SparkFun
WS2812B 5050 Addressable RGB LED - Cut Tape
· MPN: COM-24837
The WS2812B is a compact 5050-sized SMD RGB LED with an integrated control circuit, making each LED individually addressable. Often referred to as a “NeoPixe...
The WS2812B is a compact 5050-sized SMD RGB LED with an integrated control circuit, making each LED individually addressable. Often referred to as a “NeoPixel”, it is widely used for addressable lighting projects and development board indicator lights.
This 4-pin version breaks the LED out as Vcc, GND, Data In and Data Out, improving on older 6-pin models and helping simplify PCB layout and hand-soldering. It uses one-wire serial control, so complex RGB lighting effects can be driven from a single data pin.
Each red, green and blue channel can be set to one of 256 brightness levels for 8-bit colour depth, giving 16,777,216 possible colour combinations per LED. The cut-tape format is ideal when you need small quantities for prototypes, repairs, classroom projects or short custom PCB runs rather than a full reel.
Documentation for this part includes a datasheet, hookup guide and LED tutorial.
Features:
- Individually addressable: integrated control circuit inside each LED
- One-wire serial control: uses one data pin
- 8-bit colour depth: 256 different levels for each red, green and blue channel
- Colour range: 16,777,216 (256³) possible colour combinations for each LED
- 4-pin Design: Vcc, GND, Data In, Data Out
- Cut Tape Packaging: supplied in cut-tape format
- Prototyping: suitable for prototyping a new design
- Small runs: suitable for small, custom PCB runs
- Repairs: suitable for repairing an existing LED strip
- Education: suitable for classroom projects or workshops
Specifications:
- Package size: 5050-sized (5mm x 5mm)
- Viewing angle: 120 degrees
- Red: (620-625nm) @ 390-420mcd
- Green: (522-525nm) @ 660-720mcd
- Blue: (465-467nm) @ 180-200mcd
- Forward Voltage - Red: 2.0-2.2V
- Forward Voltage - Green: 3.0-3.4V
- Forward Voltage - Blue: 3.0-3.4V
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- Colour depth
- Colour depth describes how many different colours a display can show. A 65K-colour display can show about 65,000 colours, which is useful for icons, graphs, and simple full-colour interfaces but is less detailed than modern phone or computer screens.
- 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.
- PCB
- A printed circuit board is a rigid board with copper tracks that connect electronic parts without loose wires. For this kit, the PCBs also form the airplane shape, so they are both the circuit base and part of the finished model.
- 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.
WS2812B LED Datasheet
Datasheet · 347.0 KB · Click any page to view full size
Supplier page — sparkfun.com
Supplier Description · 358.5 KB · Click any page to view full size
