Driver for Radio Shack tricolor LED Strip

RS_Jim · 2014-01-22 04:59

Radio Shack put their Tricolor LED Strip (2760249) on clearence so I had to have one. Printed along the edge of the strip is TM 1803.
I found a data sheet for the device and modified Jonny Mac's driver code to work with a different chip.
The code works on the strip like a charm!

I need to make some edits and will post the code soon.

Jim

Publison · 2014-01-22 10:53

Jim,

Are these in-store only. They seem to have been dropped from the on-line store.

What price are they getting?

Jim

RS_Jim · 2014-01-22 19:12

Jim,
Yes they dropped the product off the web site along with all of the info about it that was not printed in the package! I think the current price is 19.97 it was $14.79 when I bought right after new years when all clearence items were 25% off marked price.

Jim

Publison · 2014-01-23 06:12

RS_Jim wrote: »

Jim,
Yes they dropped the product off the web site along with all of the info about it that was not printed in the package! I think the current price is 19.97 it was $14.79 when I bought right after new years when all clearence items were 25% off marked price.

Jim

Looks like they have the same(?) product under a different SKU number now. 276-339

I did find some specs for the old SKU. And a .zip file with the Arduino code for the new one.

RS_Jim · 2014-01-25 16:44

Lets try again on the driver!
Jim

zappman · 2014-03-15 06:45

Yesterday March 14, 2014 I found and purchased a Radio Shack Tricolor LED Strip (2760249) on clearence for $9.97 at a local store.

For $9.97 you get a 39.3" long strip with 30 Tricolor LEDs.

I have not tried to use the Tricolor LED Strip yet.

doggiedoc · 2014-03-18 17:40

I too picked up one today. I almost bought all 3 that they had, but wasn't too sure. Having looked at this one now, I may go back tomorrow and buy the other 2. ... maybe.

zappman · 2014-03-19 20:02

zappman wrote: »

Yesterday March 14, 2014 I found and purchased a Radio Shack Tricolor LED Strip (2760249) on clearence for $9.97 at a local store.

For $9.97 you get a 39.3" long strip with 30 Tricolor LEDs.

I have not tried to use the Tricolor LED Strip yet.

I have now powered up the Tricolor LED Strip using an Arduino Uno, it works great.

There are 30 LEDs in the strip, they are controlled in ten groups of three LEDs.

Each of the ten groups can be programed to be a different color, but the three LEDs in a single group are always set to the same color.

NWCCTV · 2014-03-29 17:33

I just bought 2 for $6.87 Ea. I might go back and get the others they have. Great deal. Parallax should team up with the Shack to get code for the Propeller on their site. They currently have a link in the manual that comes with the strip to Arduino code and the instructions are for an Arduino.

mindrobots · 2014-03-29 17:37

NWCCTV wrote: »

I just bought 2 for $6.87 Ea. I might go back and get the others they have. Great deal. Parallax should team up with the Shack to get code for the Propeller on their site. They currently have a link in the manual that comes with the strip to Arduino code and the instructions are for an Arduino.

New low prices! Time to go scour the Shacks!

NWCCTV · 2014-03-29 17:51

Yea, even with the lower price, you can still get a better deal on EBay!!!

As for the code in post #5, which Prop board is that for? I have a QS, A Demo and a couple of Prop BOE boards. Do I need to supply separate 12V power or what?

Publison · 2014-03-30 03:16

NWCCTV wrote: »

As for the code in post #5, which Prop board is that for? I have a QS, A Demo and a couple of Prop BOE boards. Do I need to supply separate 12V power or what?

Looks like the demo code is using pin 15. You could switch that to any available pin.

I would use the Prop BOE. Supply the input to the board with 12 volts, (it will take up to 16 volt), use the second servo connector (P15) with the voltage jumper set to VIN.
Then you would have 12 volts, ground, and your signal on one connector.

Publison · 2014-03-30 13:08

Just scored the last two 276-0249 Strips.
Of course they had the rack loaded with 276-0249 withe the price above that said $6.97. I pulled the first two and brought them to the register, and they came up to >$60.00.

Went back and found the two 270-0249's in the back of the rack.

Radio Shack person "You got the deal of the century"

NWCCTV · 2014-03-30 15:53

I must be doing something wrong or the driver is specific to a certain strip. I followed Publisons advise to the letter. When I send program to my Prop BOE I get nothing. If I disconnect/reconnect power it lights up. However, I have to keep power cycling in order for each scheme to run. After 3 or 4 times the whole strip finally lights up but does not sequence through like I am thinking it is suppose to. Any advise or suggestions?

Publison · 2014-03-30 16:23

Andy,

I couldn't wait till tomorrow to connect mine. They work fine with LEDS = 14 in the tm1803_demo program, (changed from 15 to for my board). and change to

MAX_LEDS = 30 in the driver program.

Wish I could find my camera to put a video up.

PS Hope you got the "box" OK. I'm next on the list.

Jim

Publison · 2014-03-30 16:34

NWCCTV wrote: »

I must be doing something wrong or the driver is specific to a certain strip. I followed Publisons advise to the letter. When I send program to my Prop BOE I get nothing. If I disconnect/reconnect power it lights up. However, I have to keep power cycling in order for each scheme to run. After 3 or 4 times the whole strip finally lights up but does not sequence through like I am thinking it is suppose to. Any advise or suggestions?

What's your power supply? I'm using a 12 volt 2.5 amp wall wort. You'll need at least 1 amp. If the strip is a RS 2760249, it should work.

NWCCTV · 2014-03-30 16:37

I am using a 12V 1000 maH wall wart. I will give what you mentioned a try a bit later. I have not yet received the box. Hopefully it will be here soon.

