This article is about the components needed for creating your own DIY programmable Christmas lights. If you already have some components like addressable LED strips you can use them or purchase additional ones to make your exterior even more beautiful and attractive. You should be careful and figure out if your selected components are compatible.
Components
The main components to start your own DIY programmable Christmas lighting are:
- Addressable LED strip
- Pixel controller (Controller specifically designed for LED strips)
- Media content (or effects generator)
- Power supply
Summary about addressable LED
An addressable RGB LED strip is a long flexible strand of LEDs each of which can be individually set to a certain color (hence: addressable). By varying the level of red, green and blue (RGB) per LED many color combinations can be made. Usual LED strips consist from LED + IC chip. The chips between the LEDs listen to commands from a controller. This can be an Arduino or other micro-controller or a controller specifically designed for LED strips (aka pixel controller). If you don’t know which LED strip to select there is a tons of information in internet about different LED strips and it’s characteristics.
Let’s assume that you have already selected the best from your perspective LED strip.
Pixel controller
Let’s try to figure out how to light up the LED strip with the help of a pixel controller.
Why not just use an Arduino or Raspberry PI?
Arduino Mega has direct support for LED pixels and digital LED strips with drivers type: WS2811, TM1803, TM1804, TM1809, TM1812. The WS2812B uses a one-wire control interface with strict timing requirements (timing requirements so strict that it is typically impractical to have interrupt-based events running on the controlling micro-controller while it is updating the WS2812B LEDs). You could spend some time developing your own lighting firmware on OctoWS2811 library for Tensy device ( Arduino compatible ) if your want to create it from scratch.
Raspberry PI could work directly with WS2801/APA102, LPD8806, P9813 and with WS2811 and WS2812 pixels via Scanlime Fadecandy USB interface. But, LED strips on WS2801 chip is expensive, so Raspberry PI is not a best deal for that.
Let’s see which pixel controller is already available on the market.
Joshua 1 Systems
nECG-DP2
Input Protocols:
- Unknown ( but Ethernet connector is presents )
Outputs:
- 8 universes ( two outputs with 680 pixels per output )
Additional information:
- Approximately price 65 $
- Web site
LED strip chip supports:
- 4-wire (ex. WS2801)
- 3-wire (ex: WS2812)
ECG-P2
Input Protocols:
- ArtNet
- sACN
Outputs:
- 8 universe ( two outputs with 680 pixels per output )
Additional information:
- Approximately price 85 $
- Web site
LED strip chip supports:
- WS2801
- LPD6803
- TM180
ECG-P12 Series
Input Protocols:
- ArtNet
- sACN
Outputs
- 12 universe ( 12 outputs with 170 RGB pixels per output )
- 2 universe ( DMX512 )
Additional information:
LED strip chip supports:
- WS2801
- LPD6803
- TM180x
SanDevice
E682
Input Protocols:
- ArtNet
- sACN
Outputs:
- 6 universe ( 1020 RGB pixels )
- 2 universe ( DMX512 )
Additional information:
- Approximately price 180 $
- Web site
LED strip chip supports:
- WS2801, WS2803, WS2811
- TM1804, TM1803, TM1812
- SM16715
- TLS3001
- LPD6803, LPD1101
- USC6909, UCS6912
- SM16716
- MBI6020
- GE Color Effects
- P981x
- D705
DMXKING
LeDMX4
Input Protocols:
- ArtNet
- sACN
Outputs:
- 8 universe ( 1360 RGB pixels )
Additional information:
- Approximately price 129 $
- Web site
LED strip chip supports:
- WS2811/2812/APA104, APA102, WS2801,
- LPD880x, LPD6803 and compatible LED strips
Advatek Lights
PixLite 4
Input Protocols:
- ArtNet
- sACN
Outputs:
- 16 universe ( 4 outputs with 680 pixels per output )
- 1 DMX512 output
Additional information:
- Approximately price 114 $
- Web site
LED strip chip supports:
- TLS3001, SM16716, LPD6803,
- WS2801, WS2811, WS2812, WS2812B,
- TM180x, MBI6020, INK1003, APA102
PixLite 16
Input Protocols:
- ArtNet
- sACN
Outputs:
- 32 universe ( 16 outputs with 340 pixels per output )
- 4 DMX512 output
Additional information:
- Approximately price 199 $
- Web site
LED strip chip supports:
- TLS3001, SM16716, LPD6803,
- WS2801, WS2811, WS2812, WS2812B,
- TM180x, MBI6020, INK1003, APA102
Deskontrol
