with the controller?
It would appear that you can control all the Reds, greens and blues separately and judging from the pictures it also looks possible to do other stuff, every other LED etc.

How does the strip of LEDs behave when you try it?

I've not tried it yet But I do Have a ardunio but I don't know how to connect it up or where to find code to run it

any suggestions very welcome.

James

Maybe start here.--> https://www.adafruit.com/blog/2012/11/30/tutorial-arduino-lesson-3-rgb-leds-arduino/

I can't help as far as Arduino goes (even though I too have one) I tried it for a few days, couldn't get on with it.

that's not bad house of wax I found this link and I shall have a go over the next two or three days **broken link removed**


James

PLEASE confirm that this is what you are using , I am followin this link:

**broken link removed**

according to this:


the function for the remote control:
Up: increase brightness
Down: decrease brightness
Off: Power off
On: Turn on Power
R: change color to red
G: Switch to green color
B: change color to blue
FLASH: color changing automatically, quickly jump
STROBE: automatically change color, gentle jump
FADE: automatic color change, gradually move quickly
SMOOTH: automatic color change, gradually move smoothly


soo the remote can only control them all at once,



FEATURES:
* Cuttable every 3 LEDs along the cutting marks, according to pratical requirement.

I believe that is because there are 3 RGB's per cut wired for 12v rails (there are 4 rails: 1power, then one ground for each color)
i could be wrong but, im sorry to say that you will not be able to just hook it up and run it the way you want, you could possibly salvage the LED' s but you will need cut and solder almost every single LED into your own array, which could get complicated as well, depending on the grid dimensions,

the difference is that in your leds you have little resistors all over, in the demo he has micro controller on every few leds to control with an I2C bus

the circuit you are looking at in your post will work to control full strips only,
here is an idea of how you will need to do to rewire each strip, to control each single led, actually technically the top row is already there, so you just need to solder in the "numbers going vertical(wires going horizontal)"
http://www.franksworkshop.com.au/Electronics/RGB/RGB.htm

also you will probably need to add transistors to control circuit..... and your own code

Doggy
A Big thank you for your write up, I found it quite interesting.
I have now done the above project this one **broken link removed**.

While the experiment was a success in that I got it working I found the lighting I had bought where as I feared only individual Red,Green and Blue LED'S (not tri-colour).

So now I'm going to make a POV instead and a 8X8X8 blue LED Cube with my son over the summer holidays

While I'm waiting for the summer holidays to arrive I'm still trying to make my solar tracker
I did try this one on a bread board it didn't work so It's back to the LM339 circuit of which I've just finished drawing out the design in Auto CAD (GCODE) will be done tomorrow.

James

Ps I did reply to your post yesterday but one finger mistake and I lost the lot

so you are saying that each led turned out to be only one color each , good to know, i almost bought them too!

Yes Doggy the experiment worked and the led's stayed Red, Green, and blue they all change there brightness in sequence also when you look at them under a magnifying glass I can't see any circuit at all. I will try and take a photo of the LED'S tomorrow when the light is better.

James