RGB LED on case and RGB LED strips to Aura Sync

kevindd992002 · Mar 8, 2018

So basically I want all LED's to be uniform and controlled by the Aura Sync software. I have an ASUS Maximus X Code motherboard, 2 x Darkside RGB LED strips, and a Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX case which have built-in RGB LEDs. I know how to interface the Darkside RGB LED strips to the Aura Sync header in the motherboard (use this: https://modmymods.com/darkside-6-rgb-y-cable-jet-black-sleeved-ds-0539.html and this: https://modmymods.com/darkside-darkside-to-asus-aura-rgb-led-aapter-cable-ds-0812.html plus an RGB header extension cable that came with the board).

My question is about interfacing the case RGB LEDs to the Aura Sync header in the motherboard. Technically, you can use this: http://www.phanteks.com/PH-CB_RGB4P.html to do that because that's it's main purpose anyway. But is my understanding correct when I think that the "converted cable" for the Darkside strips to Aura Sync has a different pinout compared to that of the Phanteks? Otherwise, they should just have one standard converted cables for all, right? Because if the pinout are different, I really need to buy that Phanteks RGB LED adapter.

mAs81 · Mar 8, 2018

Under the compatibility tab in the RGB led adapter that you linked , there are only a handful of m/b for some reason, and yours is not on that list unfortunately..I'm not sure if it'll work..

But, I'm no RGB guru , and even tho I'm planning a build in the Evolv TG mATX, I will only be using a Phanteks led strip cause my m/b has no RGB (Asus Gryphon Z97)

kevindd992002 · Mar 8, 2018

mAs81 said:
Under the compatibility tab in the RGB led adapter that you linked , there are only a handful of m/b for some reason, and yours is not on that list unfortunately..I'm not sure if it'll work..

But, I'm no RGB guru , and even tho I'm planning a build in the Evolv TG mATX, I will only be using a Phanteks led strip cause my m/b has no RGB (Asus Gryphon Z97)

I wouldn't worry about that. Aura Sync pretty much has the samr header pinout on all Asus boards that have it. I'm more concerned on the cable converter pinout because that's where the actual conversion happens.

strong island 1 · Mar 8, 2018

kevindd992002 said:
So basically I want all LED's to be uniform and controlled by the Aura Sync software. I have an ASUS Maximus X Code motherboard, 2 x Darkside RGB LED strips, and a Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX case which have built-in RGB LEDs. I know how to interface the Darkside RGB LED strips to the Aura Sync header in the motherboard (use this: https://modmymods.com/darkside-6-rgb-y-cable-jet-black-sleeved-ds-0539.html and this: https://modmymods.com/darkside-darkside-to-asus-aura-rgb-led-aapter-cable-ds-0812.html plus an RGB header extension cable that came with the board).

My question is about interfacing the case RGB LEDs to the Aura Sync header in the motherboard. Technically, you can use this: http://www.phanteks.com/PH-CB_RGB4P.html to do that because that's it's main purpose anyway. But is my understanding correct when I think that the "converted cable" for the Darkside strips to Aura Sync has a different pinout compared to that of the Phanteks? Otherwise, they should just have one standard converted cables for all, right? Because if the pinout are different, I really need to buy that Phanteks RGB LED adapter.

the aura header is 12v grb, and phanteks uses 12v bgr, if you look at the phanteks header, one wire crosses over the other 2 to match the aura header. I might have the rgb letters mixed up but it's def different.

Revan654 · Mar 8, 2018

kevindd992002 said:
So basically I want all LED's to be uniform and controlled by the Aura Sync software. I have an ASUS Maximus X Code motherboard, 2 x Darkside RGB LED strips, and a Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX case which have built-in RGB LEDs. I know how to interface the Darkside RGB LED strips to the Aura Sync header in the motherboard (use this: https://modmymods.com/darkside-6-rgb-y-cable-jet-black-sleeved-ds-0539.html and this: https://modmymods.com/darkside-darkside-to-asus-aura-rgb-led-aapter-cable-ds-0812.html plus an RGB header extension cable that came with the board).

