RGB LED's Now Consumer Grade - Hackable?

**pmcpa** · 11-05-2010, 05:27 PM

Any thoughts on hacking these to work DIY? The strings are fairly well constructed (I'm looking at a set night now I got to play with). Looks like the power Supply is 5V DC 3A per 50 nodes. Each node looks addressable.... It only comes with an RF Remote with 2 buttons, On/Off & Function

The are running them off 3 wires... I assume 5vdc+ 5vdc- and Data.
6x Triangle Security Screws Hold the box closed.... Not sure I have that bit yet (I only have 50 other security bits!)

http://www.santasbestcraft.com/produ...35-string-sets

**Entropy** · 11-06-2010, 12:40 AM

Scope/logic analyzer the data line.

Where did you buy yours? The link appears to be to GE's holiday lighting site?

**A Marchini** · 11-06-2010, 01:27 AM

Originally Posted by pmcpa

Any thoughts on hacking these to work DIY? The strings are fairly well constructed (I'm looking at a set night now I got to play with). Looks like the power Supply is 5V DC 3A per 50 nodes. Each node looks addressable.... It only comes with an RF Remote with 2 buttons, On/Off & Function

The are running them off 3 wires... I assume 5vdc+ 5vdc- and Data.
6x Triangle Security Screws Hold the box closed.... Not sure I have that bit yet (I only have 50 other security bits!)

http://www.santasbestcraft.com/produ...35-string-sets

DUDE THANK YOU FOR THAT Link! I saw these at Lowes and I couldn't find a single picture or anything.

I agree... they look like a good hack start...definitely need to get a scope on them.
They seem to individually addressable.

Tony M.

Have to back track...looks like groups of 3 are big for these units... not sure if they are individually addressable.

**budude** · 11-06-2010, 02:22 AM

Originally Posted by A Marchini

Have to back track...looks like groups of 3 are big for these units... not sure if they are individually addressable.

Yeah - saw that too - but then other functions seem to show them not in groups of three, not sure how they would do that if they were addressed as a group. Very cool - what's the pricing on these?

**Mactayl** · 11-06-2010, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by budude

Yeah - saw that too - but then other functions seem to show them not in groups of three, not sure how they would do that if they were addressed as a group. Very cool - what's the pricing on these?

If these are anything like the Gemmy Lights that I hacked each bulb has a chip with a red, green and blue led on it so you have 3 channels per bulb which gives you 7 possible colors for example.

1, Red = Red ----Channel 1
2, Green = Green ----Channel 2
3, Blue = Blue ----Channel 3
4, Red & Green = Yellow ----Channels 1 & 2
5, Green & Blue = Light Blue ----Channels 2 & 3
6, Red, Green & Blue = White ----Channels 1,2 & 3
7, Red & Green = Purple ----Channels 1 & 3

It' kind of a pain to program in Vixen because your using 3 channels for 7 colors but it can be done.

**pmcpa** · 11-06-2010, 08:20 AM

They are available online for around $99... but also at costco for $59

I may be a techie... but no scope do I own!

We kinda have to be quick about learning these things.... they might not be around for long, at least at costco.

They are individually addressable... cause some of the functions are color casing, and each bulb is assigned a color

THESE HAVE HUGE POTENTIAL!!!! We just need to get the stupid box off, and were done (For around $1 per NODE!)

**Mactayl** · 11-06-2010, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by pmcpa

They are available online for around $99... but also at costco for $59

I may be a techie... but no scope do I own!

We kinda have to be quick about learning these things.... they might not be around for long, at least at costco.

They are individually addressable... cause some of the functions are color casing, and each bulb is assigned a color

THESE HAVE HUGE POTENTIAL!!!! We just need to get the stupid box off, and were done (For around $1 per NODE!)

I may have to get one just to see if it is feasible just for the fun of it.

:mrgreen::mrgreen:

**pmcpa** · 11-06-2010, 08:40 AM

Click above... video shows one of the RGB Chasing functions individual bulbs.

Of course just before I shot this... I dropped the remote and one of the AAA batteries is long gone... into the hiding spaces of my workshop!

One good thing I see... these things remember their program even after a loss of power!

**Mactayl** · 11-06-2010, 08:48 AM

Some type of eeprom or memory I suppose to remember the sequence, I'm going wait and see if the price drops before I grab a set.

**budude** · 11-06-2010, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by Mactayl

It' kind of a pain to program in Vixen because your using 3 channels for 7 colors but it can be done.

:confused: - that's how all RGB stuff is? The various floods/strips are all sequenced this way. I just regroup my channels in Vixen so all of a certain color are together.

Anyway - yeah - maybe a trip to Costco is in my future...