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Node Pro with cheap leds?


KaspyX

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Hello, I was worndering if someone can explain me how can I use some cheap leds that I got from ebay, they are 5050 rgb 5v leds, the thing is that they are 4pin leds and the node only has 3pin.

 

How can I make them work?

 

Thanks!!

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Hello, I was worndering if someone can explain me how can I use some cheap leds that I got from ebay, they are 5050 rgb 5v leds, the thing is that they are 4pin leds and the node only has 3pin.

 

How can I make them work?

 

Thanks!!

 

5050 = 5mm x 5mm (just the size of the LED used)

5v = Voltage of the LED operates on

 

Depending on LEDs picked:

4pin Analog: +Voltage (common anode), Blue negative (cathode), Red negative (cathode), and Blue negative (Cathode)

3pin Digital: +Voltage (positive), Data, Ground (negative)

 

 

If the strips you got is some how digital then the 4th pin might be clock and it won't work with the controller. If you got analog, it still won't work as you are missing a something very critical. If you have LED strips from corsair, those are digital. If you look really closely you will see little black spec in the LED. If you look at the other strip and if it is analog, you won't see a spec. That spec is a chip/integrated circuit. It takes digital data supplied by the main controller and turns it into the pulse width modulation that the LEDs understand.

 

Here is an analogy. The Analog strips are like soldiers and an analog controller is like a lieutenant. He tells all of his men to do something and they all do the same thing. He tells them all to put on a red shirt, they all do it, he tells them to put on a blue shirt they do it.

 

Digital strips on the other hand is like 10 husbands (LEDs), who each have a wife (chip in LED) that speaks Spanish, though the husbands only speak English. A tour guide (digital controller) only speaks Spanish he is trying to communicate to everyone. Each wife attempts to relay the information in their own way and it can be interpreted or misheard so different husbands do the different things. Some wives interpret the word Esposas as "handcuffs", while others interpret it as "wives".

 

Yes bad analogy, though hopefully I didn't confuse you. The LEDs type that Corsair uses WS2812. While I use them for my back lighting on my desk and they do work as 6xLED strips, I don't recommend this solution to most people.

 

1) Corsair strips do have magnets that make installing them simple in a case, though won't help you with a wooden desk.

2) The connectors are idiot proof, don't fall off, and don't get confused with fan connectors.

3) Most people won't have the time or the know how to get the proper strips, get the proper connectors, and put it together properly. Even though I have the know how, I still have some Corsair strips as I hate adhesive

4) Adhesive sucks and if all the adhesive strips are really 3M then they suck to :)

 

esposa

FEMININE NOUN

1. (via marriage)

a. wife

Mi esposa es una excelente mecánica automotriz.My wife is a superb auto mechanic.

 

esposas

PLURAL NOUN

2. (for securing a prisoner)

a. handcuffs

Todos los policías tienen que llevar esposas.All policemen are required to carry handcuffs.

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Im asking because I would like to have external leds but buying from corsair is too expensive, when you can get 5m for 9€ and cut with your own size.

 

I think I saw something with 4pin leds somewhere but I don't know how it was made

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Im asking because I would like to have external leds but buying from corsair is too expensive, when you can get 5m for 9€ and cut with your own size.

 

I think I saw something with 4pin leds somewhere but I don't know how it was made

 

Yes you can use 3rd party LEDs as long as they are WS2812B Individually Addressable. I have successfully used these and they work fine. Very nice quality and even IP67 rated (though that will do little good unless your computer case gets filled with water...). These particular strips are very high density. The LEDs are practically next to each other. They do not have magnets along that back, which is a nice feature that I think the Corsair strips have (don't know for sure and I never bought Corsair LED strips - too expensive).

