zozo
Member
That looks indeed as a nice little device, for that price.. 🙂 Thanks for sharing....
Does it also come with a sunrise/sunset dim feature in its timer?
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TC420/421
- Thread starter Daveslaney
- Start date
That looks indeed as a nice little device, for that price.. 🙂 Thanks for sharing....
Does it also come with a sunrise/sunset dim feature in its timer?
Looks good
Output current: 4A * 3 CH - suggests it can handle 4amps per channel, or is that total amps
rebel
Member
- Joined
- 4 Aug 2015
- Messages
- 2,265
Unfortunately not. The code would be so simple to implement but these are not designed for aquariums. More for dance parties where RGB lights are synced to the music.....
Mine can only handle about 6 time points for dimming also but that doesn't matter too much to me, for garden lights.
But it does have very simple on-off functionality and timer for your purpose.
There are many versions of this box available on the interwebs with various connectors.
zozo
Member
I'm not sure, according to this seller the rgb 90 and rgb 120 cannot be dimmed. (But it says "manualy", what ever that means.)
https://www.aquasabi.com/Chihiros-LED-System-Series-RGB
The TC420/21 is a Puls Width Modulation (PWM) dimmer requires a constant voltage between 12 and 24 DC at max 4 amp per channel.
What could be of help to get to the bottom of it is look what the power supply says. Does it for example say DCV 12 or 24 at 70 watt. Than it is a Constant Voltage setup. And the answer should be Yes..
Does it say for example output 30 volt and X Milli-Amp something like 700mA or 1000mA. Than it is a Constant Current setup and the answer is No. At least not with the TC420 directly..
Constant Current leds require a Dimmable Driver with an equal voltage and milli amp output.
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/opinions-on-chihiros-rgb-please.51646/
zozo
Member
Well could be as stated in the given link from the previous ukaps discussion about it. That the standerd RGB serie dimmer isn't up to the 70 watt +.
If it is 12 volt, mind the TC has a max 4 amp load per channel. 12 x 4 = 48 watt.. Makes it a no go for 1 channel only at 70 watt.
Is it 24 volt makes it 24 x 4 = 96 watt, than its ok..
Anyway, the todays standard of dimming LED on constant voltage is PWM dimming. Looks like the commander 4 is hooked up behind the PSU splitting it up into 4 channels. Specs are not given but it likely is a pwm device.
Dimmable driver, actualy is a constant current PSU that have a seperate 0/10 volt dim port or a 5 volt PWM dim port.
The actual PWM signal ranges between 0 and 5 volt at different frequencies. To make it dim a constant voltage led it needs a bit more electronics.
For future references you could by a simple PWM motor controller with a potentiometer.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3V-35V-12V...=item4b1bff08d6:g:VfYAAOSw7GRZKUR2:rk:12:pf:0
If you hook this between the light and the original PSU and turn the knob and it dims, than you are good to go with any PWM dim device taking the wattage. If the leds do nothing or start to flicker it is no good. But as said if the Driver/PSU specifies mA output it most likely is constant current and not directly dimmable over the power line. 🙂
If it is 12 volt, mind the TC has a max 4 amp load per channel. 12 x 4 = 48 watt.. Makes it a no go for 1 channel only at 70 watt.
Is it 24 volt makes it 24 x 4 = 96 watt, than its ok..
Anyway, the todays standard of dimming LED on constant voltage is PWM dimming. Looks like the commander 4 is hooked up behind the PSU splitting it up into 4 channels. Specs are not given but it likely is a pwm device.
Dimmable driver, actualy is a constant current PSU that have a seperate 0/10 volt dim port or a 5 volt PWM dim port.
The actual PWM signal ranges between 0 and 5 volt at different frequencies. To make it dim a constant voltage led it needs a bit more electronics.
For future references you could by a simple PWM motor controller with a potentiometer.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3V-35V-12V...=item4b1bff08d6:g:VfYAAOSw7GRZKUR2:rk:12:pf:0
If you hook this between the light and the original PSU and turn the knob and it dims, than you are good to go with any PWM dim device taking the wattage. If the leds do nothing or start to flicker it is no good. But as said if the Driver/PSU specifies mA output it most likely is constant current and not directly dimmable over the power line. 🙂
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Eloed
Seedling
Hi All! I bought a tc 421 and I want to use it with 3w power leds, with an 42VDC constant current witch drives 5 LDD-700H! Each channel has an LDD driver! I pached the MOSFET legs but if I do a measureing on the patched cable the voltage is mutch over 5V! How can I drive the LDD-700s with the tc421?!?!
zozo
Member
The driver should have a PWM dim port..
I actualy have no idea, afaik from the TC420 it should be a 5 volt PWM signal.. Maybe they changed something in the TC421. Check the PWM port specs from the driver. PWM signal can be higher and than the specs should say something like "Signal Input Range 3,3 ~ 20 Volt"..
If the driver isn't dimmable you need an extra device. Something like this but than rated for 42 VDC input instead.
zozo
Member
That's a constant voltage power sup. 🙂
But as said above at VDC 24 than 1 channel from the TC can only take 4Amp - 96 watt.. If you only can connect the light to 1 channel and the light consumes more than 96 Watt you'll likely burn the TC.
