Installing and connecting the LED strip on your own

LED strips are widely used in interior and exterior decor, they can be used to illuminate showcases with goods and advertising signs. We bring to your attention a large selection of LED strips at affordable prices and different options. However, unlike conventional floor lamps and table lamps with energy-saving light sources or conventional incandescent lamps, the LED strip must not be directly connected to a 220 Volt network. Therefore, many buyers have a natural question: how to properly connect the LED strip? We will try to give the most detailed answer.

Connecting LED strip: required accessories

First of all, we need the tape itself. When buying, you need to pay attention to the following characteristics:

·       type of LED elements;

·       power consumption per linear meter W / m;

·       the degree of moisture and dust protection - IP index;

·       multiplicity of cutting - what is the minimum length of the segment.

Usually the tape comes with tape glued on the back side, so there should be no problems with its installation on surfaces. You can also use standard hardware for wall or advertising applications. The connection is made through a power supply (AC to DC transformer), the power of which must be correctly calculated. Also, its voltage must correspond to the LED strip - 5, 12, 24 volts. Usually, power is taken with a margin of about 25-30 percent so that the converter does not overheat during operation.

Today, addressable LED strips are very popular, which are so named, because the glow mode of each individual diode can be set according to a specific program. If you want to purchase just such a product, you will definitely need a PWM controller - a pulse-width modulator.

In addition to the transformer, the following devices are required:

·       dimmer - a small device for changing the degree of brightness of the tape; a remote control is included with it;

·       RGB controller - a device for adjusting the glow of a tape with multi-colored crystals (Red, Green, Blue);

·       amplifier or signal repeater - amplifies (repeats) the signal of the controller or dimmer, if the power of the tape is greater.

The specialists of us will be happy to calculate for you all the technical parameters of LED products and equipment for connecting to the network.

Splicing and Soldering LED Strip

The product is supplied in reels and is five meters long. At the end, we see wires that are protected from damage by shrink wrap. But usually a greater or lesser length of the tape is required, so it can be extended, or cut into pieces according to the indicated marks.

The easiest way to connect without soldering is using connectors, that is, special clips. There are connectors for both monochrome and RGB tapes. You simply place the tape pads on the connector pins and snap the cover - the connection is done.

However, many home craftsmen do not consider this method to be reliable enough. In addition, sometimes it is required to connect many pieces of tape to one transformer, respectively, a large number of connectors will be needed, which cost money. For this reason, the tapes are often connected and connected to the pulse converter by soldering.


The advantages of this technology:

·       is cheaper than buying connectors;

·       the connection comes out as strong and reliable as possible;

·       Soldering wires is an easy task, even for those who have the slightest idea of ​​electrical engineering.

The main task when soldering is to maintain polarity. If you are soldering RGB tape with four outputs, find the outputs on the pads for wires of the desired color, which are marked with the corresponding letters: R (red), G (green), B (blue). And one more contact goes to power supply 12, 24 V. In order for the wires to hold well, the surfaces must first be tinned. After completing the process, carefully look so that there is no contact between adjacent wires and solders, otherwise a short circuit cannot be avoided. 

Since the voltage is only 12 or 24 volts, the soldering point does not need to be insulated. Nevertheless, for reliability, it is recommended to wrap it with several rolls of electrical tape or put on a heat shrink tube and heat it with a construction hairdryer. 

Connecting to the power supply

If you do not know how to choose a converter, our experts will help you with this. Connecting the tape to the block is a very simple process. The previously soldered wiring must simply be fixed to the corresponding terminals of the power supply, wrapped with a ring, and clamped with a washer. Of course, the question may arise: to which terminals should the tape be connected? To do this, you need to understand the designations on the transformer case:

·       L and N (AC in) are outputs for connection to mains voltage, phase and zero;

·       the grounding terminal is marked with the corresponding pictogram and the letters FG;

·       G- or V- - terminals for connecting the negative output;

·       V + is a positive terminal.

If the power supply has enough outputs, you can connect up to three monochrome ribbons. If it is necessary to connect several segments, then use a parallel, not serial connection scheme. Daisy-chaining negatively affects the conductive copper paths, which causes the LEDs to become very hot and their lifespan is reduced.

Parallel connection is carried out using two main wiring, to which segments of tape are connected through detachable connections. It is also possible to connect several LED strips through two low-power parallel-connected power supplies, which are connected to a mains voltage of 220V. It is clear that this method will require more wire, but the LEDs will not overheat, respectively, they will last as long as possible.

If you want to connect an RGB strip, then it is connected to a switching power supply through an RGB controller and an amplifier, if necessary. To adjust the brightness level, the dimmer is connected in front of the power supply. Note that the LED strip can be powered even from a laptop or computer power supply, if you want to create an original illumination on your desktop. True, it is necessary to check the characteristics of the power and the output voltage.

When working with LED strips, adhere to the following rules:

·       degrease the surfaces before gluing the tape;

·       it is prohibited to press on the diodes;

·       when soldering, do not expose the tape to temperatures above 260 ° C for a long time;

·       the temperature at the installation site should be between -40 and +50 degrees.

If you have any questions regarding connection and operation, you can always contact us.