Fixing Weird Lights by Adjusting Port Pixel Counts
Troubleshoot sporadic lights, flickering, or lights stopping after about 100 bulbs by correcting the pixel count settings in TruLight.
If your lights are acting sporadic, flickering randomly, or just stopping after about 100 bulbs — the fix is almost always a pixel count adjustment. This also needs to be done any time you run an app update. This module walks you through exactly what pixels are, why they matter, and how to correct the settings in under two minutes.
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Recognize the symptoms of a pixel count mismatch
- Navigate to the pixel settings for each port in the TruLight app
- Correct the pixel count on the right port, zero out the others, and save the fix
What Are Pixels and When Do You Need to Adjust Them?
How to recognize a pixel problem and when you're required to reset your pixel settings.
Key Concepts
What "Pixels" Means in TruLight
In the TruLight app, "pixels" refers to the number of individual light bulbs the box is configured to control on a given port. Every light on your house is a pixel. The box needs to know exactly how many pixels are on each port so it can send the right signals to the right bulbs.
Symptoms of a Pixel Mismatch
There are two common signs that your pixel count is off:
- Sporadic behavior — lights flash randomly, show wrong colors, or run a completely different pattern than the rest of the house
- Lights stop working after a certain point — for example, the first 100 lights look perfect, but everything after that goes dark or glitches out
When You Must Reset Pixels
Any time you perform an app update, your pixel settings may reset. Even if your lights were working perfectly before the update, check your pixel counts afterward and re-enter them if needed.
Action Step
Look at your lights right now (or recall the last time you had an issue). Do any of these match what you're seeing?
- Lights acting sporadic or random
- Lights cutting off after a certain point on a run
- A recent app update followed by new problems
If yes — this module is your fix. Keep going.
Finding the Pixel Settings
How to navigate to the pixel settings inside the TruLight app and understand the port layout.
Key Concepts
Where to Find Pixel Settings
From inside your box in the TruLight app, tap the Settings button in the top right corner. This opens the pixel configuration screen.
Ports and What They Represent
You'll see a list of named ports — typically labeled something like Front Yard, East Side, West Side, and Backyard. Each port corresponds to a physical output on your TruLight box that your installer used to run lights to a specific zone of the house. Each port has its own pixel count that must match the number of lights on that run.
Think of each port as a separate circuit. Front Yard controls only the lights on that run; East Side controls only its run — and so on. Getting the count right on each one is what keeps your whole system in sync.
Action Step
Open the TruLight app, go into your box, and tap the Settings button (top right). Look at the list of ports and note what pixel count each one is currently set to. Don't change anything yet — just get familiar with where everything lives.
Correcting the Pixel Count and Saving the Fix
How to increase the pixel count on the problem port, zero out the others, save, and verify the fix.
Key Concepts
How to Correct the Count
Tap the port you suspect is causing the issue and increase the pixel count to a number higher than the lights physically installed on that run. If you're not sure of the exact count, use this rule: if roughly half the lights on that run are glitching, the count is probably about half of what it should be — so double it. It's always better to go a little high than too low.
Set Everything Else to Zero
While you're troubleshooting, set all other ports to zero. This isolates the port you're testing so you can clearly see whether the fix worked. Once you've confirmed the right port and count, you can re-enter the correct values for the other ports.
Save and Check
Tap Save. Then go look at your lights. If the sporadic behavior is gone and all the lights are responding correctly, you've fixed it. If the problem persists, the affected lights may be on a different port — go back and try the next one. A good starting point: the front of the house is almost always the first port.
Action Step
Make the fix:
- Tap the port for the zone with the problem lights
- Increase the pixel count (double it if you're unsure)
- Set all other ports to zero
- Tap Save
- Go check your lights — confirm the issue is resolved
- If fixed, go back and restore the correct counts on the other ports
Summary
What You Learned:
- Sporadic lights or lights that stop after ~100 bulbs almost always mean the pixel count is set too low on a port
- App updates can reset pixel settings — always check after updating
- The fix is to increase the pixel count on the affected port, set all others to zero, and save
- The front of the house is almost always Port 1 — start there
Next Steps:
Now that your lights are all working correctly, set up a Timer to automate your lighting schedule — lights on at sunset, off at 2 AM, every day, automatically.