I call it ground now! I drew this before I started reading and errantly named it neutral on the plans. I’ll have to figure out where I can pick up resistors or order online, I haven’t found any electronics or decent hobby stores in the area yet.
This one probably looks weird because it’s a pinball machine and I’m just using the data line from its existing led strips. They were probably smart enough to put a resistor as you mention in line on the way to the strips and maybe I’m hijacking the signal from before the line gets to it. I wonder if I can find schematics to tell me.
Voltages at each strip are reading 4.9 to 5.05 consistent, just for fun I checked data line voltages and they’re all sitting at 2.3. The wiring block I’m using is really ugly and I intend to clean it up when everything is working well. Anyway, I’ll show pics in a second. The colors at the Molex connectors aren’t by the book because I was using what I had around, but the game’s power is passed through, and I tapped into each side’s data and ground in the Molex connector as I pinned them.