How to get a delay between serial connected non-addressable RGB LED strips?

Other Hardware General Electronics
1

Hi there!

I'm making some spacey triangular disco ball mount that has non-addressable LE strips running along the sides. Three pieces - one for each side wired up in serial ( 12V DC / R / G / B ). Now they all change color at the same time, but I wondered if putting a little component in between the strips on each channel could make a delay?

So what my goal is:
Arduino sends color -> Strip 1 changes color -> 0.1 sec delay -> Strip 2 changes color -> 0.1 sec delay -> Strip 3 changes color

And being a newbie at electronics I have a hard time "guessing" what component it should be... An inductor sounds like the thing I need but I'm not sure?

Thanks,
Martin

2

You have 3 transistors that control when each color comes on?
Write your code to turn the transistors on & off as desired.

3

Yes I have a NPN-transistor for each RGB channel and I can change the color of the whole strip.

I have cut this strip into 3 pieces and have serial connected them and they work. I only have access to 12V DC and the RGB-channels. It only needs to be a delay in the change of color. I don't need to control every strip independently...

4

But you are controlling each color independently.

byte Red = 3;
byte Green = 5;
byte Blue = 6; // 3 WM channels?

void setup(){
pinMode (Red, OUTPUT);
pinMode (Green, OUTPUT);
pinMode (Blue OUTPUT);
}
void loop(){
digitalWrite (Red, HIGH);
delay (1000);
digitalWrite (Red, LOW);
delay (100);
digitalWrite (Green, HIGH);
delay (1000);
digitalWrite (Green, LOW);
delay (100);
digitalWrite (Blue, HIGH);
delay (1000);
digitalWrite (Blue, LOW);
delay (100);
}
5

Yes I control every color independently for the whole strip - the code is not the problem :slight_smile:

I've tried to illustrate my setup and what I want:

800×400 30.4 KB

Is it possible to add some electrical component on each of the RGB-wires within the circles on the right side, that will delay the change. I can read that the voltage raises and falls according to the change in color in the individual channels.

Does it make sense?

Thanks!

6

Here is a diagram that might help explaining the issue:

448×535 32.4 KB

7

MartinBollerup:
Yes I control every color independently for the whole strip - the code is not the problem :slight_smile:

I've tried to illustrate my setup and what I want:

That can't be done. You can't have different current in different parts of the same wire.

To do that you need to connect each section separately and control it with its own MOSFET.

8

fungus:
That can't be done. You can't have different current in different parts of the same wire.

See that should learn me something about basic electronics - thanks Fungus!