Flicker/Erratic behaviour
- Voltage Drop: When there is not enough power running through the pixels to adequately power them. As the voltage travels down the cable from the controller to the first pixel and between each pixel, due to electrical resistance, the voltage constantly decreases. Eventually, it reaches a point where the voltage is no longer sufficient to power the pixel to operate normally. - This will be especially noticeable when the pixels are driven to white (all channels at full). Compare the pixels datasheet to understand the voltage range required with reading from a voltage meter to ensure that the correct Voltage is maintained. Additional power injections can be introduced down the line to reinject the correct voltage or consider reducing cable runs/using thicker cabling to reduce the effects of voltage drop. See our installation tips for further information on power injectors and cabling.
- Pixel Protocol: When the pixel controller is set to a protocol that doesn’t match the specification of the pixels. Change the pixel protocol on the pixel controller.
- Short Circuit: When the tape/connections could be shorting on each other/ extrusion they are fitted into. Ensure that there is no debris or metal touching the contacts/connections which could cause a short circuit. Test a short separate section of pixel away from the installation.
- EMI: When the pixels are installed in an area that has high Electromagnetic Interference, which is commonly found near motors and air conditioning units.
- Grounding: When the installation has connected the pixels GND (0v) or the data line to electrical Earth – This shouldn’t be done!
- Network: When multiple sources are sending data to the pixel controller, a flicker can occur if the pixel controller can’t handle HTP/LTP merging or the number of merge sources is exceeded. Run a direct cable from the console/computer source (Art-Net/sACN) to the input of the pixel controller.
- Measuring: Pixel data is a high speed digital signal and can only be measured with an Oscilloscope, multimeters cannot be used and will show random voltage values which have no relevance to any problems
Color / intensity inconsistency
- Voltage Drop: When there is not enough voltage running through the pixels to adequately power them. As the voltage travels down the cable from the controller to the first pixel and between each pixel, due to electrical resistance, the voltage constantly decreases. Eventually, it reaches a point where the voltage is no longer sufficient to power the pixel to operate normally. – This will be especially noticeable when the pixels are driven to white (all channels at full). Compare the pixels datasheet to understand the voltage range required with reading from a voltage meter to ensure that the correct Voltage is maintained. Additional power injections can be introduced down the line to reinject the correct voltage or consider using thicker cabling to reduce the effects of voltage drop. See our installation tips for further information on power injectors and cabling.
- Color Ordering: Ensure that the color ordering of the Pixels is matched on either the pixel controller or the console/computer source (Art-Net/sACN) otherwise the orders may be reversed.
- Colour Shift on Universe Change: Ensure that the pixel controller is set to be a 3 channel color (RGB/GRB) for pixels which has 3 channel per pixel, or set to be a 4 channel color (RGBW/GRBW) for pixels which has 4 channel per pixel, this is due to the number of channels the pixel controller will output to prevent pixels controls being split between Universes. 3 channel will output 510 channels per Universe, 4 channel will output 512 channels per Universe. If you are controlling 3 channel pixels, ensure that your console/computer source (Art-Net/sACN) breaks to another universe after 510 channels.
Color Ordering Outputting the wrong color but have control
There is no defined standard for colour ordering within a pixel IC. Where we typically describe the colour order of a LED as RGB or RGBW, these can vary within the individual chip type. This leads to a lot of different combinations of potential colour orders. (i.e. GRB / BRG / WRGB).
ENTTEC’s Pixel Controllers contain a feature that will reorder the incoming signal to match the order of the colours on the chip. This is especially useful if you have already programmed your lights as RGB or the software you are using only has an RGB option.
Refer to your pixel tape manufacturer to find out the correct colour order for the pixels, and then adjust the colour order within the Pixel Controllers themselves.
Note: Some software such as ELM also has an option to change pixel order. You should only change the colour order in either the software or the Pixel Controller to ensure this re-ordering doesn’t happen twice.
EMI
High electromagnetic fields can cause issues for unbalanced data, this is why we recommend a maximum of 2 meters from the output of the PLink to the LED strip, as pixel data is “unbalanced” the connection from the PLink injector to the led strip is susceptible to electrical noise.
As you mentioned, if the fault is changing as different plinks are plugged or unplugged and “all at some point don’t work” It would strongly suggest that electrical noise is either entering the GND line on the PLink RJ45 or being shared between the PLinks using the CAT6 sheild to impact the installation as a whole.
The data on the PLink line between the Pixelator and PLink uses balanced data on RJ45 pin 1&2 and a common GND on pin 7. The data feed is unlikely to be affected, but noise could be shared between devices through the shared ground and shared shield of the CAT6.A potential issue in a high EMF environment could be that the shield somehow isn’t bonded to electrical earth.Please check the Pixelator has continuity between the metal RJ45 port shielding and the electrical earth on the device and earth connection.(see the diagram below)
A secondary quick check to ensure the shield is connected is to touch an earth cable (connected to the electrical earth of a plug socket or similar) to the metal shield of the Pixelators RJ45 ports whilst the system is running.
As a rule of thumb, cable runs should be made to avoid high sources of EMI wherever possible. (i.e. heavy mains power ect.)
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