What is an Addressable LED Strip?

Our strips that light with IC are collectively referred to as addressable LED strips. Many English names include addressable LED strips, digital LED strips, and LED pixel strips. The significant similarity has light effects like chasing, flowing water, magic color, etc. The most important advantage of using addressable LED strip lights is that they allow the active control of signal transmission speeds and produce gray levels of each RGB or RGBW lamp bead using IC to achieve a full-color spectrum effect. Only addressable LED strips can get different colors from every individual light bead. We refer to this as “getting the full color.”

Classification of Addressable LED Strips:

There are two addressable LED strips according to IC – built-in IC and external IC strips. These models include:

Built-in IC:

WS2812B,WS2813,WS2815,SK6812,SK6813,SK9822,P943,P9423F,P9411,APA102,APA104,GS8812,HD107, HD108, and more

External IC: 

WS2801, WS2821, WS2811, LPD8806, TM1803, TM1804, DMX512, UCS512, UCS1903, and more.

You can see an example of the differences between these two forms below.

You can also divide these addressable LED strips according to different voltages: 

5V, 12V, 24V versions are possible, with 12V and 24V being divided into single-point, single-control. Single point single control means that each lamp bead on the strip can be controlled. For example, if 1-IC has multiple lamps, then 1-IC controls 3 lamps or 1-IC controls 6 lamps. A more comprehensive visual explanation can be found at this link: https://ledstriplightmanufacturer.com/voltage-variation.

Addressable LED strips divided according to the signal: 

In general, addressable LED strips use SPI and DMX signal strips. All use SPI signals except for the DMX512.

 

Addressable LED Strips are Mainly Used in

The LED strip is highly versatile, making it a popular choice for residential, business, and commercial use. The FPC material is soft, allowing it to be bent, folded, and rolled at will. It can be easily moved and stretched in many ways without fear of breaking. This will enable consumers to get the full effect of chasing, flowing water, magic color, and other desired display forms.

With excellent flexibility, brightness, color, and variability, addressable LED strips have become the premier choice for personal DIY home decor, shop windows, fashion shows, display screens, advertising signs, etc.

What is the Difference Between Different ICs?

The primary difference between ICs relies on the type of product. For example, the SK series is a manufacturer, while APA, WS, and P are code names of different packaging manufacturers. There are also differences in the same series. Consider the SK series:

• The SK6812 5V is a single-point single-control, but it is not a breakpoint light resume function.
• The SK6813 has the function of resuming transmission after a breakpoint.
• SK6812 can do RGB and RGBW, but SK6813 cannot use RGBW.
• SK6812 has a mini version (3535) with a 4mm or 5mm board width.
• HD107/HD108 uses two-wire transmission channels to replace the APA102.

The following table provides a more visual comparison of the differences between ICs.

All ICs can have different packaging forms. The above are our regular products.

The waterproof method for an addressable LED strip:

The following is the process for making an addressable LED strip waterproof.

1. Non-waterproof addressable strips:stick removable 3M glue on the back.
2. Waterproof IP65:Epoxy glue is waterproof with removable 3M glue on the back.
3. Waterproof IP67:The entire casing is waterproof with 3-5 buckles per meter, and there is no removable 3M glue on the back.
4. Waterproof IP68:The silicone half-sleeve is waterproof with 3-5 snaps per meter, and there is no removable 3M glue on the back.

The waterproof form of the addressable LED strip is similar to our regular strips. For details, please take a look at this link:https://ledstriplightmanufacturer.com/waterproof-led-strip.

LEDWorker Lighting Features of Conventional Addressable Strips

The number of LED lamps depends on the product designer or user performance requirements. However, it is generally an even number of instances. In addition, the LED addressable strip has two other key parameters: signal transmission speed and product gray level. These two parameters directly affect the display of products.

Here are a few details concerning specific product builds and unit models.

HD107S 5050RGB Addressable Strips:

• The width of the 30 LED/m is 10mm. The other model is 12mm.
• 30 LED/m, 60 LED/m, and 72 LED/m are made of 2oz 3535 base copper plate.
• 96 LED/m are made of 3oz 3570 copper.
• 144 LED/m are made of 4oz 7070 copper.

All are made of rolled copper and double-sided lamination, creating better extension bending for better conductivity.

Features & Performance of HD107S Strips:

1. DC5V power supply, dual signal lines, DATA transmission speed can reach 40MHZ/S, with Clock oscillation, PWM refresh rate can reach 27KHZ/S. Static power consumption 1uA (microampere).
2. Using a 350nm process node IC lets the volume size be 650*750*300 microns. The output current of the RGB conventional channel is 12mA, and the maximum output current is 17mA.
3. The size of the red light-emitting chip is 9*9mil. The green light and blue light chip sizes are 8*10mil, and the material is solid square. The larger the volume of the light-emitting chip, the larger the light-emitting area, and the brighter the light.
4. Use red copper (97% copper: 2% zinc: 1% iron) bracket, 99.99 pure gold wire for welding, and epoxy glue to seal.

