[SOLVED] How does ASUS Aura compatible RGB Hubs and Control Cards work?

[bat0nas]

Hi,

My Asus MB has only 1x Aura RGB Header.
Aura software sees only two RGB devices: Memory and MB Header.

And I have 3 LED devices connected to MB Header (cpu fan, case fan and case RGB).

I want to control all three (actually four - including RAM modules) individually.

Does anybody have Silverstone LSB01, Akasa Vegas Control card or any other Aura compatible devices?
Does Aura software recognize each 4 or 8 ports individually?

Thanks.

 

[Lutfij]

Are they all connected to your motherboard, as stated in the manual? You should make sure you're on the latest version for the AuraSync app, not to mention the latest version of BIOS for your motherboard.

Speaking of which, mind sharing the specs like so:
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:

Also mention how they're(RGB components, except the rams) all connected and if they're daisy chained.

 

[Paperdoc]

There are two different and incompatible systems common for RGB lighting control on mobo headers - plain RGB, and Addressable RGB. BOTH can be done using Aura Sync software on an ASUS mobo. Which type you CAN use depedns on which type of header you mobo has. The plain RGB uses a 4-pin header. The ADDR RGB uses one very much like that, but missing one pin so it's a 3-pin system.

Irrespective of that, when you connect more than one RGB lighting device to a single mobo header, there is no way for that header to control each of them separately. That is because there is no way to send different signals to multiple devices that are simply connected in parallel to the SAME signal source, and that's how any RGB Splitter OR any RGB Hub will operate. Regarding the RAM lights, I do not know whether the Aura Sync system treats the control of those as a separate RGB port with separate displays or not.

Both of the devices you cited are basically simple controllers for ONLY the plain RGB type of lights (NOT the ADRR RGB system) and allow you to change the displays of ALL connected lights using a manual button. The Akasa one has a button on the back of the card. The Silverstone system has a cable you can connect to your case's front palle RESET button so it becomes the light control button instead. Both of them also have a switch by which you can change the operation so it becomes basically a Hub with no display control of its own. Instead you can connect a cable from it to your mobo's 4-pin plain RGB header (IF you have that type on your mobo) and let your mob's header (controlled by the mobo Aura Sync utility) do all the control. But still, ALL the RGB devices connected together will do the same thing.

Since your mobo has only one RGB header, the only way to make all your lighting devices do different things is to get a second RGB controller box of the correct type and which IS designed to operate each of its output ports independently. Then you could connect your existing lights (not the RAM) to that and program each port to do different things.

 

[bat0nas]

Thanks @Paperdoc
I think you answered my question pretty well. I mostly use ITX and mATX and those have just one RGB Header. So no other solution than to use a Hub or connect all RGB devices in parallel (as what I did at the moment).

Just looked at more expensive ATX MB specs and I see many have at least 3 headers (or even 4) in different combinations (1x aRGB 2xRGB or 2+2 of each).

@Lutfij
No need for additional assistance. Got my answers.

 

[Paperdoc]

You are right. Most mobo makers have many variations of RGB headers among their several models. Some mobos have no headers, some have only plain RGB (one or more), some have only ADDR RGB, and some have one or more of each type. A few even have a header placed near the CPU socket for particular use with CPU coolers that have RGB lighting in them, but usually these are just one of the two standard types and CAN be used for other lighting devices. Some mobos have RGB lighting built into mobo components and these are handled separately and directly by the mobo RGB controller system without any involvement of the headers. There are also RAM modules that include RGB lighting in them, and these do not use the mobo headers, either - their lights are controlled by a utility you get with them that apparently uses the modules' normal RAM socket connections for this purpose.

Mobo makers all have their own proprietary RGB lighting control software utilities with trademarked names like Aura Sync, Mystic Light, RGB Fusion, etc. to be used on their mobos. The confusing part is that each of these can work with BOTH the plain RGB and ADDR RGB headers on their respective mobos, so the name does NOT tell you anything about what hardware header type the mobo has. To buy your lights, you need to match them to the hardware type of the mobo header. And yet, mobo and lighting makers market their products using phrases like "Compatible with (trademark software name)" light systems.