RS_Jim · 2014-03-31 06:41

Hi folks,
When I tested the code I was using my demo board with a 9 volt wall wart running the prop and a 12 volt 3 amp supply for the led strip. Yes, you can assign it to any pin in the demo program.
As far as finding the availability of the product, ask the store to run the sku in the POS and check for availability. When you know they are in stock, have the clerk go find them. Store employees have the bad habit of looking at the package and if it looks right, putting it on the same peg.
Jim

Publison · 2014-03-31 08:04

Jim,

Any idea why they changed the SKU?

The 276-0249 and 276-339 look like the same product, both use the TM1803.

Jim

doggiedoc · 2014-03-31 11:36

Publison wrote: »

Jim,

Any idea why they changed the SKU?

The 276-0249 and 276-339 look like the same product, both use the TM1803.

Jim

I ran into the same issue - the manager at my local RS noted on the packaging one says weather proof or water resistant or something similar (I don't recall exactly) - so I suppose the old version is clearanced and not the newer.

Paul

RS_Jim · 2014-03-31 12:19

I am not sure why the change in sku I never had both sku's in my store at the same time.
Yes, it is the old sku thatis clearenced.
Jim

Publison · 2014-03-31 12:36

doggiedoc wrote: »

I ran into the same issue - the manager at my local RS noted on the packaging one says weather proof or water resistant or something similar (I don't recall exactly) - so I suppose the old version is clearanced and not the newer.

Paul

Good call Paul, I didn't pay too much attention to the packaging.

More interested in the price.

Jim

NWCCTV · 2014-03-31 15:51

Mine are the newer SKEWS but are weatherproof. Still having issues getting them to work correctly. I think I will try a higher amped wall wart. I can not think of anything else it could be.

NWCCTV · 2014-04-05 15:07

For the life of me I still can not get this going. Running 12V to my Prop BOE and changed the Driver to Max LED=30. When I first send the program to the Prop BOE, it does not run. However, by placing the power switch to the middle section then to the right, I get 9 LED's that light up. They only change color if I toggle the power switch.

Publison · 2014-04-05 16:28

NWCCTV wrote: »

For the life of me I still can not get this going. Running 12V to my Prop BOE and changed the Driver to Max LED=30. When I first send the program to the Prop BOE, it does not run. However, by placing the power switch to the middle section then to the right, I get 9 LED's that light up. They only change color if I toggle the power switch.

All I did to the tm1803_demo code was changed:

LEDS = [COLOR=#ff0000]16 [/COLOR]                                                    ' LED tx pin  [COLOR=#ff0000]Changed to BOE PIN 16 on servo connector[/COLOR]           
obj
                                   
strip : "tm1803"                                              ' TM1803 LED driver

var

dat

Chakras            long    strip#RED, strip#ORANGE, strip#YELLOW 
                        long    strip#GREEN, strip#BLUE, strip#INDIGO

pub main | pos

strip.start(LEDS, 30)          [COLOR=#ff0000]'Changed from 3 to 30 LEDs[/COLOR]

Jumper on Servo Block to VIN

12 Volt DC input on BOE.

NWCCTV · 2014-04-05 19:14

This is bizarre!!!! I can get it to work somewhat correctly by setting the power jumper to 5V. However, only the Red LED's light up. When I have the jumper set to use the full 12.4V it does not work the way it is suppose to. Checking voltage across the pins shows 12.4V when the first 9 LED's are lit up.

Publison · 2014-04-06 09:30

NWCCTV wrote: »

This is bizarre!!!! I can get it to work somewhat correctly by setting the power jumper to 5V. However, only the Red LED's light up. When I have the jumper set to use the full 12.4V it does not work the way it is suppose to. Checking voltage across the pins shows 12.4V when the first 9 LED's are lit up.

12 Volt Dc not AC input? Just checking. I know your smarter than that.

My connections (with jumper to VIN, remember there are three jumpers on the servo connectors):

Red

PWR
Green--Signal (I use P16)
Black---Ground

Anyone else having trouble with the more expensive 276-0339 strip.? This works fine for the 276-0249 strip.

NWCCTV · 2014-04-06 12:32

12V DC @ 1Amp. Connected correctly. I have tried Pins 14, 15 and 16, 17. When connected to 16 or 17 running only 5V, the whole strip will light up and run the sequence but only in red. When connected to 14 or 15 running 12V, I only get the first 9 and that is only if I toggle h power switch as I indicated before. I am going o dig up another Prop board and see if that is the problem.

RS_Jim · 2014-04-07 05:28

Andy,
My testing was done with a separate 12 volt power supply capable of 3 amps. First test on a quick start board powered from laptop thru the USB port then with a prototype board powered from a 9V wall wart. I have had other things to do so hae not done any hing with it for weeks.
Jim

Publison · 2014-04-08 09:28

NWCCTV wrote: »

12V DC @ 1Amp. Connected correctly. I have tried Pins 14, 15 and 16, 17. When connected to 16 or 17 running only 5V, the whole strip will light up and run the sequence but only in red. When connected to 14 or 15 running 12V, I only get the first 9 and that is only if I toggle h power switch as I indicated before. I am going o dig up another Prop board and see if that is the problem.

I got the same response running at 5 volts, only RED. Probably not enough voltage the fire of the green and blue. Did you only get one strip?

BTW, the "BOX" was supposed to to be delivered a week ago. Did you ever receive it?

Jim

NWCCTV · 2014-04-08 16:40

Got the box. Just need to go through it. Will do before my surgery one way or another.

Driver for Radio Shack tricolor LED Strip

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