I'm installing 4 LED light strips (one on each arm) and will be programming them to work together. Two inside LEDs on each strip will change green to blue for arm/disarm status and the two outsides will indicate pitch/roll status. So I'm assuming that as they're all working together that I need to connect the signal wires in series with signal out from the first strip going to sig in on the second and so on with signal out from the last strip going to the LED signal pad on the FC.  Just want to confirm as someone told me naw, just solder all 4 signal wires to the FC which doesn't sound correct to me.

I haven't done that yet, but it's on my list. I'll be curious to see the responses, but gut would say to have the fewest wires going direct to FC as possible.

Found the answer. If you look at this diagram, they're connected in series.

Yes, in series, this way you can address led 1, led 2 and so forth. If they were connected all to one pin, they would be all led number one (or zero, whatever)

Perfect, thanks. Best part is I get to tell my obnoxious friend that he's WRONG Bwahahaha

LED pad FC --> in LED1 out --> in LED2 out --> in LED3 out --> in LED4

FC should be the first in the row, not the last. Configure LED 1-16 in Betaflight.

(24-Nov-2016, 01:33 AM)Luc Wrote: LED pad FC --> in LED1 out --> in LED2 out --> in LED3 out --> in LED4

FC should be the first in the row, not the last. Configure LED 1-16 in Betaflight.

Never thought of that, thanks!  I've been playing with them on the bench tonight and just trying different configurations, and it's giving me some ideas.  I could easily put a spare Naze or F3 EVO on my Tarot 650 and design a very cool light show.  I'm also in the middle of a mini build and using the Brain RE1 with dRonin which doesn't have as advanced LED options as in BF.  But there's no reason I couldn't stack a stripped down board on top of the Brain strictly for LED control.  Just a matter of if the PDB could handle the extra amp draw. But from what I understand, they consume very little power

16 LEDs are too much just for the pdb...worst case is 60mA x 16 = 960mA (only LEDs, no CAM, no RX, no FC). You should use an additional BEC only for LEDs.

(24-Nov-2016, 02:18 PM)Luc Wrote: 16 LEDs are too much just for the pdb...worst case is 60mA x 16 = 960mA (only LEDs, no CAM, no RX, no FC). You should use an additional BEC only for LEDs.

I don't think 16 leds will be a problem.  Each pixel on a WS2812 only draws 20mA and it's unlikely you'll have all 3 pixels lit at the same time.  Even if you did, most PDB 5V out can handle the draw.  Cleanflight supports up to 32 leds. Go for it!

Yeah, I checked before ordered them. WS2812B and they only draw 15 mah

Is it not 15 mah for each color in the led, so a RGB led can draw 45 mah, if you use the white colour.

I'm going to use a separate BEC for the leds, so i know for sure i'm not going destroy my FC.
I think you can connect the power lines in a star configuration, so with open ends and only run the signal wire through all the leds in serrie, but i'm not sure about this.

Renov8r, get those LEDs working? How bout a pic?

Haha not yet. Pretty busy and I was waiting for a few things to come from GetFPV. I got a Luminier LED PDB which is going to make the wiring a lot cleaner. The only thing is I'm using dRonin software which doesn't have all the cool configuration that Cleanflight does.

Alright, I got them installed.  Thank god for fine tip soldering irons and magnifying glass, that was a lot of soldering and the pads on the Luminier PDB are tiny.  I would have liked to stack it underneath the FC and PDB but being a 220 frame, there's just not enough room.  So I mounted it on the bottom of the frame with 5 mm spacers and calibrated some Christmas lights.