LDD not working.

[flozfzx1]

Hi Everyone

I recently built a reef lighting for my 30 gallon tank 180w with 60 leds with sunrise and sunset controls using a TC421. It came out great, great color and everything the corals loved it. Everything was working well for about a month, I had to fix a lens that came off one led.

I shut the light off, fix the lens on when i turn the light back on one channel was not working. I tested everything on that particular channel everything seems fine, then i switch the bad channel on to a new driver and it worked.. so i’m assuming the driver went bad somehow.

Do LDD drivers go bad ? and if so how do you test them?

 

[vetteguy53081]

They do go bad. Mars lighting known for this
As for testing, not sure (you tube maybe)

 

[oreo54]

Hi Everyone

I recently built a reef lighting for my 30 gallon tank 180w with 60 leds with sunrise and sunset controls using a TC421. It came out great, great color and everything the corals loved it. Everything was working well for about a month, I had to fix a lens that came off one led.

I shut the light off, fix the lens on when i turn the light back on one channel was not working. I tested everything on that particular channel everything seems fine, then i switch the bad channel on to a new driver and it worked.. so i’m assuming the driver went bad somehow.

Do LDD drivers go bad ? and if so how do you test them?

Simple first test is at 100% and not connected to a string the voltage out (voltmeter) should = power supply - about 3 volts

Btw did you check the solder to the leg of the tc's mosfet?
Need some more info like are you using a driver board?
One w/ a 10k pulldown will shut the driver off if your dim wire opens.

Ldds don' t fail often unless you mis- wire them.

 

[stefanm]

I had 5 LDD's go bad last year from one board, three on the other board were fine.

 

[oreo54]

I had 5 LDD's go bad last year from one board, three on the other board were fine.

Their mtbf is 1000 kilo hours at 25c
One set of 4 has gone 6 years at 12 hrs/ day.
This on a 56 v power supply.
You have them somewhere really warm?
Power surge?

I don' t doubt what you are saying but historically is pretty odd at least in that quantity.

 

[stefanm]

Their mtbf is 1000 kilo hours at 25c
One set of 4 has gone 6 years at 12 hrs/ day.
This on a 56 v power supply.
You have them somewhere really warm?
Power surge?

I don' t doubt what you are saying but historically is pretty odd at least in that quantity.

Hot humid tropical climate, it seemed to be caused by a power surge from an smps that was powering an Arduino controller, Arduino, PCA 9685 and a board with 5 Ldd-hw's, strangely the board with three ldd-h's was spared. Bare in mind my tank is on a balcony, even my lrs PSU failed a few months later. I'm working on a new build which will hopefully address these issues to a fair degree. I'll be keeping the power supplies in a box and maybe keep them in the house or add active ventilation under the tank.

 

[flozfzx1]

Simple first test is at 100% and not connected to a string the voltage out (voltmeter) should = power supply - about 3 volts

Btw did you check the solder to the leg of the tc's mosfet?
Need some more info like are you using a driver board?
One w/ a 10k pulldown will shut the driver off if your dim wire opens.

Ldds don' t fail often unless you mis- wire them.

I figured it out thank you for the reply, when i solder the LDD on to the board which is a chinese one off ebay, I bought it cause the terminals are much easier and solid to connect. I notice that i added to much solder on one of the pins which was touching another part of the pin. thus not allowing the channel to come on. but everything is working :)