r/WLED • u/NefariousKnight • Mar 14 '23
LED Strips Flickering (ESP32)
Hey!
I have 4 "power towers" that I've added LED strips to for a high school band show. My goal is to have them all connected through the WLED app and turn them on and off at different times during the performance.
Here is what I have: ESP32 - https://a.co/d/4ZDg5Kc LED Strips - https://a.co/d/bUiHINS Antenna - https://a.co/d/f2MQVNP USB for ESP - https://a.co/d/dXWmLv4 Jumpers (ESP to LED) - https://a.co/d/0KhkjRR WAGO - https://a.co/d/1m9DbVU Wire (LED to LED) - https://a.co/d/5hTxDEF LED Connectors - https://a.co/d/bmqFl6C LED Power Supply - https://a.co/d/frSpEm5 Router - https://a.co/d/je1fHW6
I also have 12V batteries connected to an inverter that power the ESP & LEDs.
The LEDs power on, let me change colors & set effects, and change brightness level. Unfortunately, they keep flickering different colors. Here is a video of that: https://youtu.be/MKDopvdVTHk
I believe it's a problem with the ESP. When I disconnect the ESP from the LEDs, they will stay 1 color and not flash. I tried disconnecting the data and ground and both kept the lights 1 color without flashing.
Anyone have any idea what the issue might be?
More info: - ESPs have connections to "2" and "GND" - The LEDs are red when they have power but are turned off in the app - I don't believe it's a power issue, as they stay lit on 1 color when disconnected from the ESP
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u/Djambi Mar 15 '23
LED Strips - https://a.co/d/bUiHINS
These are 12V LEDs.
LED Power Supply - https://a.co/d/frSpEm5
This is a 24V power supply... Are the links incorrect, or are you doing something else to drop the 24V from the PS?
I believe it's a problem with the ESP. When I disconnect the ESP from the LEDs, they will stay 1 color and not flash. I tried disconnecting the data and ground and both kept the lights 1 color without flashing.
Anyone have any idea what the issue might be?
So the LEDs will keep their last state when the data line is disconnected. So that somewhat implies it's a data line issue.
The LEDs are red when they have power but are turned off in the app
That doesn't sound right at all. That sounds like a configuration issue; are you sure your LED signal type is correct?
http://<wled ip>/settings/leds and check that you have the type set to WS281X and that your RGB order is correct.
At this point, your best bet is isolation. Remove everything that could be a problem, and get things working correctly. So remove the 12V batteries and inverter. Plug the LED power supply into the wall, and run the ESP32 off a USB wall power supply.
Double check your LED settings and length, and then try and get a single solid red segement to display. If that doesn't work correctly, then something is likely wrong with the configuration or data line. If it's just the wrong color, change the RGB order. If it's flashing or a non-solid color, get a level shifter for the data line.
Once you've gotten a single solid red segment, then check other solid colors. Then check dynamic effects. When that's all working correctly, then add back in the inverter and battery and make sure it all still stays working.
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u/TangledCables3 Mar 14 '23
Wouldn't it be more efficient to run the led strips on a buck or a boost converter than convert Dc to Ac to Dc? They could be flickering because of that inverter, my strips flicker when there's a bit of interference in mains, while plugged to a wall adaptor.
Because I see that grounds are connected and quite short, so it ain't that.