Well I have encountered my first major problem. The last time I tested, the arches were operating normally. I decided to hook them up, outside in the back yard along with a few of the other display elements so that we could have a live visual display as we continue our programming.
Display
I moved the arches to their new location in the backyard and ran a network line and power drop.
I used smaller diameter PVC as an anchor which I drove in the ground and then inserted into the end of the arch pipes.
Anchor
It was this process that started a chain of events that I could not have predicted.
On one of the arches, when I placed the arch on the “anchor” pipe, it pinched the RGB Strip. When I tested the arches, it caused a failure in the strip. So I pulled the strip out of the arch and decided to replace it with a new strip. I soldered the connections and tested the strip before I put the heat shrink wrap in place. Everything tested out perfectly. I used my heat gun to shrink the heat wrap in place.
This is where the trouble really begins. I turned on the controller and the arch would not light up. After some basic trouble shooting, I found that channel 1 was dead. It would not light up any of the arches so I decided to hook up to a different Alphapix controller.
Output Chip
Once I put the controller in place, and I turned it on, I heard that pop that you never want to hear with electronics. I had fried the Output Chip. The chip itself was very hot. I turned to the internet and found on the HolidayCoro site that the primary cause of Output chips failing is due to a short in the channels.
I inspected the connection to the RGB strip and there it was. When I had heated the heat shrink around the connection, it folded the strip slightly and allowed the connections to touch.
Fried Connection
This caused the short and the loss of 2 output chips.
Lesson Learned, take care with the connections. In my excitement to hook up this mini display, I ignored the most basic of electronics principals. Don’t let the wires touch.
I have now improved the design of my arches. I put caps on the end and the connection wires run through a small hole.
Cap
The cap was filled with Silicon to water proof it. Now the arches are safe from water and the connections are protected and can’t short out.
Sealed Cap
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES!
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