QuinLED-Diff

The QuinLED-Diff series consists of multiple sets of boards which make it easier to run your data (and power) for longer lengths. Normal data wires (with a proper level-shifter setup like on the Dig-Uno, Dig-Quad and Dig-Octa System) are able to run data reliably for 5m/16ft in most cases and often up to 10m/32ft is no problem. This type of “single-ended” data signal however is very susceptible to outside noise and the longer you make it, the more chance you have that it won’t survive intact to your LEDs, especially if external noise sources (PWM, AC, etc.) are present.

The QuinLED-Diff series boards convert this signal into a differential signal running over UTP wire with RJ45 connectors and then back again to a normal LED type data signal. A differential style signal can reach much further and in testing has shown integrity up to 500m/1600ft.

If you are worried about your data signal reaching your LEDs intact, using the QuinLED-Diff boards will take that worry away and make sure the data reaches where it needs to go!

All boards use standard 8-wire UTP cable with RJ45 connectors you can crimp on yourself so you can make the cables the length you need. They are also readily available pre-made and you can use a patch panel to make various connections through your house or building if desired!

*This is not a normal Ethernet signal, do not plug into a computer, switch or other device made for Ethernet networking! It just uses the same UTP cable with RJ45 plugs but other then that it’s very different!

QuinLED-Diff comes in 3 series

There will be 3 different series which vary in function:

Diff-Solo (Simple and cheapest solution, only 1-to-1, easy to use)

Diff-Adv (Advanced solution, midpoint boards daisy chain, up to 5v-55v support, power distribution and fusing built-in, large terminals)

Diff-Power “PowerDiff” (Adds power next to data, single wire solution to power your LEDs, output 5v-36v selectable)

Additional information

Sample use cases

All boards

Stop worrying about data line distance
- Using normal LED you constantly have to be aware of possible data line issues, using a QuinLED-Diff board, this is no longer an issue even up to 500m/1600ft
Extra data “injection” for long LED strip
- Sometimes you need an extra data channel further down a long LED strip because you’ve gone over 600LEDs for a single data channel but it’s 10m/16ft away for instance
Central controller for LEDs far away
- You want want to install an LED strip or prop that’s 25m or 30m away with the controller centrally located in your garage or technical closet
Central controller for LEDs that are hard to reach
- Sometimes the LEDs will need to be in a spot that will be hard to reach later. Using a QuinLED-Diff board you can keep the controller in a location that you can easily reach with the receiver board in a spot you can’t easily reach later anymore. If a firmware update or something else messes up the controller it’s easy to fix!
(Very) long LED gaps
- If you want to extend your LED strip or string over longer distances
Fixing data in “noisy” environments
- Normal LED signals mostly suffer from outside interference, the QuinLED-Diff signals are much more robust against this

Board Unique features

Diff-Solo

Cheapest option for 1-to-1 link
Smallest board size for both sender and receiver

Diff-Adv only

(Very) high voltage support
- Fully supports up to 36v Govee puck lights or the new 48v larger style LED pucks
- Both sender and receiver board can run 5v-55v!
Auto reset fuses
- Sender and Receiver boards have auto reset fuses
Multiple signals, one cable
- Each receiver board has a selector where you can select Pair 1 to 4 to select the data signal you want to have at that spot
- Midpoint-2 receiver board allows you to use 2 data signals in one spot
Daisy chain cable passthrough
- Boards can be daisy chained behind each other to reach various locations along the route
Midpoint boards
- Multiple Receiver boards can use the same LED data signal if you wish the attached LEDs to do exactly the same on each board
Power Supply Relay trigger channel
- You can use one of the 4 channels as a “relay trigger” channel for multiple boxes spread around your setup to turn on/off your power supplies in the field
Onboard power distribution and fusing
- Midpoint-2 receiver board has built-in power distribution and fusing with large power output terminals

Diff-Power (“PowerDiff”) only

Sends power along with data to remote location over UTP cable
- Uses (very) high voltages between 48v-55v similar to what POE uses
  - Power-Diff is **NOT** compatible with POE or other networking hardware
Diff-Power-Sender has local 5v output (2 pin screw terminal and USB-C out)
- Allows you to connect ESP32 or QuinLED board generating the data signal without needing a separate power supply
Diff-Power Receivers only need the UTP cable as input
- No extra power supply needed, you input the UTP cable and out comes LED signal + power
Output voltage selectable
Based around a standardized design buck-converter output voltage can be chosen
- Available options include 5v, 12v, 24v and 36v
Multiple size receiver boards “up to 100w”
- Depending on distance you can run up to 100w of LED power over standard CAT5e/CAT6 UTP cable
  - Longer distance means more loss and thus lower resulting net power available
  - That means
    - 5v ~20A
    - 12v ~8A
    - 24v ~4A
    - 36v ~2A