Calculating LED Strip controller current (Amps)

If running a particular length of LED strip through a controller (whether Single Colour or RGBW), for the purposes of remote dimming, it's important to note that we mustn't exceed the amount of amps per channel allowed, which is 5 amps per output channel with Hi-Line Controllers. Also important is not to operate the controller at its maximum capacity in order to avoid overheating. Always use proper wiring diameter to be able to handle safely the current flowing to LED strip.

Normal wiring for 4 strips not exceeding amps per channel:

The easiest way to calculate for this is to follow the equation below:

LED Strip watts per metre x strip length = total wattage

LED Strip 14.4W/m current calculation example 1:

14.4 (watt/meter) x 5 (meter) = 72W (if the strip is 24V, then 72w % 24v = 3 Amps)

LED Strip 19.2W/m current calculation example 2:

 19.2 x 5 = 96W % 24 = 4 Amps 

LED Strip 28.8W/m current calculation example 3:

28.8 x 5 = 144W % 24 = 6 Amps

Note that the last example equals 6 Amps current flow through the controller LED strip connection terminals for the specific channel. This means that we have to adjust how we wire our strips to the terminals. This is simply achieved by what we refer to as "Bridging". We know that each of our 4 output channels has a 5 amp limit but what if we need more? In this case, we can take 2 output channels from the controller and wire them in parallel to single cable, effectively creating 10 amps, which we then feed to our LED strip. Note that you cannot bridge all 4 output channels but is okay to bridge channel 1 and 2 to make it able to stand maximum of 10A and channel 3 and 4 for another 10A bridged output.

Bridge Configuration diagram for 2 x 10A output
Note: You cannot bridge all 4 channels!

If calculating for RGB+W strips: 14.4 (watt/meter) x 5 (meter) = 72W (if the strip is 24V, then 72w % 24v = 3 Amps) %4 = 0.72, or 1 amp per channel

Always make sure that you have correctly calculated for the amps per channel. Running too great a load into your controller will result in serious damage to your LED controller and may even cause a fire.