Massive Video LED Roof Controlled by Pixblasters
One of great Pixblasters MS1 Video LED Controller’s features is its ability to daisy-chain multiple units into a LED controller for massive, high-speed, and perfectly synchronized video LED displays of various shapes and sizes.
Each Pixblasters MS1 controller can directly drive up to 16,384 addressable RGB LEDs. To set up a daisy-chained system that drives more LEDs:
- Via HDMI video cable connect your video source (e.g., PC, Raspberry Pi, etc.) to the first Pixblasters MS1, which must be configured as the Master.
- All following units in the chain are set to Slave mode.
- Switching between Master and Slave is effortless — just set the DIP switch to the appropriate position, and the controller will boot accordingly.
Unlike the Master, a Slave controller does not use the HDMI port to receive video. Instead, it connects via a shielded Ethernet cable to the Master’s High-Speed Output (HSO) and receives the signal through its High-Speed Input (HSI). This chaining can continue through multiple units, enabling the control of a vast number of LEDs.
If longer cable lengths introduce signal degradation, you can enable the on-board LVDS buffer/repeater with pre-emphasis through software. This improves signal strength and ensures reliable communication across the entire chain.
LED Roof - Smelteverket, Oslo, Norway
While the theory is solid, there’s nothing like seeing it in action.
With permission from Henning Strandvik (www.filthyframes.com), we’re proud to showcase his LED roof installation at Smelteverket Club in Oslo, Norway. The display consists of:
- 144 panels (each 16×16 WS2812B LEDs)
- A total of 36,864 LEDs
- Powered by just three Pixblasters MS1 controllers
Henning’s build demonstrates the reliability and scalability of the Pixblasters daisy-chaining approach in a real-world, high-impact environment. You can watch the full behind-the-scenes video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXzpuETN5ys&t=37s
Available Now
The Pixblasters MS1 Video LED Controller is available through Crowd Supply and Mouser. Whether you’re designing a creative lighting installation, an interactive art piece, or an attention-grabbing trade show display — Pixblasters offers a robust and scalable solution.
