LED strip controllers

LED strip controllers

The essential part of every LED strip set, no matter if you are planning to change the colour, brightness, mode or you just want to switch the lighting ON and OFF you will need an LED strip controller. There are many different LED strip controllers on the market, that is because every LED project is different and requires different parts to get the whole set to work. Sometimes it is hard to decide what LED strip controller will be best for your needs. In this post, we will explain the main factors to consider when buying an LED strip controller.

LED strip controllers - RGB, RGBW, dual colour, single colour LED tapes

Nowadays the most commonly used LED strips are RGB, RGBW dual colour and single colour. Numbers 2835, 3528 and 5050 should be well known by you right now if you have read our previous post What to consider when buying LED strip lights? When it comes to controlling an RGB or RGBW LED strip, there is a vast range of options. If you are planning to run a few sets of LED strips in different places of your home, office, club, etc. and you want to control them with a single remote or your mobile device then you may consider buying a Mi-Light 4 or 8 zone controller. The main advantages of the 4 and 8 zone controllers are that they are RF (radio frequency) controllers and you can control up to 4 or 8 sets of LED strips with just one remote in a range of 30m. You will also be able to control your strips with the use of your mobile devices such as a smartphone or a tablet. For an RGB set, you would need a receiver for each zone and one remote to control up to 4 zones or 8 zones. For controlling them all over WiFi or 3G/4G internet you would also need a WiFi iBox and an app for your smartphone or tablet. The RF controllers can be quite expensive for someone who doesn't need all the features of radiofrequency controller and in this case, if you just need a simple controller to control your lighting then you may consider buying an IR (Infrared) controller which is much cheaper than the RF controller. The cons of the IR controllers are that they have a short controlling range due to infrared technology and by that, it means you need to actually point the remote at the receiver to control the lighting. The pros of the IR controllers are the price (very cheap, at least much cheaper than the RF controllers) and that you can control the unlimited number of LED strips witch just one remote!

What to consider when buying an LED controller?

There are many things that we need to consider before buying an LED strip controller like the e.g. type of the set (RGB, RGBW, single colour, dual colour, etc.), the power consumption of your LED set, type of control (RF, IR, WiFi, 3G/4G internet), type of connections or how many zones do you want to control.

Type of the set (RGB, RGBW, single colour, dual colour, etc.)

Controllers for RGB strips

Mi-Light 2.4GHz 4-zone RGB LED strip controller FUT037

Mi-Light 2.4GHz 4-zone touch RF RGBW remote control FUT096

3 button RGB DC female to 4 pin controller

RGB 18 key RF mini remote controller ID-2070

RGBW controllers

Mi-Light 2.4GHz 4-zone RGBW LED strip controller FUT038

Mi-Light 2.4GHz 4-zone touch RF RGBW remote control FUT096

Dual colour controllers

Mi-Light 2.4GHz multi white wireless WiFi dimmer FUT036	Mi-Light 2.4GHz 4-zone rotating wheel remote controller FUT006	Mi-Light 2.4GHz 4-zone CCT remote controller FUT007

Single colour controllers/dimmers

LED single colour strip dimmer DC12V DIM-3	DESIGN LIGHT dimmer switch TOUCH LED	Single colour RF mini remote controller ID-2083	Single colour IR mini remote controller ID-2081
Mi-Light 4-zone colour temperature dual white LED strip controller FUT035	Mi-Light 2.4GHz 4-zone CCT remote controller FUT007	Mi-Light 2.4GHz 4-zone rotating wheel remote controller FUT006	DESIGN LIGHT LED switch DOOR
DESIGN LIGHT push button wall switch LED RF dimmer	DESIGN LIGHT LED switch move IR	Mini RF remote controller single colour LED strip ID-2084	Mi-Light 2.4GHz LED strip dimmer FUT021

Single colour controllers inside LED Aluminium profiles

DESIGN LIGHT LED touch switch controller XC60	DESIGN LIGHT LED switch controller MS60	2 in 1 contactless sensor switch controller ID-2057
IR hand sensor controller ID-2058	PIR motion sensor controller ID-2054	Spring touch switch controller ID-2055

The power consumption of your LED set

When completing your LED strip kit you got to remember that each type of an LED strip has different power consumption. For example, 1 meter of 3528 with 300 LEDs consume 4.8W, 1 meter of 3528 with 600 LEDs consume 9.6W, 1 meter of 5050 with 150 LEDs consume 7.2W, 1 meter of 5050 with 300 LEDs consume 14.4W, 1 meter of 2835 with 300 LEDs consume 10W, 1 meter of 5050 RGBW with 300 LEDs consume 19W, etc. but you got to remember that the best way to check the power consumption of your strip is by reading the specs on the packaging or contacting the supplier as some of the strips can have a different power consumption e.g. 2835 with 300 LEDs can consume 10W per meter or 4.8W per meter. When you find out the power consumption per meter of your strip then just multiply it by the number of meters of your set e.g. 8 meters of 5050 with 300 LEDs (14.4W per meter) equals 115.2W. You may read more about power consumption calculation in our previous post Choose right LED power supply. When you know the total Wattage of your LED strip kit then make sure you choose the LED strip controller that can support this load!

Type of control (RF, IR, WiFi, 3G/4G internet)

For small LED projects, you may choose an IR LED strip controllers or inline LED strip controllers (avoid DMX controllers but you may also choose RF controllers)

For medium LED projects, you may choose an RF LED strip controllers (DMX controllers will also do the job)

For large LED projects, you may choose a DMX or DALI controllers

If you are planning to control your lighting over WiFi/3G/4G internet you may consider buying a WiFi iBox

LED line LC multi-controller RGBW 4CH 12-24V DC 10A WiFi	Mi-Light WiFi controller iBox2	Mi-Light WiFi iBox smart light iBox1

Type of connections

To avoid frustration and time loss it is good to check and compare the type of the connection between the strip, controller and a power supply. There are many types of connections and for some LED strips/LED controllers you will need to get an additional LED strip connector. Below are some of the LED strip connectors needed to connect an LED strip to an LED controller available on the market.

DC connectors

2.1mm x 5.5mm female DC power connector	2.1mm x 5.5mm DC barrel male power connector black

Bare wire connectors

8mm LED strip connection wire	12mm RGBW 5 pin wire connector

Pin connectors

RGB 4 pin male to male plug connector	RGBW 5 pin male to male plug connector

How many zones do you want to control?

For small LED projects, you may choose an IR LED strip controllers or inline LED strip controllers (avoid DMX controllers but you may also choose RF controllers)

For medium LED projects, you may choose an RF LED strip controllers (DMX controllers will also do the job)

For large LED projects, you may choose a DMX or DALI controllers

If you need any assistance with choosing your LED strip controllers or any other lighting equipment then don't hesitate to get in touch with us.