This is How to Install 65' LED's Light Strips w/ Fibaro RGBW Controller

Wiki Projects & Stories
, ,
21

So how are you controlling the RGB part in smartthings?

22

I’m using the Fibaro RGBW Micro Controller and the smartapp that Twack made.

24

So I have what might be a pretty simple question.

What’s the best way for me to have a single wall switch / dimmer turn on/off a scene via the Fibraro RGBW?

I have a bar I am building that will 3 sets of 4 shelves of lights, each shelf needs 1 Firbaro (197W@24V). I am powering all the Fibraro through a master 3000W 24V power supply. But I don’t want to have to pull out my smartphone to manage the lights.

I thought of using this Mark7 Decora 0-10v as an Input control. I guess it would just need to talk to 1 of the Fibraro since the other 2 will be connected via a scene? Is there a more optimal approach? I think this control uses 120V in and gives me the 0-10 input control out to the Fibraro if I read it right.

Anyway - any help that can be provided on a Single Throw Dim Solution that works with Fibraro I can stick on the wall would be great! Bonus points if it can be a zwave enabled 0-10v wall switch so I can remotely activate if necessary. Thanks.

25

Thanks for the post, and it looks great, but I do have a couple questions if you don’t mind.

I’ve been researching RGBW LED strips for my large kitchen (over cabinet, under cabinet, toe kicks), and everything I’ve read indicates that you should limit LED light strip runs to 5m, or the higher wattage (or amperage?) can cause decrease the strip’s and the PSU’s longevity. Thoughts on that?

Despite spending many (many!) hours researching, I still have yet to find a definitive guide that addresses more nuanced questions, like 12v vs 24v, parallel connections, power injectors, and then add the fact that I want to control everything with SmartThings/Fibraro, and I’m having a very difficult time designing the solution.

If anyone has found a good guide or video that might help, please let me know.

26

I have been researching LED strip setups for a while now. I need to put 2 separate setups together - light coves in two different rooms. I really like this setup, but have one question - can the LEDs in this scenario be dimmed - either via ST or a switch?

Thanks!

27

yes they can be dimmed by both. by smartthings(smart app) and also a switch.

28

Great to hear, thanks!

29

Thanks for writing up the shopping list for the project. I’m hoping to do something very similar, with RGBWW strips, but only about 35’. Can you post any pictures of the other connections? Like how did you wire the power supply to the fibaro, and the multiple strips?

As for adding the Fibaro to Smartthings? How do I know if the thing is even working? Is there an LED or some way to know that it is on? I don’t know if Smartthings isn’t finding it because I didn’t wire it correctly, or if it is a software issue.

31

So, I was wondering: Can I actually afford a 65’ LED Strip project?

32

I just added the device type on ide and then went to device discovery on my phone. Is there something more specific I need to do?

33

I will take some picture tomorrow and post them

35

What device handler did you need for the Fibaro RGBW Controller? Can the handler be used to write a custom SmartApp to control color and brightness at specific rates (for example, change color or dim light from X to Y in N milliseconds)?

37

In the picture it appears that you have blue going to the power supplies output voltage, is that correct?

38

Is there a diagram somewhere that details what you are stating? I think I know what you saying

39

Hi,
The Fibaro RGBW controller manual says the max load is 144W(12V) and 288W(24V). Can we still use a 360W power supply?
I have bought the RGB LED strips (4 x 4m) and Fibaro RGBW controller and of course ST Hub, am now looking for the right power supply to buy.

41

I see this is an RGBW controller, however the strips themselves are only RGB. Has anyone found an RGBW strip that is comparable? My understanding is that an RGBW strip would have 5 wires instead of the 4 in this project. Is it safe to assume that upgrading to RGBW would simply entail different connectors? Everything else would still apply?