My question is about interfacing the case RGB LEDs to the Aura Sync header in the motherboard. Technically, you can use this: http://www.phanteks.com/PH-CB_RGB4P.html to do that because that's it's main purpose anyway. But is my understanding correct when I think that the "converted cable" for the Darkside strips to Aura Sync has a different pinout compared to that of the Phanteks? Otherwise, they should just have one standard converted cables for all, right? Because if the pinout are different, I really need to buy that Phanteks RGB LED adapter.

Phantek's from what I recall is different(not 100% sure why, I'm guessing they want you to buy there RGB products). You can just de-pin the connector and use the pinout that DarkSide uses.

kevindd992002 said:
I wouldn't worry about that. Aura Sync pretty much has the samr header pinout on all Asus boards that have it. I'm more concerned on the cable converter pinout because that's where the actual conversion happens.

Technically yes, But there are two types digital and standard RGB headers. The new boards have both, where older ones only use standard RGB.

You just have to be careful not to connect 12V LED to the 5V header. Also be-careful not to attach to many LED's to a single header or you will fry the header.

kevindd992002 · Mar 9, 2018

strong island 1 said:
the aura header is 12v grb, and phanteks uses 12v bgr, if you look at the phanteks header, one wire crosses over the other 2 to match the aura header. I might have the rgb letters mixed up but it's def different.

That's what I thought. But you're referring to the "Darkside cable" and not the Phanteks header, right? The Phanteks cable is all black and you couldn't possibly see the wire crossovers in the picture unless I'm missing something?

Revan654 said:
Phantek's from what I recall is different(not 100% sure why, I'm guessing they want you to buy there RGB products). You can just de-pin the connector and use the pinout that DarkSide uses.

Technically yes, But there are two types digital and standard RGB headers. The new boards have both, where older ones only use standard RGB.

You just have to be careful not to connect 12V LED to the 5V header. Also be-careful not to attach to many LED's to a single header or you will fry the header.

I see. Yeah, or just buy that Phanteks cable ($3.40 at Amazon) because if I go with the de-pinning route I would need to de-pin the case cables to convert them to and buy another Darkside Y- cable to build a 1 x 4-pin female RGB to 3 x 4-pin male RGB connector ($7.99 plus $4.99 shipping at MMM). So the former is cheaper and has less effort

Are you referring to the non-addressable (standard) and addressable (digital) headers?

Yes, the Aura Sync headers are all 12V anyway, right? Darkside RGB strips have 12V LEDs and I'm assuming the Enthoo Evolv ATX LEDs are also 12V because of the SATA power connector that they use.

strong island 1 · Mar 9, 2018

kevindd992002 said:
That's what I thought. But you're referring to the "Darkside cable" and not the Phanteks header, right? The Phanteks cable is all black and you couldn't possibly see the wire crossovers in the picture unless I'm missing something?

I see. Yeah, or just buy that Phanteks cable ($3.40 at Amazon) because if I go with the de-pinning route I would need to de-pin the case cables to convert them to and buy another Darkside Y- cable to build a 1 x 4-pin female RGB to 3 x 4-pin male RGB connector ($7.99 plus $4.99 shipping at MMM). So the former is cheaper and has less effort

Are you referring to the non-addressable (standard) and addressable (digital) headers?

Yes, the Aura Sync headers are all 12V anyway, right? Darkside RGB strips have 12V LEDs and I'm assuming the Enthoo Evolv ATX LEDs are also 12V because of the SATA power connector that they use.

I have the phanteks cable adapter, it came with my phanteks block and I also bought an extra one just to see if it could sync some fans I was testing.