Art-Net LED Controller for LED pixels
Input Protocols:
- ArtNet
Outputs:
Additional information:
LED strip chip supports:
- APA102, WS2811, WS2812, WS1812B, WS2801, WS2803,
- UCS1903, UCS1903B, UCS1909, UCS1912, UCS2903, UCS2909, UCS2912, UCS5903, UCS7009
- LPD1883, LPD1886, LPD6803, LPD1101, LPD8803, LPD8806,
- TM1803, TM1809, TM1812
- LX1003, INK1002, INK1003,
- P9813, P9816
Falcon
F16v2 Pixel Controller
Input Protocols:
- sACN
Outputs:
- 64 universe ( 16 outputs with 680 pixels per output )
- 4 DMX512 output
Additional information:
- Approximately price 200 $
- Web site
LED strip chip supports:
- WS2801,WS2803,WS2811,WS2812,APA102,
- TM1804,TM1803,TM1809,TM1812,
- SM16715,INK1003,
- TLS3001,TLS3002,CY3005,
- LPD6803,D705,LPD1101,
- USC6909,UCS6912,
- 1903,SM16716,MBI6020,GE Color Effects, P981x
Light-O-Rama
LOR-PixCon16
Input Protocols:
- sACN
Outputs:
- 32 universe in DMX mode or
- 16 universe in SPI mode or
- 4 DMX512 and 16 SPI in combined mode
Additional information:
- Approximately price 219 $
- Web site
LED strip chip supports:
- WS2801, WS2811/12/12B/APA104, APA102
- TLS3001, SM16716, LPD6803,
- TM180x, MBI6020, INK1003
Summary
How to select the necessary one? All systems provide more or less the same functionality but you need to select how many universes you need, depending on your LED strip chip you need to select the best controller at the best price.
| Manufacture | Model | Universe | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua 1 Systems | nECG-DP2 | 8 universe | 65 $ |
| Joshua 1 Systems | ECG-P2 | 8 universe | 85 $ |
| Joshua 1 Systems | ECG-P12 | 12 universe | 175 $ |
| DMXKING | LeDMX4 | 8 universe | 129 $ |
| Advatek Lights | PixLite 4 | 16 universe | 114 $ |
| Advatek Lights | PixLite 16 | 32 universe | 199 $ |
| Deskontrol | Art-Net LED Controller for LED pixels | 4 universe | 164 $ |
| SanDisk | E682 | 6 universe | 180 $ |
| Deskontrol | Art-Net LED Controller for LED pixels | 6 universe | 208 $ |
| Deskontrol | Art-Net LED Controller for LED pixels | 8 universe | 237 $ |
| Deskontrol | Art-Net LED Controller for LED pixels | 12 universe | 309 $ |
| Falcon | F16v2 Pixel Controller | 64 universe | 200 $ |
| Light-O-Rama | LOR-PixCon16 | 32 universe | 219 $ |
Media content generators
Software
Software for generating media content (aka effects) provides an ArtNet/sACN flow from your PC to the Pixel Controller. There are many software programs for that purpose that are commercial and free. For using such software you should have experience in lighting configuration or good motivation for learning.
Free
- FreeStyler,
- DMXControl,
- PC_DIMMER,
- Q Light Controller +,
- Vixen Lightning,
- PixelInvaders,
- Manolator,
- Glediator
Commercial
- Madrix ( free demo version ),
- LightJams,
- Magic Q,
- Illumination 110,
- Venue Magic,
- White Cat Lighting,
- ArKaos,
- Resolume Arena,
- Modul 8,
- grandMA2,
- Light Show Pro
Mobile
Mobile software provides ArtNet/sACN data flow from mobile devices.
- Luminair (Apple iPhone/iPad)
- LightingPad (Apple iPhone/iPad)
- ArtNet DMX Controller (Android)
- Controlador ArtNet DMX (Android)
Standalone
If you need to use a standalone (without a dedicated PC) or outdoor version of media content generator and have good robustness and the possibility to control it remotely, you can use devices for ArtNet data recording. ArtNet data could be recorded from any software/hardware and then replayed manually or triggered outside.
- CueCore
- “Pixout ArtNet recorder” (ready for outdoor, IP65) , ebay, remote control from free iOS app ( PixoutRemote )
Power supply
Each RGB LED draws approximately 50 mA when it is set to full brightness and powered at 5 V. This means that for every 170 RGB LEDs you turn on ( its equal to 1 ArtNet universe ), your LED strip could be drawing as much as 8.5 A. Be sure to select a power source that can handle your strip’s current requirements. Also, you will need additional power supply for media content generator (PC or ArtNet recorder).
You can select the needed power supply from a small preferred list in the following:
- MEANWell (5V 60A 300W) NES-350-5
- MEANWell (5V 15A 75W) NES-75-5
- FranMar ( 5V 30A 150W ) SP-150-5
- SunPower ( 5V 30A 150W ) SPH-150
PIXOUT CONTROLLER
Outdoor LED lighting/video controller for ArtNet DMX recording and playback. Up to 64 universes.
Check specification