How to Connect Two T1000s Pixel LED Controller

The term “cascading” may have appeared in the user manuals for pixel LED controllers. This feature of the pixel LED controller should, in our opinion, be dubbed “Networking“. The system is referred to as “Cascading“. To acquire a synchronized playback from each controller in the network, we connect two T1000s Pixel LED controller to collect. Depending on the controller model, the number of pixel LED controllers that can be networked varies (Read the controller user manual). The “Master” controller is the network’s initial pixel LED controller. The button functionality on other controllers will not operate when they are networked. Only the button functionalities on the master controller will operate.

Why Connect Two T1000s Controller?

Let’s take an example. Let’s say I have a T-1000 pixel LED controller which is a single port pixel LED controller. This controller can only control up to 2048 pixel LEDs using its single port. Now, Let’s say you have to program over 2048 pixel LEDs. Without networking, you can go to a multi-port pixel LED controller (Eg- T-4000, T-8000 ). However, this multi-port pixel LED controllers are ten times more expensive than the T-1000S pixel LED controllers. This is where networking pixel LED controllers come in handy. You can network these inexpensive pixel LED controllers to create your pixel LED system without having to buy an expensive pixel LED controller like the T-8000.

Another advantage is that if a controller in the network is broken, you can simply replace the damaged pixel LED controller without having to replace the entire network. Simple and low-cost. You must replace the entire device if you utilised a multi-port pixel LED controller, which is quite costly.

How Connect Two T1000s Controller?

Let’s look at How to Connect Two T1000s Pixel LED Controller. I’ll be using two T-1000s pixel LED controllers in this lesson. We’ll show you how this system operates as a whole using a bespoke animation.

As we discussed in our T-1000S pixel LED controller tutorial. We need to connect the power and the pixel led strings or strips to each pixel led controller in the network.

Power Supply Wiring: The controllers and the pixel LED strings/strips need to be connected to the power supply. You can use multiple power supplies. But, You have to use a common ground between the power supplies. If you are using a common power supply for the pixel LEDs and pixel LED controllers, You don’t have to connect the data Gnd of the pixel led strip/string to the controller.

Pixel LED wiring: The pixel LEDs need to be connected to the pixel LED controller through the data and clock terminals (depending on the type of pixel LED string/strip). The wiring should be according to the pixel LED layout and wiring pattern.

Networking Controllers

To Connect Two T1000s Pixel LED Controller. there are four terminals. Input A, INPUT B, OUTA, and OUT B. These are the four ports we need to connect pixel LED controllers. The two OUTPUTs of the previous controller should connect to the INPUTs of the next pixel LED controllers. The A terminal Should connect to the A terminals and the B terminals should connect to the B terminals.

Although The user manual says that you need to connect both A and B lines, We found out that that is not the case. The communication between the controllers happens through the B line. So, You may not have to connect both lines. Only the “B” line connection will do the job. Use color-coded wires for networking. It helps you not to mix up the wiring.

Programming

Please read our Tutorial on LED Edit 2014 software Tutorial Pixel LED Programming. We will skip the basics. Start LED Edit software.

Create a new project. Select your controller and pixel LED from the list. Click on “OK” at the end.

Creating the Layout

Create the layout as you wish. Use the manual layout editor or Automatic layout creator. If you are using a manual layout creator to create the layout, Create a port for every pixel LED controller in the network and connect the group of pixel LEDs in the layout to the particular port.

For this example, we will create a 64 x 64 panel layout using the Auto layout creator.

Click on “Project Configuration“. Then, Select “Auto Layout” from the drop-down menu.

In the Auto layout creator window. Type the number of pixel LEDs along the horizontal and vertical axis of your pixel LED layout.

Type the limitation of the pixel LED controller in the “Max Number of Pixels for each port” input field.

Select the connection pattern from the “Pattern” drop-down list.

Once all is done, click on “OK“.

In this example we have a 64 x 64 pixel LED which results in 4096 pixel LEDs. Since The K-1000C can only control up to 2048 pixel LEDs. The Automatic layout creator will create two separate ports. Each port represents a controller port (In this case two ports mean two controllers). This means in this case a new controller in the network (Since This controller has only one port). There is no connection between the two groups of pixel LED strings except for the power. Each pixel LED string groups data and clock lines will connect to the specific port of the controller. The above image shows the final layout of the pixel LED system.

Even though This system has two separate sections It works as a single layout. The result is the same as if you used a multi-port pixel LED controller. No different, except for the wiring and programming.

Recording | Programming

It is the same way you program your other pixel LED program. There is no difference.

Open a video, SWF, TOL animation or use a default animation by clicking on “Video effect” and selecting an option.

Once the animation or the video is opened click on the record button “Red dot“. Stop recording by clicking on the stop button “Green rectangle with white fill“.

Once recorded, Edit the recorded by clicking on the Edit recorded button. Please refer to the below article to know how to edit the recorded animation or video.

Exporting

Once your programming / Recording is done you can export your pixel LED effect. Click on “Export” and select “Export LED Effect (.led)“.

In the export settings window change the settings as you wish. Refer to tutorials for more info on exporting From Here.

After changing the settings, click on “Export“.

Select a location to save the LED effect files. Click on “OK“.

Copying The Files

If you go inside the “LED” folder that LED Edit software creates. There will be folders for each controller. With the controller number. Go inside these folders and copy the effect file inside the controller folder. Then, paste it into the root directory of the SD card. Number the SD card. Eg – The controller 1 SD card should be labeled “1” and so on. The Effect files should not be mixed.

Insert the SD cards to the pixel LED controllers that they belong to. E.g – The SD card that contains a program for the controller one should go inside the pixel LED controller one. Once all the SD cards have been inserted. Turn the power supplies ON. You will see the pixel LED system work as one unit. You can increase the number of pixel LEDs in the system by adding more pixel LED controllers to the system.

Troubleshooting