Adafruit
Pixie - 3W Chainable Smart LED Pixel
NeoPixels are plenty bright, suuuure. BUT ARE THEY 3 WATTS BRIGHT? No! They are not! That's why you need a Pixie. These chainable smart LEDs are not ...
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NeoPixels are plenty bright, suuuure. BUT ARE THEY 3 WATTS BRIGHT? No! They are not! That's why you need a Pixie. These chainable smart LEDs are not only super-smart, they are ridonkulously bright with 3W total, compared to 0.2W of a 'standard' NeoPixel. Designed by Ytai Ben-Tsvi, these are the ultimate in LEDs.
Each Pixie not only contains that aforementioned 3W LED, it also has a Microchip PIC microcontroller. You send it the color you want to appear at standard 115200 baud (1 byte per color). You can send a longer string of pixel data and it will 'forward' along the messages so you can chain them like a shift register. You only have to send the data once per color change. Once set, the microcontroller does all the PWM handling for you.
You do have to send it data every 2 seconds at a minimum (as a protection against the bright and hot LEDs staying 'stuck on', they will eventually timeout if no updates are received). 1 second updates (or faster!) is best.
Since the Pixie uses so much power, there's a risk of the LED heating up so much it damages itself and/or the microcontroller. That's why Ytai added a temperature cut-off. When the PIC detects that the Pixie's temperature is too high, it turns off the LED until it gets back down to a reasonable level.
Each Pixie comes fully assembled, with big pads for power wires (don't forget, we're talking about max 1 Amp per Pixie!) and mounting holes on the sides that fit M2 size screws. You'll also need thick wires to power each Pixie and a microcontroller that can send 115,200 baud 8N1 data to the Pixie (on its own, it will not do anything, you must send it data for it to light up).
Check the tutorial for more information including code, schematics, libaries, pinouts & more! Our Arduino library is easy to use, has the same API you're used to with our NeoPixel library, and will get you blasting ROYGBIV in 5 minutes or less.
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- API
- An API (application programming interface) is a defined set of commands or functions that lets one piece of software interact with another, such as a library, operating system, hardware driver or online service. When something offers API support, it means you can control or query it from your own code rather than only through its built-in menus or buttons.
- baud
- Baud is the signalling rate of a serial connection, often used as the speed setting for UART communication. Matching the baud rate matters because both connected devices must use the same setting for readable data.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a single chip that runs a stored program and controls connected inputs and outputs such as buttons, sensors, displays and communication interfaces. In a device built around one, it is the part that executes the code and coordinates the device's behaviour.
- 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.
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pixie 3 watt smart chainable led pixels
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