I’m so sorry I missed this thread back earlier this year! As part of my kitchen remodel (for which I got 10 Red dimmers), I had literally just finished installing Lightify LED strips above and below the new cabinets when the official announcement for this product came out. Now I’ll miss out.
[quote=“Eric_Inovelli, post:63, topic:24, full:true”]
Do you have an idea of when this amplifier would be available? Planning on doing some major remodel with rgbw light strips but I need a lot more than 16ft for my plans. Already have one room with a rgbw controller hooked up to a amplifier.
Hi all, first post here.
Just wondering if you know how the animations will work with the “T” connector?
Does the animation split and continue down both forks?
Also, if the “T” connector is placed right off of the controller would you be able to run 2 of the 16foot lengths off of one controller?
Thanks so much!
Animations will go down the straight side of the connector. When it reaches the end, it will continue on from the other side of the connector, like this:
I believe the current firmware supports up to 130 “pixels” (each pixel being an RGB LED). There are 8 pixels per foot, so this would mean a potential maximum of 16 feet with the current firmware. Since the T connector is not splitting the signal into 2 simultaneous strips, you would not be able to run 2 16-foot sections as this would exceed the 130 pixel maximum (32 feet would be 256 pixels). The controller also has a 2-amp limit and will automatically dim the LEDS if this limit is exceeded. Even if you could run more than 130 pixels (future firmware updates may be able to increase the limit), you would likely need an additional power inserter in order to maintain full brightness
This is exactly the info I was looking for! Thanks so much!
Also, on a side note, if it’s possible to make them split and go down each fork I feel like it could make for some pretty cool animations.
It is theoretically possible to build such a splitter, but I have not tested it myself (and I dont know if Inovelli has any plans to create one at this time)
Here is how the LEDs are controlled:
This looks like something that I could set up if I had a couple of their extension wires. Just have to cut them and strip the wires and connect them up appropriately.
Thanks so much for the info! This is a way better answer than I could have hoped for!
Also just noticed that based on this wiring, is it not possible to individually control the warm white and cold white? Based on this it looks like they are only controllable as a group…while the RGBIC is individually addressable. Basically looks like CW and WW are just used as ambient light while the RGBIC is used for the fancy stuff.
You are correct. The Warm White and Cold White LEDs are physically different LEDS from the RGB module. WW and CW are both separate channels and are not individually addressable
Thanks for the diagram. The fact that the white are not individually addressable is disappointing but I still have plenty of uses for the ones I ordered and the way the T will work is pretty interesting as well. Could make for whole new styles of icicle lights that would be much easier to set up.
A follow up question though for the T. What happens if there are multiple Ts? Will it go down the main “straightaway” first then come back to the T split off in order?
Yes, but in reverse order. Once the signal reaches a T junction, it will completely evaluate both ends of that T before any previous T junctions.
Ctrlr -> T1 -A1-> T2 -A2->
|B1 |B2
V V
In the above, it’ll do A1, A2, B2, B1 because the signal has to complete all of A1 (including any T’s on it) before it can begin B1.
I thought so at first too, but then I realized a few things:
It will go down the straightaway first, then each leg (starting from the leg farthest away and working its way back to the controller)
Thanks for the answer. The reason I mention individually controlling white is because most of my colored lighting has 2 purposes. Decorative or informative. If it is informative, to date, it has been pretty basic because most things only allow one color. This would allow multiple elements to be covered at once (like the Inovelli LED bars on switches, but able to be put somewhere more visible).
The decorative is the biggest (by far) for my household and again breaks out into two categories. Single color generalized lighting (meaning single color at a time for an area, not necessarily just Red, or just Green) OR small areas of lights as distinct colors. Right now we have a tough time doing that latter one without going to WiFi and some other system (like my Particle Photons). A common example would be Christmas lighting. We were going to have these go red/green/white in a pattern across the front of the house, or side or such. Or behind a window. But since the white is not individually controllable, have to change the plan. Still have uses and since they are not arriving in time to put up anyways it is a moot point.
Something to keep in mind here-
The RGB pixel can do a pretty decent white if you turn all 3 channels on and the blue down a bit to adjust color temp.
However the white LEDs are WAY brighter than the RGB pixel. An RGB pixel at 100% on all 3 channels is about as bright as either warm or cool white at about 35%. The white LEDs are REALLY bright.
I don’t consider this a flaw, but rather a flexibility- the white LEDs are good for useful illumination, the RGB is good for color washes, animations, notifications and tweaking the color temp of the white pixels.
Point is, while the white LEDs are used for some whole-strip effects, you probably wouldn’t want to use them in a pixel effect anyway as they’d over power the RGB.
I was referring to running a white pixel, with no RGB at that same point. So you have one white, the next one down the line is red, next one green, etc… Dimming the white so they are on a relative level.
I understand it is the way it is, and I still have plans for them. I just wanted to express my opinion that individually addressable lights typically are expected to EACH be individually addressable. Maybe I am too used to the SK6812 LED strips I have.
Easy. For that white pixel, on the RGB LED turn on red and green and blue all together so it creates white. Then it’s at the same brightness as the other colors.
Any updates on a ship date?
Unless the RGB LEDs are very precisely engineered it is unlikely to become a nice clean white color. RGB LEDs blend to make a somewhat white color, that is true and a feature I use often (for example on my pixel ring clocks). But it is never as nice of a white as having truly white LEDs integrated. Which is why it is nice that Inovelli planned for the white LEDs as part of the overall strip.
Yes, it should’ve arrived to the US today 
Flight #1 = NH8432 (Shanghai to Tokyo)
Flight #2 = NH8402 (Tokyo to Chicago)
It’s now awaiting customs clearance which @Courtney_Inovelli and team are working on now.
Great news! I’m justt dying to dig my proverbial teeth into these strips!