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Injecting power / how many nodes per power source
#1
Hi all. 

I have a 5v 60amp power supply.

I have made a matrix which is running 693 nodes. 

I have injected power as required but I have used all 3 outlets on the power pack. But I'm happy with how the matrix looks. 

I have 2x 5mtr strips (I think totalling 500ish leds) and another 400 leds on top that I'll be using elsewhere in the display. 

How many lights will the current power source power? Do I need a second power source for the rest of the lights or can I just screw them into the outputs I have already? 

Thanks in advance
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#2
hi,

you need to know how many watts per pixel or strip you are running.

volts x amps= watts 

so 5v x 60amps = 300 watts 


so if a pixel is 1 watt a 60amp power supply will power 300 pixels but never work to the max like that, always give yourself atleast a 10% buffer so work to 270watts rather than 300.
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#3
Pixels are typically 60ma per LED. Calculate the power consumption as Steve said and remember to allow for some spare capacity.

Note that LEDs will seldom use the max rated current due to a number of factors (i.e. voltage drop, thin wires etc). But its best to allow for the max rated current of the pixel string or strip.
Note also that with RGB leds the max current is only achieved when White is used (since Red,Green and Blue LEDs are used together to produce White). So always use White to check if you have sufficient power / power injection wires. If the end of the strip appears less bright than the start of the strip, or appears yellower, then you need to inject more power.

With regards the Power Supply, yes you can connect multiple wires to each of the 3 outputs. We always recommend the use of inline fuses, especially with a 60 amp power supply. 5 Volts is a very low voltage but if you get a short anywhere, 60 Amps will burn through wire very quickly (especially with thin wire) and often before any short-circuit protection on the power supply kicks in! Calculate the expected current for each power lead going to the power supply and fit an appropriately sized inline fuse (typically 5, 10 or 15 Amps).

You can use multiple power supplies if required (its best to use identical ones with the same power rating), but be sure to connect the negatives outputs of power supplies together to ensure you have a common negative reference for the data. We often connect 2 or 3 60 Amp power supplies together for large grids or pixel mega trees.

Craig
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