RGB LED Strips For Easy Light Decorations
USD $1 - $30 /Meter
Min.Order:1 Meter
RGB LED Strips For Easy Light Decorations
These flexi-strips are without a doubt the most convenient, cost-effective option for using the WS2812 RGB LEDs in any lighting project. They can be easily cut down to a 1-LED piece, or interconnected to form a lengthy, continuous strip. Each strip includes a 3-Pin JST connector Male/Female pair, and silicone end caps that tightly seal the IP65 waterproof rated strip. Each WS2812 on the strip includes 3 super bright LEDs (Red, Green, and Blue) and an embedded driver circuit (WS2811) that only requires one data input to control the brightness and color of the 3 LEDs.
We have in stock 6 different versions of the RGB LED strip: white PCB, 30 LED/1m; white PCB, 60 LED/1m; white PCB,144 LED/1m;black PCB, 30 LED/1m; black PCB, 60 LED/1m;and,black PCB,144 LED/1m.Some notable characteristics of these great products include:
Weatherproof packaging
The flexible PCB and WS2812 RGB LEDs are packaged inside a 12.5mm-wide, translucent, silicone sleeve that has an IP65 waterproof rating. As we want you to have the option of cutting the strips to any desired length, we also sell additional end caps separately, which allow the strips to be sealed up again after cutting.
Features
Requirements
Power
In order to drive the RGB LEDs at maximum brightness, the power supply needs to source enough current: 3.6A@5V for the 60 LED/1 meter versions, 1.8A for the 30 LED/1 meter ones,8.64A@5v for the 144 LED/1 meter. As most modern computer ports have very robust current-limiting circuitry, you can run a strip from a microcontroller board like the Arduino Uno R3 that is powered from a computer's USB port. However, after putting matters into perspective—a single WS2812 package contains 3 LEDs (R, G, and B) that require 20mA each to operate properly (Forward Current specification), the 20mA x 3 x 60 (or 30 or 144) = 3.6A (or 1.8A or 8.64A) requirement is substantially higher than what a standard USB port can source: 500mA max—we strongly recommend using an external power supply.
Communication Speed
The WS2812 package includes a Data In and a Data Out pin that allows them to be connected sequentially. This means that we truly need nothing but one data line to control several of them (in addition to Power and Ground). However, at the expense of needing only one data line for control, there comes a demand for highly precise timing in the signal that we provide. For this reason, a real-time microcontroller (e.g., AVR, Arduino, PIC) is required. With some tweaking of the stock firmware, it is possible to even use a Linux-based microcomputer or an interpreted microcontroller such as the Netduino or Basic Stamp.
Memory
Because the LEDs are connected serially, we need to specify the display data for each and everyone of them. The display data need to reside in the controller's RAM so that they can be read and written with the timing (speed) precision that is needed. Most Arduino Uno R3 programs leave about 400B of RAM unused, and each WS2812 needs 24 bits of data (8 bits for each R, G, and B value). This implies that up to 135 WS2812 LEDs could be driven by an Arduino Uno R3. Other microcontroller boards such as the Arduino Mega have more RAM, and consequently can drive more LEDs.