JamesRIves Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Had a unique experience today. I've had my cabinet up and running for a few months with no issues whatsoever. Today, I installed blue LED wiring strips on the bottom and rear of the cabinet -- simply for the rear/under "glow" effect. It looks great, but shortly after installing the lighting, I began experiencing problems with game play. The keystroke emulation via the USB Ipac controller I utilize in my cab got very "choppy." For example, if I pulled down the plunger via my plunger button (emulating the enter key) in VP, the plunger would respond, but it wouldn't stay in the down position if I held the button down. The plunger would jerk/pop up and down like a piston.. but at random increments. This happened with all of the cabinet buttons, and it happened regardless of whether I was using VP or HP. Initially, I was sure I had either a problem with my controller, or perhaps a break in my ground harness loop. I checked everything (wasting about two hours) over and over again, but couldn't see a problem with the wiring. On a whim, I unplugged the LED lights, and the problem immediately ceased! So, apparently, the problem is caused by interference from the LED lights impacting the cabinet wiring. I experimented for a while... and I am 100% sure the problem is being caused by the LEDs. Every time I turn them off, things go back to normal! I'm curious... has anyone else experienced this? And does anyone have any potential suggestions? The LEDs look awesome, but I obviously can't use them if they're impacting the cabinet wiring. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks, Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outhere Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Did you try a different USB 2.0 port Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesRIves Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 You're referencing the Ipac's USB port, correct (the LEDs aren't running off USB)? Yes, tried switching the port, but it made no difference. It's really odd, although I've read cheaper LED strips aren't sometimes shielded well. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebulon Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 The leds are just power and ground, you won't have any shielding on them at all. Keep the led wiring away from the ipac and cables. A good rule of thumb is to run signal (usb cables) down one side of the cab and power down the opposite. Try running the leds off a separate power supply and see if the condition persists. You may just be maxing out on the available power and it is impacting on the rest of the system. Led strips can draw up to 500w depending on the length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesRIves Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 I'll try those tips, thanks. Are there any other ways to "shield" the Ipac and the other cables from the LED? Thanks again! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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