If you decide to make a hidden ceiling lighting in a house with a multi-colored ribbon, you need to know how to properly connect it to the network. Unlike a single-color material, which connects only to the power supply, you still need to purchase an additional controller and amplifier. On how to connect RGB LED strip from 5 to 20 meters, we will tell you more!
- Basic elements of the
- system Popular connection schemes
- Step-by-step installation instructions
Basic elements of the
system In order to connect the product yourself, you first need to determine the length of the luminaire. Based on this, suitable devices for the lighting system are already selected and a suitable connection scheme is created. As for the devices, the main are the RGB controller, power supply and amplifier. In detail, consider the purpose of each element in the chain.
The power supply is needed to convert 220 volts from the 12/24 V network, from which the light source itself works. The purpose of the controller is to control the color glow of the LEDs( you can clearly see its operation on the video, which we will provide below).The amplifier is needed in order to connect more than 5 meters of RGB LED strip at the same time. Also included is a remote control panel on which you can select a certain level of glow and color diodes.
With the components of the system figured out, now I would like to tell you about what can be the schemes for connecting a multicolor tape.
Popular connection schemes for
So, the first and simplest connection scheme from one RGB tape to 5 meters is as follows: 
As you can see, everything is quite simple: the RGB tape is connected to the controller, which in turn is connected to the power supply. The PSU operates on a 220V network. If you need to connect two 5m segments, then it is better to buy an RGB amplifier and one more power supply, which is added to the network as follows: 
There should not be any special problems either, the main thing is to observe the letter and color markingwires during installation. Very important nuance - do not connect 10 meters of RGB LED strip in series, becausein this case the second segment will not shine so brightly. Be sure to perform parallel connection, even if the controller's power is enough for the operation of two segments without an amplifier.
If you decided to make lighting in an apartment a multi-colored ribbon with a length of more than 10 meters, then again you need to use a parallel connection. When selecting the amplifier's power with a margin, it will remain connected 15 meters in parallel without an additional second amplifier.
The last option, which is also popular in home lighting, is the connection of a 20 meter long RGB LED strip( 4 segments).This option is ideal for creating a hidden ceiling light around the perimeter of a large room, for example, a hall. For you to see the correct wiring layout, we present for your attention a video example:
All the popular connection schemes we showed you. It remains only to tell the essence of electrical work, which we provide in the form of step-by-step instructions below.
Step-by-step installation instructions
In order to connect the RGB LED strip in the apartment yourself, you need to perform the following steps:
1. Prepare the surface. In the place where you decided to install LED lighting, level the surface and degrease it with a solvent. If you decide to fix the material on a metal surface, additionally protect it with an electrically insulating material. 
2. Glue the device. One side of the luminaire is self-adhesive, so remove the film and gently glue the material to the selected location. Remember that the radius of the bend should not exceed 2 cm, otherwise you can damage the system. If you need to cut a certain piece of material for connection, do this in the appropriate places, which are indicated by the manufacturer( as shown in the photo).Also, how to cut the LED tape, we told in the relevant article. To connect two pieces of RGB tape, use a soldering iron or special connectors. 
3. Assemble the chain. According to the scheme, connect the multicolor tape to the controller, amplifier and power supply unit with your own hands. The power supply unit is connected to the mains by a simple electrical plug. To connect the PSU to the controller, you must connect the black wire to the "V-" connector, and the red wire to "V +".The wires from the tape are attached to the controller as follows: red to the connector "R", green to "G", and blue to "B".The remaining wire( it can be any color) must be connected to the terminal labeled "V +" 
4. Connect the backlight to the 220 Volt network and test with the remote control.
A visual overview of all the stages you can see in the video example:
That's the whole instruction for connecting RGB LED tape with your own hands! As you can see, nothing is complicated, the main thing is to choose the power of the devices correctly and the circuit on which the circuit will be assembled. If you accidentally mistake the wires coming from the lamp to the controller, nothing terrible will happen, just the system will not work as it should( for example, instead of red it will shine blue).In this case, just make the correct connection and again test the finished system.
Related Materials:
- How to make a hidden floor lighting
- How to choose an LED strip
- How to make a mirror light
