How do I remove 8 function controller from light string?

piesrule58

piesrule58

New member
I have some icicle lights with 8 function controllers on them. Can somebody please explain how to remove them so I can controll the icicles with a Grinch.
Pictures or a sketch would be helpful.

Thanks, Terry
 
Easy! It was the first thing I learnt how to do! I'm sure you won't have any problems.
 

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Well it's about the only thing I've got right so far! ;)

If you (or anyone else) wonders how you connect it to an SSR, it's dead easy. Neutral you keep connected with a power wire and each one of the strands coming from the lights goes into the 1-4 outputs and then wire from the power goes into AC. It's pretty obvious once you work out how the controller's connected though. Might take a quick swap around to find out which it string 1, string 2, etc.
 
Changing controller speed

It is also possible to change the speed of the controller. It changes the speed of all of the 8 functions. Can be handy for some special effects.

Inspect the circuit closely. You will discover one resistor that purely connects one IC pin to another IC pin. That is the timing resistor. Reduce its value to speed up the controller. Increase it to slow it down. Or change it to a variable resistor so you can alter it at will.
this may or maynot work on newer controllers...
read more here http://computerchristmas.com/christ...an_8-function_controller_remember_the_setting
 
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How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

Hi,

I have some 16pc LED Fibre Optic Light strings (Pictures attached) I want to remove or modify the 8 function controller so it becomes a simple on - off set. I believe it is a bit more complicated than mini light sets because of the resistors etc. They run off a 24v wall wart. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Terry

led's 002.jpg

led's 004.jpg
 
Re: How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

What controller/ssr combination are you planning on using to control the leds ?

Can you post a picture of the underside of the board as sometimes there can be components/links mounted there.

I have done what you want to some different sets of led lights that use that basic controller so I will be able to help.


Craig.
 
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Re: How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

Hi.. Ok, i tryed to figure it out, but i can't figure out the values..

Theres 3 'channels' in that controller.. Is there four wires going out to the leds? One will be a common ( probably tied to ground, although not entirely guarrenteed )....

each channel will need a resistor in series with it...
 
Re: How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

From my understanding - and so far it's worked for me, but that's no guarantee :grin: - you remove the controller based on the same principal as removing it from a incandescent set. So there will be each of your channels and 1 neutral/power/common, whatever you want to call it.

As MPH has said, the difference is that you will need a resistor for each string of LEDs and that will go on each of the "channels" you removed. Another tricky thing you'll have to take note of is each coloured LED will be slightly different so you'll end up needing different resistors for each channel. I used this site http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz to calculate the resistor I needed. Another note is that they'll be 1 watt resistors, they're a bit bigger (in size) than the ones we normally use for boards. Those 16 light strings you're talking about are 4 channels of 4 LEDS each (4 different colours) so you'll need to do a seperate calculation for each. Just use the standard measurements the calculator gives you for each colour as they're not special LEDs.

As a little tip - I took apart one of these sets to just see what was going on and how it was wired up. I found that ultra helpful to understand how it all worked, but you may not want to do that if you've only got a limited amount of lights.

One thing I’m unsure of is that I have 1 set of static LED lights that had a bridge rectifier on it (I believe that’s 4 diodes in like a diamond configuration and something about it changes AC to DC??) and this set doesn’t. Like the resistors, I think it might be “hidden” in the controller – there are certainly 4 diodes on the controller, but they’re not in that diamond configuration. Being the total noob I am, maybe someone with more knowledge can say if the modified LEDs need a rectifier on it as well?
 
Re: How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

Hi Terry

These controllers are usually 2 or 4 channels. I think this one is a 4 chanel (so there will be 2 wires coming in and 5 wires going out. (But I can't quite see either)

On the conventional controllers I've pulled to bits the transistor looking things are SCRs - the power fed to the lights is full wave rectified but with no filtering so the voltage drops enough to turn the SCR off a couple of times/cycle .
(I'm hoping that capacitor at the bottom is there as backup power to the chip when its not powered so it remembers its setting)

Those 4 resistors in a row - they don't usually appear on the boards I've seen for non - led lights - I'd look to see if they are the series resistors mrpackethead is referring to. They will be in series with 4 of the five wires going out. The other end of the resistors will end up on one of the 4 scr's.

The thing I find interesting with these controllers is that they actually send (unfiltered) DC to the lights. Obviously DC is necessary for LED strings.. but they seem to do it with the minis as well. I guess its a cheaper way to do it?

Are you planning to put a ssroz on the 24V to control them? If that's the plan then I guess all we need to figure out is to how to bypass the controller chip and make sure the 4 SCRs stay on all the time that power is on to the controller.. changing a couple of tracks ought to do it.

That's probably the easist way.. you can use the power supply you already have and the resistors already there will do the trick.

As already mentioned - can we have some clearer pictures on the front and back of the board?

Tim
 
Re: How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

And... as tp pointed out you might need a different resistor per led colour. Looking at the pic all the resistors are the same value (as far as I can tell)... looking at the packaging in the pic ... its looks like only one colour of leds being used? AHA!

Do you want each of the channels to switch all together or 4 separate channels?
 
Re: How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

Thanks Guys

I have attached 2 more pictures (I hope they help)
I hope to run these off a Grinch and SSROZ.
They are only one colour (clear)
I would like all 16 LED's to turn off and on together.
Wall Wart that came with them is 24v AC 150mA 3.6VA.
I would prefer to modify board if possible.
My electrical knowledge is ZERO so simpler the better.

Thanks again, Terry

led's2 001.jpg

led's2 008.jpg
 
Re: How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

Terry,

Do you want to trash to board or be able to reinstate it as a controller later on. It would also be easier if you used 1 set of lights per oz ssr board that way you could re usethe plugpack.

Craig.
 
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Re: How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

Ok, picture helps no end..

This is defintinly a four channel devices. The four resistors together i can't quite make out the colours.. Is it yellow - brown - black - gold ??

On the small black three legged devices, is there any writing?

I'm picking they are a small FET. The controller IC, is that thing in the middle.. The rest of its just a power supply.. ( rectifying diodes and a cap ).
 
Re: How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

Here's the tracks that are switched by the FET/SCR.

My first Idea is to bridge the tracks shown in Red

This will definitely void the warranty. but it looks like this will take out the controller bit.

(usual disclaimers - its up to you I take no responsibility etc!!)

Someone with more knowledge then me might want to comment on any potential side effects of this on the controller itself. Maybe if you cut the tracks to the gate of the Fet/SCR to be sure. MPH or others - advice?

Tim
 

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Re: How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

prof said:
Terry,

Do you want to trash to board or be able to reinstate it as a controller later on. It would also be easier if you used 1 set of lights per oz ssr board that way you could re usethe plugpack.

Craig.
Click to expand...

If I need to trash the board I will. Hopefully TimW's idea will work. I have a large 24v transformer (25A) so I will not be using the plugpack that came with it.
 
Re: How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

Try this if you dont mind unsoldering the components. You can keep all the connections to the LEDs intact and reuse the plugpack and the original housing the board came in.
 
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Re: How do I remove 8 function controller from LED string?

prof said:
Try this if you dont mind unsoldering the components. You can keep all the connections to the LEDs intact and reuse the plugpack and the original housing the board came in.
Click to expand...

Sorry prof, but I don't understand. I want the whole set to be run on 1 channel and I won't be using the plugpack (I will have a bunch of 24v sets running off one large transformer) Like I said, I am not very bright when it comes to electricity so I need simple instructions. Sorry for being a pain.

Thanks, Terry
 
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