43

I’m looking to do this with Roughly ~55’ of LED strip lighting (under the eaves of the front of my house). My blueprint currently has 33’ on one run, and 22’ on another run. Each run will have extension cabling coming back into the fibaro (which… which means it will look pretty much exactly like the image from the original post).

The caveat here is that I’ve ordered and prepared for 12V installation, not 24V. Because I have each light-strip segregated into two different runs, will I be just fine on 12V? The power adapter that comes with my strip lighting says “12V, 6A” output (I was planning on splicing off the “nice” connector and just cramming it into the Fibaro as the power source). Do I need to order one online that is twice as powerful? Like, 12V 12A or something?

Thanks for the help!

44

Thanks to your inspiration, I tried a somewhat simpler project. My components are nearly identical to yours, if fewer. The Fibaro RGBW controller, SUPERNIGHT 10M 5050 Strip, and an ABI 24V 500W Outdoor Power Supply.

The only different item is the power supply, chosen for its high wattage and outdoor rating. This may have been a mistake, as I doubt the weather resistance of the box as I look at it (many holes for water or even insects to enter the circuit board!), and its fan is running consistently at a low, but noticeable sound level.

That said, the PS seems to work basically and I’ll worry about quieting it/further weatherproofing later. The Fibaro connects to the Smartthings using either the default driver or one of the custom drivers. However, I must have made mistakes in the wiring, perhaps abetted by lack of much included documentation, for none of the lights will light at all and, at least on the custom driver, the SmartThings will report an immediate switch off when I try to turn them on.

Here is how I’ve tried wiring the Fibaro:

  • Fibaro 12/24VDC Pin to the (+) pin on the PS.
  • Fibaro GND Pin to the (-) pin on the PS.
  • Fibaro R/G/B to the wires of the corresponding color (if somewhat confusingly different order) on the LED strip.
  • The white wire from the LED strip, to either the Fibaro’s White pin, the (+) pin on the PS, and the (-) pin on the PS

None of these work at all to produce any light. The only applicable wiring diagram in the Fibaro’s manual both feature LED strips with 5 wires (both labeled 12V, even the when PS is labeled 12/24V).

Any advice? I must be doing something obvious wrong. Does this strip need a terminator? Does it matter from which end I connect the power to the strip (lacking any suggestion on the packaging or otherwise, I connected to the end on the outside of the roll)?

45

So I will contribute something that does not seem to be mentioned that I am aware of having done a few of these, and I will also ask a question that perhaps somebody here can confirm the answer for…

So if you are doing a long line of these LED strips, first be aware that the 24V ones do draw less power than the 12V ones for the same brightness. But, even in the same voltage category of LED strips, you will find a lot of places are trying to offload their inventory of the older stuff that uses a lot more power - I saw a 5 meter strip of RGBW that was 96W and another (same LED count per strip) that was 60W - so there is a huge difference between the old and the newer strips - buyer beware!

The controller cannot have that much current passing through it, so when you get to where you are going to exceed the current of the controller, then get one of these: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MN7AFLC It is available for RGB or RGBW. This allows you to power the controller, but there is a separate power supply going to the LED strip, so that all of the current is not going through the controller. The “signal repeater” will act like an LED strip to your controller that is perhaps a few inches long, but it repeats on the connected strip at a power handling capacity that is much higher.

So now for the question I had - I do this with my outdoor lighting around my pool which currently uses the old Intermatic system with 12VDC transformer and good old incandescent bulbs… I ran the wire loop around through all of the bulbs, and then connected it back to the transformer. This distributes the current evenly so that you will not see any reduction in light for the bulbs at the end of the run. Every light is on at an equal amount. So the question is, if you are worried about the lights being dimmer at one end of a long run, why not just get an RGB or RGBW extension wire and do the same thing? Anybody know whether there are any issues with this? I am pretty sure the SMD LEDs will be fine with it.

1 Like
46

Bookmarked this for future reference. Thanks to the OP for posting this. I have projects coming up where this will be useful.

1 Like