If you start from the mobo plug end and trace the wires up. About an inch up the b wire crosses over the r and g and moves it right next to the 12v line to go into the phanteks plugs. At first I thought they just screwed up my cable. but I guess the phanteks and asus aura use a different position for the b wire, asus puts it on the far side of the 12v input and phanteks puts it right next to the 12v. you could just take the cable that comes with the asus board and re-pin the other end.

to be honest I dont know much about 12v and 5v led connections but just looking at the cable you can see what is going on.

zoom in on the 3rd picture of the phanteks link you posted. Look really closely where it has the 12v input sticker tag, you can see the wire cross over under the sticker tag.

strong island 1 · Mar 9, 2018

I would buy like a cooler master aura compatible 12v rgb header splitter and the darkside cables and the phanteks adapter. Then plug rgb strips into darkside cable, darkside cable into the cable that comes with the motherboard for that type of connector, then fans into the phanteks adapter, then all of them into the 12v rgb splitter. The cooler master splitter also comes with a bunch of pins to help with changing genders.

kevindd992002 · Mar 9, 2018

strong island 1 said:
I have the phanteks cable adapter, it came with my phanteks block and I also bought an extra one just to see if it could sync some fans I was testing.

If you start from the mobo plug end and trace the wires up. About an inch up the b wire crosses over the r and g and moves it right next to the 12v line to go into the phanteks plugs. At first I thought they just screwed up my cable. but I guess the phanteks and asus aura use a different position for the b wire, asus puts it on the far side of the 12v input and phanteks puts it right next to the 12v. you could just take the cable that comes with the asus board and re-pin the other end.

to be honest I dont know much about 12v and 5v led connections but just looking at the cable you can see what is going on.

zoom in on the 3rd picture of the phanteks link you posted. Look really closely where it has the 12v input sticker tag, you can see the wire cross over under the sticker tag.

Yes, the crossing over of wires is pretty much the reason why you need a "converter cable" for different types of RGB LED strips/assemblies. It's the same way with the Darkside strips, they don't have the same pinout as the Aura Sync header in the motherboard. I'm not sure why they didn't do the RGB pinouts as standard, to be honest. It looks to me like a ploy to force everyone to buy a their own converter cables just to make everything work.

strong island 1 said:
I would buy like a cooler master aura compatible 12v rgb header splitter and the darkside cables and the phanteks adapter. Then plug rgb strips into darkside cable, darkside cable into the cable that comes with the motherboard for that type of connector, then fans into the phanteks adapter, then all of them into the 12v rgb splitter. The cooler master splitter also comes with a bunch of pins to help with changing genders.

Yes, that's one way to do it but I guess my way is also plausible and is the best route to go in terms of cost. I get the idea now, thanks for the help!

Revan654 · Mar 9, 2018

kevindd992002 said:
Yes, the crossing over of wires is pretty much the reason why you need a "converter cable" for different types of RGB LED strips/assemblies. It's the same way with the Darkside strips, they don't have the same pinout as the Aura Sync header in the motherboard. I'm not sure why they didn't do the RGB pinouts as standard, to be honest. It looks to me like a ploy to force everyone to buy a their own converter cables just to make everything work.

Yes, that's one way to do it but I guess my way is also plausible and is the best route to go in terms of cost. I get the idea now, thanks for the help!

you can just build your own cables you know. DarkSide does make strips designed for Aura.

It's because of the PCB, the 12V is at the bottom instead of the top and it's designed for there RGB controller(RGB headers did not exist when darkside RGB controller was created). Like I said any RGB strip can be re-pinned.

kevindd992002 said:
Are you referring to the non-addressable (standard) and addressable (digital) headers?

Yes, the Aura Sync headers are all 12V anyway, right? Darkside RGB strips have 12V LEDs and I'm assuming the Enthoo Evolv ATX LEDs are also 12V because of the SATA power connector that they use.

No, Aura has both 12v and 5v. Your motherboard only has one 12v header and other two are digital (5v). The Sata is for PWM fan Splitter, not the LED. LED has it's own power source via motherboard header or controller.

