Why do programmable funfair lights require supplementary wiring?
When the number of programmable funfair lights reaches a certain level, supplementary wires need to be added, which is mainly related to signal transmission stability, voltage drop control, equipment synchronization guarantee and system scalability optimization. The specific analysis is as follows:
1. Signal transmission stability requirements
programmable funfair lights (such as lamps controlled by the DMX512 protocol) transmit control instructions in series through signal lines. When the number of lamps increases, the length of the signal line increases accordingly, which may cause signal attenuation or interference. For example, the standard transmission distance of the DMX512 signal line is 300 meters, but in actual projects, the risk of signal attenuation increases significantly for every 32 additional lamps (about 100 meters of signal line). Adding supplementary wires (such as signal amplifiers or repeaters) can enhance signal strength, ensure that the end lamps receive complete instructions, and avoid flickering, loss of control and other problems.
2. Voltage drop control
The lamps are powered by power cords, which have resistance and generate voltage drop when current passes through. According to Ohm’s law (V=IR), the more lamps there are and the longer the power cord is, the more obvious the voltage drop is. For example, when using 2.5 square millimeter copper wire, the voltage drop is about 3V per 100 meters. If the working voltage of the lamp is 24V, when the voltage drop exceeds 10% (i.e. 2.4V), the brightness of the lamp will be significantly reduced, and it may even fail to start normally. Adding a supplementary wire (such as increasing the cross-sectional area of the power line or supplying power in sections) can reduce the voltage drop and ensure the stable operation of the lamp.
3. Equipment synchronization guarantee
programmable funfair lights are often used in scenes such as stage performances and amusement rides lighting, and require precise synchronization effects (such as color changes and flashing rhythms). When there are too many lamps, signal transmission delays may cause inconsistent actions of different lamps. By adding supplementary wires (such as optical fibers or dedicated synchronization signal lines), the signal transmission path can be shortened, delays can be reduced, and all lamps can be ensured to respond to control commands synchronously.
4. System scalability optimization
Large-scale amusement lighting systems need to reserve expansion space to meet future upgrade needs. If the initial design does not consider supplementary wires, when the number of lamps increases, the system may crash due to insufficient signals or power. Planning supplementary wires in advance (such as reserving signal relay interfaces or power distribution points) can reduce the cost of later transformation and improve system flexibility.
5. Practical application cases
Amusement rides lighting system: A rides uses the DMX512 protocol to control 200 LED lamps, and the initial design does not add a signal amplifier. When the number of lamps increases to 150, the terminal lamps flicker. Later, a signal amplifier was added for every 50 lamps, and the problem was solved.
Outdoor landscape lighting: A square installed a 300-meter-long LED light strip, which was powered in series. When the length of the light strip exceeded 200 meters, the brightness of the terminal light strip was significantly reduced. Later, the brightness uniformity was significantly improved by segmented power supply (a power supply point was set every 100 meters).
