Neopixel configuration question

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sinefinehabitarevolo
 
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Neopixel configuration question

Post by sinefinehabitarevolo »

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Looking at this configuration above, how long can the "GND wire across Arduino and 5V power supply", and the "green data" wire be? Can they be as long as 70 feet without causing problems?

I was wondering if it is possible to have arduino far away from the LED strip (about 60-70 feet) with two wires for GND and data going across the room. I would like to add potentiometers and switches to control the colors of the LED strip. Would it be possible with this? http://www.ebay.com/itm/300-5-Wire-Pin- ... 0837711740

Or is it better to just have two arduinos pair, leave the first arduino (that directly controls the LED), and just have the second arduino do the processing for analog/digital inputs then send the data to the first arduino?

sinefinehabitarevolo
 
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Re: Neopixel configuration question

Post by sinefinehabitarevolo »

Oh I meant, wirelessly pairing when I mentioned arduino pairing.

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: Neopixel configuration question

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

sinefinehabitarevolo wrote:Looking at this configuration above, how long can the "GND wire across Arduino and 5V power supply", and the "green data" wire be? Can they be as long as 70 feet without causing problems?
I'd call that a strong maybe, if you use the right techniques. The WS2811 datasheet says the NeoPixels can be up to 10m apart, and all you have to do is get a signal to the first one.

The main issue would be eliminating noise along the way. 70' of wire makes an amazingly good antenna.

The two normal options for carrying signals over medium distances are twisted-pair cable and coax. The DMX cable you linked would probably work, but you don't really need the second pair for a single connection. The coax cable used for TV antennas should work, and is much easier to get. Send the data signal through the center wire and connect the outer shield to GND at both ends.
sinefinehabitarevolo wrote:I was wondering if it is possible to have arduino far away from the LED strip (about 60-70 feet) with two wires for GND and data going across the room.
It's possible, but as a general rule, it's better to have short high-speed connections and long low-speed connections than the other way around.
sinefinehabitarevolo wrote:Or is it better to just have two arduinos pair, leave the first arduino (that directly controls the LED), and just have the second arduino do the processing for analog/digital inputs then send the data to the first arduino?
Honestly, it's easier to make a potentiometer work at the end of a 70' cable than to send digital signals through the same cable. There are fewer things to go wrong, and it's easier to compensate for any noise or offset that does appear.

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