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LED strips - addressable
Addressable LED strips
Credited as the inventor of the light-emitting diode engineer Nick Holonyak Jr. could not have imagined that they would reach such popularity. However, many hours, days and years have passed since then. Currently available LED technology is, according to European Union regulations, the only right solution if we want to buy lighting for home or business. In the name of the fight to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, from September 1, 2018, regulations were introduced banning the sale of halogen bulbs.
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Types and techniques of execution
In our Botland online store, addressable LED strips are equipped with SMD diodes with APA, SK and WS drivers. Okay, but what exactly is SMD? SMD stands for Surface Mount Device, i.e. an element adapted for surface mounting. There are mainly four varieties of LEDs - Multicolor, so-called RGB LED, which in practice means the ability to generate three basic colors - R (red), G (green), B (blue). By mixing these colors, we can obtain any color. Warm white - its color temperature is below 3300 K, neutral white - its color temperature is in the range of 3300 K-5300 K and cold white with a color temperature above 5300 K.
Drivers and their types
Currently, the most popular addressed LED strips use the WS2812B controller. Mainly because the driver is easily available and does not cost a fortune. Unfortunately, there is also the other side of the coin of such a popular driver. It is zero resistance to damage to a single diode in the tape, which results in interruption of the data line and the need to replace the damaged fragment. An alternative without them are the WS2813 and SK6822 controllers, which have two independent control lines.
Alternative driver and its advantages
In addition to the double control line, the WS2813 controller in addressable LED strips has additional elements directly in the structure structure. The resistor and capacitor placed next to the diode reduce the risk of damage to the controller itself, which is quite common in the case of WS2812. Recorders will also appreciate the five times higher PWM refresh rate at 2 kHz compared to WS2812 and almost twice compared to SK 6812-22. The increased refresh rate affects the flickering effect during video recording.
SMD diodes and their markings
It is also worth defining a four-digit symbol placed after this abbreviation. This is nothing else than the size of the addressable diodes used in LED strips. For the SMD 3528 designation, it is 3.5 × 2.8 millimeters, and for the SMD 5050 designation, it is 5 × 5 millimeters. The marking 30, 60, 150 SMD informs the buyer about the number of SMD diodes on 1 meter of LED strip. When purchasing LED lighting, however, remember that in this case it is not only its size that counts. A good diode means a higher price, but also higher properties and longer service life.
Addressable LED strips - FAQ
The term addressable LEDs refers to LED tapes or strips, including RGB LEDs , which can be freely set thanks to the controller. This applies both to the LED operating mode (e.g. flashing) and also to the color (in the case of RGB LEDs). In practice, this means that the user can create virtually any color sequence (from a 24-bit palette) of LED tapes or strips. Virtually any microcontroller , e.g. Arduino , can be used to control addressable LEDs.
Addressable LEDs, e.g. tapes or strips, are composed of individually addressed LEDs and a control system, e.g. WS2812B or popular APA and SK controllers. Thanks to the control lines, the user can freely control each diode. In the case of RGB LEDs, in addition to the operating mode, you can individually set the color from the 24-bit palette for each LED. This means that each diode can glow in a different color. A microcontroller is usually used to control an addressable LED strip or tape.
Virtually any microcontroller can be used to program addressable LEDs, including Arduino or a minicomputer, e.g. Raspberry Pi . In the case of a single-board Arduino microcontroller, one of the easiest ways is to use the GitHub library for NeoPixel modules. On the website you can find examples of ways to connect addressable LEDs to Arduino.