Fans / lightning not detected

[YullerF]

Hi, a couple of years ago (2019) i bought 2 x 140mm SP casefans, and 3 x 120mm SP casefans, they are connected to the motherbord with a Lightning Node for the lightning, and Commander Pro for the fan speed. I didn't use it that often the last time because I didn't game as much as during COVID, but now I'm using Blender, it starts to make sense again to use them.

So I installed the newest iCue (5.18.106) and while not detecting it at first, in a few moments I had the commander pro detect the 5 fans and was happy again. But then, somehow they disappeared. Sometimes in the Commander Pro tab the Cooling tab shortly appears, but within a few seconds is gone, and sometimes I also see an "alerts" tab under it but I can't click it. The lightning node also doesn't work anymore, all fans stay off. The only thing I can get to work is detect the Lightning node SP RGB series fans, when I turn that to 1 to 5 fans, only 1 of the 5 fans will light up.

Anyone who knows what's happening?
1. Do I in fact need the Lightning Node, because it seems I can also control the lightning with the Commander Pro?
2. Can it have something to do with, after installing, also installing HWInfo to display CPU and GPU temperatures? Or with removing the Gigabyte Control Panel (don't need it anymore now because iCue and HWInfo together can do the job).

Thanks for helping out... didn't know that setting up a few case fans was so complex.

[YullerF]

hmm maybe the smaller device isn't a lightning node, just a 6 port hub or something? It has no case around it. A bit of a bummer that it's so long ago, I didn't remember how to install it.

 

[YullerF]

OK, sorry for the confusing start. I sorted things out a bit more. the fans all have 2 cables, a 3-port and a 4 port connector. The 4 port are labeled "to RGB hub" and are connected to a 6-channel hub on the back panel of my iCue 220T TG case. I think this is the "pre-installed Lightning Node" that comes with the 220T Case?

The 3-port cables are connected to the Commander Pro which I bought seperately. So all fans are connected to both devices. Is this correct or should i disconnect one of them? If possible, I'd remove the Commander Pro and control fan speed just with the case, but how can I connect that hub (lightning node?) to a SYSFAN connector then?)

[c-attack]

1) You don't need the Lighting Node Core (from the case) if you have a RGB Lighting Hub for the Commander Pro.  You may not.  This was a small 5v booster for fans that came with the original HD, ML, and LL fans.  Newer controllers like the Commander Core/XT have that component inside the controller.  It looks like the Lighting Node Core but smaller and connects the LED channels on the Commander Pro.  If you don't have it, you still need the Lighting Node Core for RGB.  

2) Yes.  HWinfo and other full spectrum monitoring programs get into a tug-o-war with CUE over device access.  Disappearing UI elements or crazy values (616C, 66,000 rpm) are common.  You still can use HWinfo at the same time, but use the portable version and then exclude the monitoring of Corsair internal devices. That should be just the Commander Pro.  Right click on the device name in HWinfo and choose disable.  

 

The Lighting Node Core that came with the 220T is likely the bare bones circuit board version.  Hard to identify, but CUE should name it.  Neither it nor the Commander Pro have an auto-detect feature, so you must tell it what is connected.  In the LNCore device "lighting configuration" make sure you choose "8 LED fan series" and then the number of fans.  You DO NOT have SP-RGB fans.  That was the original 2016 version and not like any of the fans that came after. It will make it look like your lighting has gone crazy.  Your SP-Pro fans have 8 LEDs and are part of a larger group of fans with that same design.  

 

RGB Lighting Hub

 

Lighting Node Core (retail version)

 

Despite the picture scaling, the LNCore is larger than the RGB Lighting Hub.

Edited August 26 by c-attack