Corsair Node Pro & Custom aRGB LED Strips (WS2812B)

[FlawlessSoul]

I'm in the final stages of putting my new build together, and I'm looking to make two 1m/60 LED strips with WS2812B LEDs. I'm comfortable hooking one up to a Corsair Node Pro, as the rated output is 4.5A, but I'm going to need two separate strips.

So I'm looking for a bit of advice - can I simply provide supplemental power to each strip directly (using a SATA/Molex to the +5V and GND) and connect the +5V, D, GND to the relevant Node Pro channel? Would it be better, to avoid damage to the Node Pro, to power the strips solely from a SATA connection and leave the +5V from each Node Pro channel disconnected (and in this case, should I connect just the data wire or both data and ground)?

 

I'm going to be receiving the Node Pro today, and will likely play around with it a bit before doing the build at the weekend (getting my second vaccination on Sunday, so that might put a crimp in my plans!).

Edited August 12, 2021 by FlawlessSoul

[DevBiker]

Yes, you can provide power to the strips using SATA/Molex to the +5V and Ground. From the LNP, you'd need to connect Data (pin 2) and Ground (pin 3). There's no need to connect power (pin 1).

[Conver]

If you are going to make 2 x 60LED strips, then you can just use the power from the LNP.

In my own setup, I have a few LNPs where 2 of them have 60LED/m strips connected to them, self made with ws2812b, there haven't been any problems with power at all, so you can safely just use the power from the LNP.

[FlawlessSoul]

1 hour ago, DevBiker said:

Yes, you can provide power to the strips using SATA/Molex to the +5V and Ground. From the LNP, you'd need to connect Data (pin 2) and Ground (pin 3). There's no need to connect power (pin 1).

Having received the Node Pro (with an RGB hub), and looking at the interconnect cable, this is what I figured was the best choice if going with supplemental power.

59 minutes ago, Conver said:

If you are going to make 2 x 60LED strips, then you can just use the power from the LNP.

In my own setup, I have a few LNPs where 2 of them have 60LED/m strips connected to them, self made with ws2812b, there haven't been any problems with power at all, so you can safely just use the power from the LNP.

So two 1m strips with 60 on each (total 120), with one strip on each of the Node Pro channels, works ok? I would have expected them to draw in excess of 6A at that point.

I think I'll mock one strip up and see what its pulling from the Node Pro by itself - I know there are different versions of the same WS2812B with quite different ratings.

[Conver]

6 minutes ago, FlawlessSoul said:

So two 1m strips with 60 on each (total 120), with one strip on each of the Node Pro channels, works ok? I would have expected them to draw in excess of 6A at that point.

 

Yes, it works perfectly, no flicker or anything at full power. I have 2 x 2m tubes, where there is 120LEDs on each, where it's 60LED/m, so there is 60 LEDs per channel. and then after first meter, I connect next channel, so it's 1 channel per meter and you can't really see that there is a new connection after first meter, it looks like a whole 2 meter, iCUE just doesn't support this (yet?), so I still have to configure each 2 meter of 2 x meter. In my setup I just picked that 1.4m external strip option in iCUE and mark 120 LEDs of them, that way it actually looks like a full 2 me :)

 

 

[DevBiker]

30 minutes ago, FlawlessSoul said:

So two 1m strips with 60 on each (total 120), with one strip on each of the Node Pro channels, works ok? I would have expected them to draw in excess of 6A at that point.

I think I'll mock one strip up and see what its pulling from the Node Pro by itself - I know there are different versions of the same WS2812B with quite different ratings.

In most cases, you are good with 60 LEDs powered from a single Lighting Node Pro channel. Yes, it does vary based on the actual LED (even among the Corsair products) but you are usually pretty safe keeping it to 60 LEDs or less.

[FlawlessSoul]

Thanks, guys. I'll have a mess around before the build continues!