This is why it's very important to read the manual.

kevindd992002 · Mar 9, 2018

Revan654 said:
kevindd992002 said:

Yes, the crossing over of wires is pretty much the reason why you need a "converter cable" for different types of RGB LED strips/assemblies. It's the same way with the Darkside strips, they don't have the same pinout as the Aura Sync header in the motherboard. I'm not sure why they didn't do the RGB pinouts as standard, to be honest. It looks to me like a ploy to force everyone to buy a their own converter cables just to make everything work.

Yes, that's one way to do it but I guess my way is also plausible and is the best route to go in terms of cost. I get the idea now, thanks for the help!

Click to expand...

you can just build your own cables you know. DarkSide does make strips designed for Aura.

It's because of the PCB, the 12V is at the bottom instead of the top and it's designed for there RGB controller(RGB headers did not exist when darkside RGB controller was created). Like I said any RGB strip can be re-pinned.

kevindd992002 said:

Are you referring to the non-addressable (standard) and addressable (digital) headers?

Yes, the Aura Sync headers are all 12V anyway, right? Darkside RGB strips have 12V LEDs and I'm assuming the Enthoo Evolv ATX LEDs are also 12V because of the SATA power connector that they use.

Click to expand...

No, Aura has both 12v and 5v. Your motherboard only has one 12v header and other two are digital (5v). The Sata is for PWM fan Splitter, not the LED. LED has it's own power source via motherboard header or controller.

This is why it's very important to read the manual.

So then, yes you are referring to the addressable and non-addressable headers when you say 12v and 5v, lol.

No, the Sata connector there is for the LEDs. The PWM splitter has no connection to the whole "circuitry" of the case and has its own Sata connector. Ohh, I read the whole manual don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those guys that toss the manual aside and leave it be.

Check out the manual in the last pic in the Phanteks RGB cable that I linked above too. It specifically says to remove the Sata cable from being connected to the PSU before using the cable and this signifies that is indeed for the LEDs. Also, the case only has the HDD Led and Power switch connections to the board so no it is not powered by the motherboard header like the conventional cases do. So yeah. FYI.

Revan654 · Mar 10, 2018

kevindd992002 said:
So then, yes you are referring to the addressable and non-addressable headers when you say 12v and 5v, lol.

No, the Sata connector there is for the LEDs. The PWM splitter has no connection to the whole "circuitry" of the case and has its own Sata connector. Ohh, I read the whole manual don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those guys that toss the manual aside and leave it be.

Check out the manual in the last pic in the Phanteks RGB cable that I linked above too. It specifically says to remove the Sata cable from being connected to the PSU before using the cable and this signifies that is indeed for the LEDs. Also, the case only has the HDD Led and Power switch connections to the board so no it is not powered by the motherboard header like the conventional cases do. So yeah. FYI.

12v and 5v are the voltage for Digital LED and Standard LED. I prefer to go by the voltage, Since you know what type of LED's can be plugged into the header. Don't go plugging in standard LED's into 5V headers.

-----

I'm guessing it has a switch somewhere to switch between colors. It reduces the color options that a RGB LED can produce without some kind of controller.

----

The Manual is very limited and doesn't cover all aspects of the case.

kevindd992002 · Mar 11, 2018

Revan654 said:
kevindd992002 said:

So then, yes you are referring to the addressable and non-addressable headers when you say 12v and 5v, lol.

No, the Sata connector there is for the LEDs. The PWM splitter has no connection to the whole "circuitry" of the case and has its own Sata connector. Ohh, I read the whole manual don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those guys that toss the manual aside and leave it be.

Check out the manual in the last pic in the Phanteks RGB cable that I linked above too. It specifically says to remove the Sata cable from being connected to the PSU before using the cable and this signifies that is indeed for the LEDs. Also, the case only has the HDD Led and Power switch connections to the board so no it is not powered by the motherboard header like the conventional cases do. So yeah. FYI.

Click to expand...

12v and 5v are the voltage for Digital LED and Standard LED. I prefer to go by the voltage, Since you know what type of LED's can be plugged into the header. Don't go plugging in standard LED's into 5V headers.

