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pwm/driver troubleshooting


Ryan110484

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I've been struggling to find an answer to this throughout the day, so hoping someone knows the solution.

 

When I turn on the PWM signal to my LED the first channel will turn fully on, but it is also turning the second channel on faintly. I've tried multiple drivers. The drivers are LDD-H and are attached to stevesleds 4 channel PWM to analog controller which is receiving its signal from an apex. In the photos you can see what I am trying to explain. In the first photo the first PWM signal is hooked up to the blues and the second signal is hooked up to the cyan. The PWM signal to the cyan is fully off and the blue signal is fully on. However, the cyan is turned on slightly. Same goes for the amber/white LEDs. Any thoughts?

 

 

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Some details about how the Apex, StevesLEDs controller, and LDDs are hooked up to each other would be nice.

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The 0-10v signals from the Apex are coming through the VDM ports and wired into the top side of stevesleds 0-10 to PWM converter, where the input is received. On the left side of the converter, from top to bottom, is PWM output 1-4, Vin, 5Vin, Gnd and Gnd. The PWM signals then go to the next board with the drivers and are attached to the PWM signal for each driver with a ground from the controller running to the driver board to connect the grounds. The PWM signals are not currently connected in the photo.

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From the Apex to the StevesLED board, is that 4 channels coming in, or just two? If it's two, then it looks fine. If it's 4, then you have it wired wrong. Each connector is one channel (signal and ground).

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A simple test may be to hook up just one LED (a few spares would be ideal) to each channel and see if the problem persists. At least with just a single LED on each channel you will be able to identify the wiring easier so you don't get wires mixed up. This will at least allow you to verify that the Apex, StevesLEDs controller, and the LDD board are all working as expected. If not, then the problem lies somewhere there. If everything with the test LEDs is working, then the problem lies with the array that you have built.

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Well I've tried testing things out and no matter how it's wired, as long as two PWM signals are going in, 1 of the LEDs is slightly on. I tried wiring up all 4 PWM signals and when the power is turned on channel 1 turns on slightly. When I turn the PWM fully on channel 1 it turns channel 2 on slightly. When channel 2 is turned on it turns on chance three slightly and the same goes for channel 4. Completely puzzled on this one.

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Ok, so let's start at the beginning: The Apex VDM module.

 

On the RJ45 cable that comes from the VDM, it should have two jacketed cables, each with 4 wires (black, red, yellow, and green). Only the black and red wires are used, and stupidly, they seem to be backwards from common logic, making red ground and black positive. No idea why they did that, but that's the way it is. Make 100% sure that you have it wired correctly.

 

If that's correct, then get a multimeter and start looking at the voltages coming from each channel. I would check like this (with nothing else connected):

  • Set Ch1 to 50% output, Ch2 to 0%. Measure voltage on Ch1 and Ch2. Report what you find.
  • Set Ch2 to 50% output, Ch1 to 0%. Measure voltage on Ch1 and Ch2. Report what you find.
  • Set Ch3 to 50% output, Ch4 to 0%. Measure voltage on Ch3 and Ch4. Report what you find.
  • Set Ch4 to 50% output, Ch3 to 0%. Measure voltage on Ch3 and Ch4. Report what you find.

This will at the least show you if the VDM module is at fault and is actually bringing up the voltage on a channel that is not being actively controlled.

 

Give that a shot and we'll go from there once you tell us what you find.

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