Adafruit
WS2811 NeoPixel LED Driver Chip - 10 Pack
The WS2811 is the driver IC used in NeoPixel LED strips and pixels. In this SOIC-8 package, it lets you build your own addressable RGB LEDs by driving a sing...
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The WS2811 is the driver IC used in NeoPixel LED strips and pixels. In this SOIC-8 package, it lets you build your own addressable RGB LEDs by driving a single common-anode RGB LED or three individual single-colour LEDs. Each output provides ~18 mA constant current, ensuring consistent colour regardless of voltage variation — no current-limiting resistors required.
The chips are chainable by connecting the data output of one to the data input of the next, allowing long strings of individually addressable LEDs from a single data pin. The protocol supports both 400 kHz and 800 kHz data rates.
Key Features
- WS2811 Driver IC – The same chip used in NeoPixel products
- Constant Current Output – ~18 mA per channel, no resistors needed
- Chainable – Connect data out to data in for long LED strings
- Dual Speed – Supports 400 kHz and 800 kHz data rates
- SOIC-8 Package – Compact surface-mount, relatively easy to hand solder
- Common-Anode Only – NPN transistor outputs, not compatible with common-cathode LEDs
Specifications
- Package – SOIC-8
- Output Current – ~18 mA per channel (constant current)
- Data Rates – 400 kHz / 800 kHz
- Minimum Processor Speed – 4 MHz (at 400 kHz data rate)
- Quantity – 10 per pack
Ideal For
- Custom addressable LED projects
- Building your own NeoPixel-compatible strips
- LED art installations and wearables
- Arduino and microcontroller lighting projects
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- AVR
- AVR is a family of 8-bit microcontrollers (made by Microchip, formerly Atmel) used in many classic Arduino-style boards such as the Uno and Nano. They are widely supported but older, which can be a limit for memory- or speed-intensive tasks.
- common-anode
- A wiring arrangement where several LEDs or LED segments share a common positive (anode) terminal and are switched individually on their negative (cathode) side. Common-anode and common-cathode parts, such as RGB LEDs, seven-segment displays, matrices and strips, are not interchangeable without a suitable driver.
- 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.
- RGB
- Short for red, green and blue, the three primary colours of light that are mixed in varying amounts to make a wide range of colours. In electronics RGB can refer to an LED or pixel that blends these three colours, or to a colour signal or interface that carries separate red, green and blue channels.
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