APA102 sticking in SPI mode using FastLED.h

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hydronics

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Hello, any ideas would be much appreciated!

I tried to use 4 SPI pins to drive 4 strips as suggested in the FastLED library... https://github.com/FastLED/FastLED/wiki/SPI-Hardware-or-Bit-banging

It works for a few seconds and then freezes. It works all day long if I un-comment //#define FASTLED_FORCE_SOFTWARE_SPI

FastLED.addLeds<APA102, 7, 14, RGB>(colors1, NUM_LEDS);
FastLED.addLeds<APA102, 7, 13, RGB>(colors2, NUM_LEDS);
FastLED.addLeds<APA102, 11, 13, RGB>(colors3, NUM_LEDS);
FastLED.addLeds<APA102, 11, 14, RGB>(colors4, NUM_LEDS);

I tried different teensy speeds and different strip speeds to no avail.

I'm using teensy3.2, teensyduino 1.29, arduino 1.6.9, octoshield, the latest fastLED.h, windows 7.

Code: 
//#define FASTLED_FORCE_SOFTWARE_SPI
#include "FastLED.h"

// How many leds in your strip?
#define NUM_LEDS 32

// Define the array of leds
CRGB colors1[NUM_LEDS];
//CRGB colors2[NUM_LEDS];
//CRGB colors3[NUM_LEDS];
//CRGB colors4[NUM_LEDS];

void setup() { 

   //FastLED.addLeds<APA102, RGB>(leds, NUM_LEDS); //any and all combinations cause the program to freeze after a few seconds

   FastLED.addLeds<APA102, 7,14, RGB>(colors1, NUM_LEDS);
   //FastLED.addLeds<APA102, 7,13, RGB>(colors2, NUM_LEDS);
   //FastLED.addLeds<APA102, 11,13, RGB>(colors3, NUM_LEDS);
   //FastLED.addLeds<APA102, 11,14, RGB>(colors4, NUM_LEDS);

}

void loop() { 
  // Turn the LED on, then pause
  for(int i=0; i<NUM_LEDS; i++){
  colors1[i] = CRGB::Red;
  }
  FastLED.show();
  
  delay(100);

  // Now turn the LED off, then pause
  for(int i=0; i<NUM_LEDS; i++){
  colors1[i] = CRGB::Black;
  }
  FastLED.show();
  
  delay(100);
}

photo 1.jpgphoto 2.jpg
 
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I get the following error when I try to use the latest version of FastLed from github instead of what is packaged in Teensduino. Do I have too many Arduino's installed on my machine (1.67, 1.68, 1.69) cuasing errors? I tried Arduino IDE 1.68 to no avail.

Code: 
C:\Arduino\libraries\FastLED/FastLED.h:17:21: note: #pragma message: FastLED version 3.001.001

 #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.001.001"
                     ^
In file included from D:\test.ino:2:0:

C:\Arduino\libraries\FastLED/FastLED.h: In static member function 'static CLEDController& CFastLED::addLeds(CRGB*, int, int)':

C:\Arduino\libraries\FastLED/FastLED.h:437:47: error: expected type-specifier before 'SixteenWayInlineBlockClocklessCOntroller'

         case WS2813_PORTC: return addLeds(new SixteenWayInlineBlockClocklessCOntroller<NUM_LANES, NS(320), NS(320), NS(640), RGB_ORDER, 0, false, 300>(), data, nLedsOrOffset, nLedsIfOffset);

                                               ^

C:\Arduino\libraries\FastLED/FastLED.h:437:152: error: expected primary-expression before ')' token

         case WS2813_PORTC: return addLeds(new SixteenWayInlineBlockClocklessCOntroller<NUM_LANES, NS(320), NS(320), NS(640), RGB_ORDER, 0, false, 300>(), data, nLedsOrOffset, nLedsIfOffset);

**unrelated issue: The previous IDE version (1.67) errors when compiling FastLed when functions are present in your code. This was fixed by Arduino IDE 1.68.
 
Last edited:
****SOLVED****
Did a clean install of Arduino IDE 1.68 and teensyduino 1.29.
Exchanged the FastLed.h with the older version 3.1.0 of the FastLed library: Latest commit b01f941 on Sep 23, 2015. =>> per these comment:
It works but errors when compiling functions. so I moved all the function definitions to the top of the sketch per this post.

*********
Just my notes here:

It does not freeze running simple code with a clean install of Arduino IDE 1.68 and Teensyduino 1.28.

...although I got "functions not declared errors" when introducing functions in the loop() when compiling.

It compiles fine but freezes after a few seconds when running a clean install of Arduino IDE 1.69 and Teensyduino 1.29

I tried the latest FastLed library 4c32e65 and it still hangs. I had to delete and replace the fastLed.h in the Teensy/hardware folder for it to compile.

It compiles fine but freezes after a few seconds when running a clean install of Arduino IDE 1.68 and Teensyduino 1.29

I tried the latest FastLed library 4c32e65 and it still hangs.
 
In order to run the LEDs without flickering I had to upload the LEDs running the teensy at 16MHz (no USB), and then I could run the APA102 at 12MHz.
I'm running four strands of about ~600 LEDs.
Code: 
FastLED.addLeds<APA102, DATA_PIN1, CLOCK_PIN1, BGR, DATA_RATE_MHZ(12)>(colors1, LED_COUNT);

If I ran the teensy at 96MHz then almost the entire strip of LEDs would flicker no matter the led DATA_RATE.
If I tried to run the teensy at say 48MHz, I could run the APA102 at 1MHz and there would be almost no flicker but the response time was slow. It didn't seem to matter if I ran them combined SPI pins (as my initial post) or ran them as forced software SPI via an unmutilated octo-shield.
 
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