-----

I'm guessing it has a switch somewhere to switch between colors. It reduces the color options that a RGB LED can produce without some kind of controller.

----

The Manual is very limited and doesn't cover all aspects of the case.

Yes but my point here is that the Sata connector I'm talking about powers those case LEDs. And yes, the case has a controller that controls those LEDs and I already know this.

The manuak covers the fact that the Sata power connector should be unplugged and turn the LEDs off (by holding the front button) so that the case RGB controller gets bypassed and let the mobo do the controlling.

S4vant · Mar 29, 2018

To the OP, I have the same case, and a Maximus X Hero mobo. I used the Phanteks adapter cable to connect the case RGB's and a LED strip to the mobo.

Incidentally, if you haven't bought your LED strips yet, Phanteks makes a combo kit (http://www.phanteks.com/PH-LEDKT.html) that includes that same adapter and 2x 400mm long RGB strips with magnetic backing. Each strip is enough for one edge of the case, and you could always add more if needed.

I had initially ordered the adapter cable thinking I needed it in addition to the combo kit, but then realized that it came with the kit.

I wouldn't go mixing the Phanteks case LEDs with the Darkside ones if there was a question about wire pinouts, because onece you are in the Aura Sync software, there is a calibration utility to compensate for different RGB wire sequence, and if the case LEDS are different than the strip LEDS from another mfg, that could definitely complicate things.

To connect the Phanteks adapter, you need to:
1. disconnect the SATA connector (that came with case LED wiring).
2. there is a free pigtail with the case wiring that you plug the adapter into
3. then the adapter plugs into either RGB_HEADER1 or RGB_HEADER2 not the addressable header. I used the header near the top of the board.
4. plug your LED strip into the last connector on the adapter or use the included extension from the kit, and place the strips where desired.
5. IMPORTANT!! make sure you turn off the case LED control!! I have the TG version of the case, so for me it is the button next to the front IO. You need to hold it down for about 5 seconds. Otherwise, both the Aura software and the case lighting controller will be trying to control the LEDS and you will get messed up colors.
6. Go into the Aura Sync software, and under settings, there is a calibration button that allows you to re-order the colors to fix the difference from the Phanteks pin outs to the ASUS pinouts.

Good luck!

kevindd992002 · Apr 3, 2018

S4vant said:
To the OP, I have the same case, and a Maximus X Hero mobo. I used the Phanteks adapter cable to connect the case RGB's and a LED strip to the mobo.

Incidentally, if you haven't bought your LED strips yet, Phanteks makes a combo kit (http://www.phanteks.com/PH-LEDKT.html) that includes that same adapter and 2x 400mm long RGB strips with magnetic backing. Each strip is enough for one edge of the case, and you could always add more if needed.

I had initially ordered the adapter cable thinking I needed it in addition to the combo kit, but then realized that it came with the kit.

I wouldn't go mixing the Phanteks case LEDs with the Darkside ones if there was a question about wire pinouts, because onece you are in the Aura Sync software, there is a calibration utility to compensate for different RGB wire sequence, and if the case LEDS are different than the strip LEDS from another mfg, that could definitely complicate things.

To connect the Phanteks adapter, you need to:
1. disconnect the SATA connector (that came with case LED wiring).
2. there is a free pigtail with the case wiring that you plug the adapter into
3. then the adapter plugs into either RGB_HEADER1 or RGB_HEADER2 not the addressable header. I used the header near the top of the board.
4. plug your LED strip into the last connector on the adapter or use the included extension from the kit, and place the strips where desired.
5. IMPORTANT!! make sure you turn off the case LED control!! I have the TG version of the case, so for me it is the button next to the front IO. You need to hold it down for about 5 seconds. Otherwise, both the Aura software and the case lighting controller will be trying to control the LEDS and you will get messed up colors.
6. Go into the Aura Sync software, and under settings, there is a calibration button that allows you to re-order the colors to fix the difference from the Phanteks pin outs to the ASUS pinouts.

Good luck!

