On 08/13/2014 12:07 PM, Mykle Hansen wrote:
Paul, what power supply would you recommend for approximately 1200 LEDS ( 8 x 5 meters x 30 lights/meter)?
I prefer to budget 50 mA per RGB LED. So 1200 LEDs would be 60 amps. Some people suggest 60 mA per RGB LED. If you're absolutely sure your software will always restrict the brightness, or won't ever turn on more than some fraction of them at once, you might be able to get by with a smaller power supply. At Maker Faire 2013 in San Mateo, the Crashspace guys did exactly that (2000 LEDs on a fairly small power supply) and it ran all weekend. It did have some issues, but I'm told they were not related to the power supply.
I have a few extra 5 volt, 40 amp power supplies left over from prior projects. They work great. In fact, we used them to run LEDs at Toorcamp. I'm pretty sure I paid approx $30 each for them. I'd be happy to sell you some for $25 each. Two should give you plenty of power for 1200 LEDs, or you might be able to get by with only one if you're careful with your software.
Those cheap power supplies are meant to be attached to a metal case, to help dissipate heat. They don't have fans. If you skimp on cooling, test carefully to make sure they're not getting really hot. More expensive power supplies usually have fans or heatsinks or both.
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