will it WLED - episode 9 (new Govee curtain lights PRO)

Quick Overview

The attempt to power Govee curtain lights, which require 24V DC, using the 5V DC power supply included with a Govee LED strip successfully runs the lights, but causes flickering and is not the recommended setup; the solution involves cutting the data line on the Govee 24V power injection component and connecting the Govee 4D-EXMU controller directly to the 24V power source, which resolves the flickering issue.

Key Points: The Govee curtain lights require 24V DC, but the Govee LED strip unit comes with a 5V, 3A power supply. Initially, the creator tried powering the lights using the 5V power supply, which caused flickering (03:01). The Govee curtain lights use a 3-wire setup: White for Data, Red for Voltage (24V), and a bare copper wire for Ground (GND). The flickering issue persisted even after connecting the lights to the Govee Elite 4D-EXMU controller and setting up the 2D matrix configuration (03:07, 04:53). The creator determined the Govee 24V power injection component was sending a data line signal down the voltage line, causing the problem (04:28). The fix involved severing the data line coming out of the Govee 5V power injection box and connecting the Govee 4D-EXMU controller directly to the 24V input (04:34, 05:38). After removing the 24V-to-5V converter and using the 24V power supply directly with the correct wiring (V+ to Red, Data to White, GND to bare copper), the lights functioned perfectly with no flickering at 900 LEDs (05:25, 06:02).

Context: The video documents an effort to adapt Govee curtain lights, designed for 24V operation, for use with a Govee Elite 4D-EXMU controller. The creator initially encounters flickering issues, suspecting interference or improper voltage/data signaling from the components supplied with a companion Govee 5V LED strip, leading to troubleshooting steps involving different power supplies and hardware configurations within the WLED app.

Detailed Analysis

The video tutorial addresses the challenge of connecting Govee curtain lights (which require 24V DC) to a WLED setup using a Govee Elite 4D-EXMU controller. The creator first attempts to run the lights using the 5V, 3A power supply provided with another Govee product, which results in severe flickering (03:01). The wiring convention for the curtain lights is identified as White=Data, Red=Voltage, and bare copper=Ground. After configuring the 900 LEDs in the WLED app as a 30x32 matrix (04:59), the flickering persists. The creator then tests various controllers and power supplies, ultimately isolating the issue to the Govee 24V power injection component that comes with the curtain lights, noting it seems to send spurious signals down the voltage line (04:28). The solution is to entirely bypass this component's data injection circuitry: the creator physically severs the data line connection coming out of the Govee power injection box (04:34) and connects the Govee curtain lights directly to the 24V input terminals (V+, Data, GND) of the Gledopto controller using the correct corresponding wires (05:38). When powered by a dedicated 24V power supply, the lights operate flawlessly, confirming the interference from the Govee component was the root cause, and the creator confirms the frame rate is acceptable (06:02, 05:36). The video concludes by showing the successful setup running complex matrix animations (05:03, 08:18).