Thanks! But I already have the Phanteks adapter and the Darkside LED strips with the Darkside to Aura Sync adapter.

Now the thing about the software having the calibration part is new to me and it does complicate things a bit (or at least confuses me because I haven't really installed anything yet, both software and LED strips). So my plan is to connect the case LED to one mobo RGB non-addressable header and all the Darkside LED strips on another. In this way, they are independent of each other. As I understand it, as long as you are able to somehow convert the pinouts of the LEDs to that of the Aura sync RGB headers using the cables, everything will work.

So my question is why do you still need to perform step 6 if you already did the "re-ordering" of pinouts physically using the converter cables? With the converter cables, you're already making the proper R-to-R, G-to-G, B-to-B, and +V-to-+V connections.

If the wire pinouts of the board can be re-ordered by the Aura sync software, why would you even need these converter cables when you can directly connect them toxthe board and just fix the pinouts order from there?

kevindd992002 · Apr 12, 2018

BUMP! @S4vant , do you mind answering my questions? I already tried Aura Sync and saw how the calibration works. So if you can change the RGB pinout sequence, why would you still need those converter cables? The calibration does the conversion via software and the cables does the conversion physically. The +V pinout doesn't change in either instance anyway, it's just the RGB pinouts that change, right?

S4vant · Apr 12, 2018

kevindd992002 said:
BUMP! @S4vant , do you mind answering my questions? I already tried Aura Sync and saw how the calibration works. So if you can change the RGB pinout sequence, why would you still need those converter cables? The calibration does the conversion via software and the cables does the conversion physically. The +V pinout doesn't change in either instance anyway, it's just the RGB pinouts that change, right?

sorry @kevindd992002 , I've been away on vacation and work trips for the past 2 weeks. I will check on this for you Monday man. I haven't fired up my pc since....

kevindd992002 · Apr 12, 2018

S4vant said:
sorry @kevindd992002 , I've been away on vacation and work trips for the past 2 weeks. I will check on this for you Monday man. I haven't fired up my pc since....

No worries, thanks man! Oh and btw, I read another thread on another forum that even though with calibration, one still needs to buy that Phanteks cable for everything to work. I want to understand why as it doesn't make sense.

strong island 1 · Apr 12, 2018

kevindd992002 said:
BUMP! @S4vant , do you mind answering my questions? I already tried Aura Sync and saw how the calibration works. So if you can change the RGB pinout sequence, why would you still need those converter cables? The calibration does the conversion via software and the cables does the conversion physically. The +V pinout doesn't change in either instance anyway, it's just the RGB pinouts that change, right?

I didnt have to use the calibration software. I have 6 thermaltake led fans all hooked to my addressable header and the led's on my gpu block use the phantek pinout and I have the phantek adapter hooked to that and plugged into my 12v rgb header. After that I just went into aura and everything was there, I synced everything and all colors change or turn off at once.

you probably dont need the phanteks adapter to change the pinout if you use the calibration software. it should be one or the other, but I never hear people say you can change the pinout in the software for 12v rgb devices, that's really cool.

my mouse and keyboard change at the same time also.

kevindd992002 · Apr 12, 2018

strong island 1 said:
I didnt have to use the calibration software. I have 6 thermaltake led fans all hooked to my addressable header and the led's on my gpu block use the phantek pinout and I have the phantek adapter hooked to that and plugged into my 12v rgb header. After that I just went into aura and everything was there, I synced everything and all colors change or turn off at once.

you probably dont need the phanteks adapter to change the pinout if you use the calibration software. it should be one or the other, but I never hear people say you can change the pinout in the software for 12v rgb devices, that's really cool.

my mouse and keyboard change at the same time also.

Right. I don't understand why this information isn't spreadout. People still buy the Phanteks and Darkside adapters (like what I did) when you can calibrate everything through the Aura Sync software. Buying the cables is just redundant. But I hope @S4vant can post results of his test for us just to confirm everything.

RGB LED on case and RGB LED strips to Aura Sync

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