[SOLVED] Cooler Master ARGB Controller & MSI B450 Tomahawk Max

[spiderbatman]

Hi,

I recently purchased the cooler master argb controller - Link
The reason why I purchased this was that it says on the website that it can make me control my ARGB stuff (5V, 4-1 Pin) through my motherboard software.
I have a MSI B450 Tomahawk Max which has 2*JRGB 12V, 4 Pin and as per the directions provided, I connected everything. But even after switching to ARGB mode, I am not able to control it through my motherboard software

If I put it in RGB mode, I can change colors with the button provided but that defeats my purpose. Any idea what can be done here?

 

[Lutfij]

By stuff, can you elaborate on your ARGB gear inside the chassis? You could try disconnecting everything from the controller leaving only one device on it and then work your way up to all devices that are ARGB.

 

[spiderbatman]

By stuff, can you elaborate on your ARGB gear inside the chassis? You could try disconnecting everything from the controller leaving only one device on it and then work your way up to all devices that are ARGB.

I have argb fans (Antec) and light strips .. I connect them to an ARGB hub (non-powered) and then get the input to the hub from the controller..
At first nothing lit up.. then I just plugged in my light strip.. and it lit up 80%.. I am guessing there is a power limitation.. will try to get a powered ARGB hub (not easy to find)
Then I connected 1 of my fans and it lit up properly.. the buttons on the controller is able to control the lighting.. but still am not able to control it via my mobo software...


On a second thought, Is there a device which connects via USB and has its own software and I can connect all my ARGB components to this device? That way I completely bypass my mobo software.

 

[Paperdoc]

First, see my post in your other thread.

As I understand the way that larger Cooler Master Controller works, you can use that "translation" feature if connected properly. You must connect cable F from the 4-pin mobo plain RGB header to the correct input port of the Controller - the one with 4 holes marked "MB 12V" - see the Controller manual for item coding. There are several other connections to make. When you have it set up and turned on, then you go to the RGB / ARGB Mode button SECOND from the top. Note that, near the bottom front of this box there are two light indicators, one to each side. Its manual says that when the LEFT light is on it is using the ARGB Mode and input from a mobo ARGB header using the LEFT input port item C. Pushing the Mode button #2 switches to the plain RGB Mode and the RIGHT light indicates this and it uses the RIGHT input port item F. One thing it does not tell us clearly: many such systems require that you tell the unit to switch to external (from a mobo) input control (instead of using the box manual buttons) by holding down the top Display Mode Adjustment button #1 for about 3 - 5 sec.

Once this all is done, you do need to load and run the MOBO's software utility MSI Mystic Light to generate the display control signals that have to be output from the mobo header to send to the Cooler Master Controller.

In my post on your other thread I finished by noting that doing it this way will generate lighting displays typical of plain RGB systems, but not all of the complex rainbow displays available with a full ARGB system. IF you want those more complex displays it will require that you get a fully capable ARGB Controller. The larger one you have here can do that using it manual buttons. But although the Controller has a USB2 port, its description says that can be used only for downloading firmware updates to the box, It can NOT be used (so it says) to control the box via the Cooler Master software utility Master Plus+. BUT there is a story that a new version of Cooler Master's smaller Controller Can do this. My post in the other thread urges you to investigate that possibility. IF you contact Cooler Master for that, you could ask whether this larger Controller you have already CAN be upgraded to accept control via the USB2 connection from Master Plus+.

 

[Paperdoc]

UPDATE Feb 3/21
My previous post noted that Cooler Master has two ARGB Controllers: the larger Addressable RGB LED Controller with 4 round buttons and many ports, and the smaller A-RGB LED Small Controller with 4 square buttons and three ports. Each has a mini-USB2 port, and I was not clear on what capabilities each has. I inquired about that to Cooler Master and received their reply yesterday.

They say that BOTH of these controllers CAN be adjusted and controlled to generate ARGB displays by using their proprietary Masterplus+ software tool that uses the USB port for communication with the Controller. That means you CAN control the displays without using the manual buttons on the box - you can do it all from MasterPlus+. These Controllers both come with ports and cables sufficient to control several ARGB lighting devices using standard ARGB electrical signals and the common (4-1) male output connectors (looks like 4 pins, but one pin missing). They also CAN accept input signals from mobo ARGB headers and can be set to use those control systems OR to ignore the external mobo signals and do what the MasterPlus+ software says. Thus, Cooler Master says each of these Controllers can be used as a third-party ARGB Controller independent of the mobo if you wish, even with NO mobo ARGB header, using a software utility for configuration and control and standard output connectors.

Of those two Controllers, the larger one has some additional features, one of which is the ability to accept input from a mobo PLAIN RGB header (the 4-pin 12 VDC type) and translate those into signals safe for your ARGB lighting devices to display those patterns. Now, the range of display types available from plain RGB is more limited than ARGB can do, but that would allow you to "Sync" all lights of whatever type in your system to a plain RGB signal set when you mobo does not have an ARGB output header. But then you also would have the option to switch the larger Cooler Master Controller to ignore those mobo plain RGB signals and use its own ability (set by the MasterPlus+ software utility) to generate the full range of complex ARGB displays on your ARGB lighting units.