NeoPixel / WS2812 LED Strip
Individually-addressable RGB LEDs chained on a single data wire.
How it works
WS2812 (Adafruit calls them NeoPixels) are RGB LEDs with a tiny controller built into each one. Chain dozens on a single data line and set any color on any pixel — great for animations and ambient lighting.
Drive them with the Adafruit_NeoPixel library. They're power-hungry (up to ~60 mA per LED at full white), so for more than a handful use a dedicated 5V supply and share ground with the Arduino.
Pins
- DIN
- Data in — to a digital pin (through a ~330Ω resistor).
- 5V
- Power (external supply for long strips).
- GND
- To GND (shared with the Arduino).
Ratings
- Voltage
- 5 V
- Current
- ~60 mA per LED at full white
Tips
- Add a ~330Ω resistor in series on the data line and a 1000µF cap across power.
- For long strips, inject 5V from a separate supply and common the grounds.