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Adafruit NeoPixel Shield - 40 RGBW - Natural White - ~4500K
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Put on your sunglasses before plugging in this shield — 40 eye-blistering RGBW LEDs adorn the NeoPixel Shield for a blast of configurable colour and white. A...
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Put on your sunglasses before plugging in this shield — 40 eye-blistering RGBW LEDs adorn the NeoPixel Shield for a blast of configurable colour and white. Arranged in a 5×8 matrix, each pixel is individually addressable using just one pin (Digital #6 by default, changeable by cutting a trace).
This is the Natural White (~4500K) RGBW version, producing a balanced, daylight-like white tone. Each LED is split — one half is RGB, the other is a white LED with a yellow phosphor — delivering 32-bit colour (8-bit PWM per channel). Also available in Warm White (~3000K), Cool White (~6000K), and RGB.
Key Features
- 40 RGBW LEDs – 5×8 individually addressable matrix with natural white (~4500K) dedicated white channel
- 32-Bit Colour – 8-bit PWM per channel (R, G, B, W) for fine-grained colour and white control
- Arduino Shield Form Factor – Plugs directly onto Arduino Uno, Mega, Leonardo, and compatible boards
- Flexible Power Options – Powered from Arduino 5 V by default, or via included terminal block for external 4–6 V DC supply with polarity protection
- Chainable – Connect DOUT of one shield to DIN of the next for larger displays
- Headers Included – Both stacking headers and plain headers provided for your preferred configuration
Power Options
- Default: Powered from the Arduino's onboard 5 V supply — suitable for moderate brightness use
- External: Solder the included terminal block (best placed on the underside) to connect a 4–6 V DC supply, which also powers the Arduino
- Isolated: Cut the solder jumper next to the terminal block to power the shield externally while keeping the Arduino on USB/DC power only
Note: RGBW NeoPixels require RGBW-specific library support. Using a standard RGB NeoPixel library will produce incorrect colours. Ensure your library is configured for RGBW (SK6812) mode, with 4 bytes per pixel (160 bytes total for this shield).
Tip: When chaining five or more shields, you may run low on RAM on the Arduino Uno. Consider a Mega or other board with more memory for larger installations.
Ideal For
- Arduino-based LED displays and signage
- Colour and white ambient lighting projects
- Prototyping addressable LED effects
- Interactive art and notification displays
Package Contents
- 1× Adafruit NeoPixel Shield – 40 RGBW Natural White (~4500K)
- 1× Terminal block for external power
- 1× Set of stacking headers
- 1× Set of plain headers
Resources
- NeoPixel Uberguide – Comprehensive guide covering wiring, libraries, and example code
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- DIN
- DIN means data in, the pin where this display receives data from the controller. Connecting DIN to the correct SPI data output pin is needed for the screen to receive pixel and command information.
- Headers
- Rows of metal pins used to plug a module into a breadboard or connect it with jumper wires. Pre-soldered headers make the module easier to use straight away without needing to solder the pins yourself.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode is a small electronic component that lights up when current flows through it in the correct direction. In this kit, LEDs create the flashing effect, so polarity and correct soldering matter for the project to work.
- NeoPixel
- A type of addressable LED system where colour data is sent along a single digital data line from one LED or controller to the next. Compatibility matters because the timing and signal format must match for the lights or driver board to respond correctly.
- PWM
- Pulse Width Modulation is a way for a digital pin to simulate variable output power by switching on and off very quickly. It matters for controlling things like LED brightness, motor speed, or servo-style signals from a microcontroller pin.
- RAM
- RAM is temporary memory used while a device is running, and its contents are lost when power is removed. A “Run in RAM” mode is useful for testing settings without permanently programming the module, but it may not support every feature.
- RGB
- Short for red, green and blue, usually referring to an LED that can mix those three colours. It matters because controlling an RGB LED teaches how separate outputs combine to create different colours.
- Shield
- An add-on board that plugs into a main controller board to give it extra features such as sensing, motor control or communication. Knowing a product supports shields helps you judge whether it can connect neatly into an existing maker-board setup.
- solder jumper
- A solder jumper is a small pair or group of pads on a circuit board that can be bridged or cut with solder to change a hardware setting. It matters because changing modes may require careful soldering rather than just changing software.
- Terminal block
- A connector used to join wires together in a neat, removable, or serviceable way. For this product, it helps split one power input into several outputs without soldering.
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