PRODUCTS TAPE LED LED PROFILES LED POWER SUPPLIES LED SOURCES LED DRIVERS LED MODULES Home Articles LED strip - a compendium of knowledge LED STRIP - A COMPENDIUM OF KNOWLEDGE 2015-08-01 BACK TO ARTICLES The main factor differentiating the mounting method is the type of LED strip. We connect single-color tapes differently, and RGB tapes differently. In the case of RGB LED strip, a special driver is required, which will allow to obtain different colors and effects, such as smooth transitions between different colors or adjusting the light intensity. Dig. 1. An exemplary project with the use of LED RGB LED strips by LED Labs in the RESPECT music club in Krakow. The table below shows the general classification of LED strips, along with its most important parameters. Detailed information on individual LED strips can be found in our catalog cards. 1. Selection of the power supply Once we have decided on a specific tape, we proceed to choose the appropriate power supply. We need to calculate the minimum power that the power supply must have to handle the tape we choose. We will use a simple formula for this: P = Pm * l where: P - power that the power supply must have at its disposal; Pm - power consumption of one meter of the tape chosen by us (last row in the table above); l - length of the tape that will be supplied with this power supply Example: We have decided to use a blue 300 LED 3528 SMD strip. We read from the table the power consumption of one meter of such a tape. It is Pm = 4.8 [W / m]. The length we are interested in is, for example, l = 4 [m]. Using the above formula, we calculate: P = 4.8 * 4 = 19.2 [W] So we need a power supply with a power of at least 19.2 W 2. Selection of a driver for RGB LED strips Fig. 2. Radio controller 3x4A 12V DC. If we chose a single-color LED strip, we skip this step and go to the stage: Connecting the LED strip. In the case of RGB LED strip, we will also need a driver. The driver is selected on a similar basis to the power supply. It must have at least the power consumed by the selected LED strip with a given length. We calculated its value in the previous step. However, it may happen that the length of the RGB LED strip, and thus the power consumed by it, will exceed the capabilities of the controller. An RGB signal amplifier is provided for such situations. Such an amplifier also has the declared maximum power, but it differs from the controller in that the RGB signal is transmitted to it from the main RGB LED driver. Thanks to the use of a signal amplifier, there is no need to use several drivers, 3. Connecting the LED strip We have all the necessary information, so we go to assembly. The diagram below shows how to connect a single-color tape with a power supply. Dig. 3. Diagram of single-color LED strip connection to the power supply. If the length of the LED strip does not exceed five meters, the installation should not be difficult. However, when we connect a larger number of LED strips, we must connect each section of up to five meters in parallel to the power supply (exactly as shown in the diagram above). To illustrate the simplicity of this solution, I will provide an example: We want to install a 7 meter long section of LED strip. We lead two branches from the power supply. On one of them, we install a five-meter section. The remaining 2 meters are mounted on the second branch. We can run these two sections in opposite directions by placing the power supply in the middle, or we can place the sections one by one, leading the cable along the preceding section. This rule also applies to the installation of RGB LED strips. 4. Connecting the RGB LED strip RGB strip requires the use of a driver. The driver is selected on the same principle as the power supply. It must have at least the power that the tape we have selected uses. The driver is always mounted behind the power supply, because it works at the same voltage as the LED strip. By installing it in front of the power supply, we will irreversibly damage it. Dig. 4. Diagram of connecting the RGB LED strip to the RGB controller and the power supply. The most powerful drivers for RGB strips offer the power of 144 W, so they can handle a maximum of 10 m of 300 LED 5050 SMD RGB strip or 20 m of 150 LED 5050 SMD RGB strip. With more, we will have to use an amplifier. As the name suggests, it amplifies the signal coming from the controller and transmits it to the next sections of the tape. The amplifier has a power of 144 W, so we can add to our installation another 10 m of 300 LED 5050 SMD RGB strip or 20 m of 150 LED 5050 SMD RGB strip Fig. 5. Diagram of connecting RGB LED strip with the use of an amplifier. Thanks to the amplifiers, we can control very large sections of the RGB LED strip. Below is a connection diagram where the LED strip is not directly connected to the RGB controller. It only transmits the RGB signal to the amplifiers to which the RGB LED strips are connected. There are two amplifiers in the diagram, but of course there can be many more. Of course, you should still consider the power of the power supply supplying the circuit. If the power of one power supply is not enough to power the whole circuit, it is still possible to control the entire circuit with one RGB controller. The only difference is that subsequent amplifiers will be powered by separate power supplies, while they will still receive the RGB signal from the same RGB controller. Dig. 6. Diagram of connecting RGB LED strip with the use of several amplifiers. If, after reading this guide, you still have doubts as to the selection of the appropriate equipment and preparation of the installation, please contact us. We will surely dispel all doubts and propose an optimal solution. 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