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DLYSH6U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

A Commander Pro or Lighting Node Pro LED port has 3 used pins - Ground, +5VDC, and Data. Get them connected in the right order and you are good to go. You may have to do some wire splicing or soldering to connect them. Also, high density LED strips (like the link above) draw a lot of current so you have to keep that in mind. I connected too many for my Commander Pro to drive, so I split out the +5VDC and ground and connected that directly to my power supply with an old Molex 4-pin connector. Then took (the same) Ground and Data to the Commander Pro LED Port. Works great, and since the Commander Pro is not powering the LEDs, just controlling them, I don't have to worry about the current limitation of the Commander Pro. I am still limited by the firmware in the Commander Pro, which I believe is limited to 96 LEDs per port.

 

Another problem is getting that little 3-pin connector Corsair uses for their LED ports connected to the 3rd party LED strip. Here is a link to a post where I described how I managed to connect the 3rd part LEDs to the 3-pin connectors on the Commander Pro LED ports.

 

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=174049

 

Hope this helps and good luck!

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Im asking because I would like to have external leds but buying from corsair is too expensive, when you can get 5m for 9€ and cut with your own size.

 

I think I saw something with 4pin leds somewhere but I don't know how it was made

 

In Corsair only the RGB fans use 4pin connectors, though they are digital as well. The only reason they use this 4th pin is for data return to pass the data signal to the adjacent fan as they work in serial/series. The strips don't need a 4pin connector as you connect the strips together and the last data pin in the strips passes the data to the next strips. The Fans use a hub and do not connect directly to each other like the strips do. The Fans actually have strips in the them and the 5v, data, and groundgo into the strip in the fan via the connector and on the last led a wire is connected to the data to feed the next fan in the series.

 

As two of us have mentioned you can use the WS2812B or WS2812 5050 LEDs. The big limitation is you can only use 60LEDs/channel. Corsair's strips have 10LEDs/strip. Depending on the back lighting you might want to select a LED density that meets your need. If you get something to dense it might go all the way, if you get something to spread out, you won't be able to fit all of them. You can always reduce the amount of strips/LEDs in iCue, though you can't add more than 60 LEDs at least in practice.

 

For cabling, the cheap and easy method is to get a prototype cable like the following: https://www.amazon.com/HiLetgo%C2%AE-Breadboard-Prototype-Assortment-Raspberry/dp/B077X7MKHN/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1530541788&sr=1-2&keywords=prototype+board+cable

 

The cable above gives you the flexibility to connect things, though it won't be idiot proof. You will have to match up your leads. I haven't tested what happens if you miss wire a digital strip. Corsair strips are virtually idiot proof and they do come with magnets. I hesitate recommending people use third party strips as I can see how people can screw up.

 

If you still go 3rd party, make sure the strips you buy at least have a connector on them with a 2.54mm pitch or similar. The strip the previous poster listed won't work well as the 60 LED limitation. Some people lie to the software and list LL-120 fans to get a total of 96 LEDs, though the effects are meant for the LL-120s, might not look right, and I can't make a statement on the current supplied by the LNP. This is all going into un-supported territory.;

 

Honestly, if you are scared to tinker and not willing to take the consequences of your actions, I would look at just buying a Lighting Node Pro w/ 4x strips for $50, then selling the LNP for $20 on ebay. You would get extension cables, it would be idiot proof, and in the end it would be similar in price to what you would pay for the strips the previous poster linked.

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As two of us have mentioned you can use the WS2812B or WS2812 5050 LEDs. The big limitation is you can only use 60LEDs/channel. Corsair's strips have 10LEDs/strip. Depending on the back lighting you might want to select a LED density that meets your need. If you get something to dense it might go all the way, if you get something to spread out, you won't be able to fit all of them. You can always reduce the amount of strips/LEDs in iCue, though you can't add more than 60 LEDs at least in practice.

 

Actually, you can control up to 96 LEDs per channel if you configure them as 6x LL fans. The limitation, however, will be power delivery (as SpeedyV indicated). You have a total of 4.5A to play with for both channels so that needs to be kept as a consideration.

 

If you dig into the SDK, it appears that iCue currently supports up to 150 LEDs per channel for control ... but you'd have to write that control yourself.

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