Choosing Pixel Spi Led Strips

Choosing Pixel Spi Led Strips

Pixel spi led strips are a great way to add some high definition color control to your lighting setup. They are also relatively easy to work with and can be used in a variety of projects. However, before you purchase some pixel strip there are some things that you should keep in mind. First, you need to decide on what kind of chip will drive the individually addressable LEDs. There are 7 different types of chips that will drive these strips and each has its own pros and cons.

The cheapest option is the WS2811. This strip is very versatile and comes in both 5V and 12V varieties. It is compatible with basically every library that is meant for pixel strip lighting and it offers a good amount of pixel density. However, the biggest downside is that the data is sent over a single serial line and therefore any break in that wire will cause the whole strip to fail. This can be corrected by using a method called power injection but this can add to the overall cost of your project.

Another option is the WS2812B. These strips have the controller chip embedded in the LED package so they are much more compact. They come in both 5V and 12V varieties and can be driven by a microcontroller that uses 5 volts. However, like the WS2811 it has the same issue with the serial data lines that can be corrected by using power injection. Additionally, this strip can suffer from voltage drop over long distances. The higher the voltage of your strip the better it will perform over longer runs.

A third option is the 24V SK6812 individually controllable LED strip. These strips have a built-in or external SK6812 IC to control each of the LEDs and are capable of presenting fine color changes. They can be run at either 24V or 12V and offer a range of pixel densities up to 144 LEDs per meter.

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