Than the TC is not for your light without modifying it..
zozo
Member
Yes like that and connect a dimmer with PWM port that can handle the lights power consumption
Yes 🙂 I've seen it, it's interesting indeed, few years ago i was searching for something like this to auto dim 220VAC Metal Halides spots. Thus i ditched the spots because it didn't excist. Now it does, but i do not need it anymore.
Eloed
Seedling
I have the upgraded TC421, it seens not the sameThe driver should have a PWM dim port..
I actualy have no idea, afaik from the TC420 it should be a 5 volt PWM signal.. Maybe they changed something in the TC421. Check the PWM port specs from the driver. PWM signal can be higher and than the specs should say something like "Signal Input Range 3,3 ~ 20 Volt"..
If the driver isn't dimmable you need an extra device. Something like this but than rated for 42 VDC input instead.
Hi Zozo!The driver should have a PWM dim port..
I actualy have no idea, afaik from the TC420 it should be a 5 volt PWM signal.. Maybe they changed something in the TC421. Check the PWM port specs from the driver. PWM signal can be higher and than the specs should say something like "Signal Input Range 3,3 ~ 20 Volt"..
If the driver isn't dimmable you need an extra device. Something like this but than rated for 42 VDC input instead.
The driver have a dim port! But if I connect the patched mosfet port with the driver dim port, it’s do nothing! I think the new tc421 is not the same as the old...
Upper the new one, under the old! The mosfets are the same but i cant find the pwm modul... The voltage on the mosfet gate can be the same as the currant has... “24V”... It’s not good...
zozo
Member
The PWM module should be bellow the WIFI module, as can be seen in bellow picture that is shot from an angle.
But what is different in the circuit i have no idea.. Unfortunately i'm not equiped to find it out myself.. Not with the documentation and not with the proper tools. That actualy makes me a Script Kidie or Copycat only understanding the basics for now.. I have to wait till someone figurs it out and takes the time to explain. I guess it wont be long till some electronic wizard does want to connect high power leds to the tc421. Till now i didn't find any documentation about it. I got the above picture from a local Circuits online Forum.. Even there yet nobody got the idea to modify the TC421.
Maybe contacting
http://www.tc420.net/connecting-high-power-LEDs-to-the-TC420.php
Might be of help.
But what is different in the circuit i have no idea.. Unfortunately i'm not equiped to find it out myself.. Not with the documentation and not with the proper tools. That actualy makes me a Script Kidie or Copycat only understanding the basics for now.. I have to wait till someone figurs it out and takes the time to explain. I guess it wont be long till some electronic wizard does want to connect high power leds to the tc421. Till now i didn't find any documentation about it. I got the above picture from a local Circuits online Forum.. Even there yet nobody got the idea to modify the TC421.
Maybe contacting
http://www.tc420.net/connecting-high-power-LEDs-to-the-TC420.php
Might be of help.
Hello, this threads seems like a cornucopia of knowledge for a LED DIY project, however there is one question on my mind I didn't see answered so far.
How much power can be supplied through the DC jack on a TC420/421? I'm getting a TC421 myself, but one might assume (I know the dangers) that they are similar in this respect. On all the websites I've found detailing information about the device same images and phrases are used:
"③POWER：It is DC plug, when the load power is small, can choose this port to input voltage."
But what counts as a small load? I.e. how many Amperes can be safely drawn through this DC port. I will be using 12V LED strips, not that it should matter for the input.
I'm still considering my options when it comes to AC/DC converters, and the one I have a liking for is a 156W one with a DC plug. And I'd hate to void the warranty right out of the gate.
So help is much appreciated!
How much power can be supplied through the DC jack on a TC420/421? I'm getting a TC421 myself, but one might assume (I know the dangers) that they are similar in this respect. On all the websites I've found detailing information about the device same images and phrases are used:
"③POWER：It is DC plug, when the load power is small, can choose this port to input voltage."
But what counts as a small load? I.e. how many Amperes can be safely drawn through this DC port. I will be using 12V LED strips, not that it should matter for the input.
I'm still considering my options when it comes to AC/DC converters, and the one I have a liking for is a 156W one with a DC plug. And I'd hate to void the warranty right out of the gate.
So help is much appreciated!
zozo
Member
Yes the qeustion is answered several times.. 🙂 The power load is 4 amp per channel, regardless which input connector you use, the jackplug or the screw connectors.
To get to the initial power in Watts per channel than multiply Voltage with Amp
in case DC 12 volt it's 12 x 4 Amp = 48 Watt..
In case DC 24 volt it's 24 x 4 Amp = 96 Watt.
That is per channel, thus x 5 is total load of the device.
🙂
Yet not have seen this description do you have a link?
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I know that, but I am concerned with the DC jack input, max output for the device is indeed 20 Amps, but on the descriptions the DC input jack is "rated" for "small loads".
It is a shop link, and I am not here to promote or advertise. Is it OK if I post it anyway as a reference? I can post the image I mean and post the description below if that is enough.
①RESET：For the reset key, when the controller is dead, it can touch the key to the reposition, only for the chip reset, not the initialization reset.
②USB：It is USB signal joint entrance, when epistatic machine model after editing, can through the USB line to download to the controller.
③POWER：It is DC plug, when the load power is small, can choose this port to input voltage.
Michael Cosgrove
Member