SK6812 5050RGB Addressable Strips:

• The width of the 30 LED/m light strip is 10mm. The other models are 12mm.
• 30 LED/m, 60 LED/m, 72 LED/m are made of 2oz 3535 base copper plate.
• 96 LED/m are made of 3oz 3570 copper.
• 144 LED/m are made of 4oz 7070 copper.

All are made of rolled copper and double-sided lamination, creating better extension bending for better conductivity.

Features & Performance of SK6812 Lamp: 

1. DC5V power supply, single signal line, DATA transmission speed is 800KHZ/S, PWM refresh rate is 1.2KHZ/S. Static power consumption 0.5mA.
2. Using 130nm process node IC means the volume size is 350*450*220 microns, and the RGB channel fixed output current is 12mA.
3. The size of the red light-emitting chip is 9*9mil. The green light and blue light chip sizes are 8*10mil, and the material is solid square. The larger the volume of the light-emitting chip, the larger the light-emitting area, and the brighter the light.
4. Use red copper (97% copper: 2% zinc: 1% iron) bracket, high gold composite wire welding, and epoxy glue to seal.

WS2812B 5050RGB Addressable Strips:

This is a single-point single-control, built-in chip which integrates the main part of the driver IC into the commonly used 5050RGB SMD lamp beads. The advantage is that the circuit is integrated into the lamp bead, allowing you to omit the external circuit. This reduces the circuit design, external components, volume, failure rate, and production cost of programmable lamps.

This innovation can be used with most controllers and has the advantages of convenient programming, high lamp brightness, energy savings, and extended service life. It is suitable for making LED displays, advertising boards, KTV, bar lighting decoration, and more.

The product can control the display of the built-in IC lamp beads through a signal line and two power lines to achieve effects like text, pictures, and animation. The WS2812B magic light strip can display different colors in segments, while the 5050RGB light strip displays only the same color. You can learn more by watching this YouTube video.

The effects are possible thanks to the single-point single-control function of the 2812 light strip and can be easily extended by tandem construction. One signal line can control up to 500 LEDs with a 30hz refresh rate.

 

Features:

1. The conventional length is 5 meters/roll, which can be cut by each group.
2. The luminous color is pure, soft, and gorgeous. You also get unique color options such as full color, colorful, positive white, warm white, and cool white.
3. Waterproof grade IP68 with low voltage (5V/12V/24V). DC power supply is safe and reliable.
4. Single-point single-control, 256-level grayscale, small pixel pitch, low power consumption, low heat, and wide viewing angle.
5. It can display various characters such as video animation, image, and text, all of which can be diversified and edited freely.
6. The lamp bead is driven by constant current IC with high stability.
7. The FPCB (flexible circuit) board is uniformly made of rolled copper, which is more resistant to folding and can be bent where needed.

Specifications: 

• The width of the 30 LED/m and 60 LED/m light strips are 10mm. The other models are 12mm.
• 30 LED/m, 60 LED/m, 72 LED/m are made of 2oz 3535 base copper plate.
• 96 LED/m are made of 3oz 3570 copper.
• 144 LED/m are made of 4oz 7070 copper.

 All are made of rolled copper and double-sided lamination, creating better extension bending for better conductivity.

WS2811 Control IC Features & Performance: 

This product uses 1-IC with 3 lights, commonly known as “one-for-three.” The IC is WS2811, and the LED decoration IC is used for single-point control. Epistar 5050RGB SMD lamp beads are used, and the working voltage is 12DC.

Equipped with a 12V full-color controller, this can realize effects like gradient, jump changes, single/multi8pe horse racing change, flowing water, chasing, meteor/flash monochromatic change, mixing change, etc.

The light strip has an intelligent IC core that can be programmed through a full-color controller to achieve any desired effect. The mounting is unique for the FPCB (flexible circuit board) to allow folding resistance and waterproof level reaching IP68. The low-voltage DC power supply is safe and convenient, offering various luminous and gorgeous colors.

1. DC12V-24V power supply, single signal line, DATA transmission speed is 800KHZ/S, PWM refresh rate is 2KHZ/S. Static power consumption 0.5mA.
2. Using SOP8 package pins, the fixed output current of the RGB channel is 15.5mA-17.5mA.
3. When making a flexible light strip, it needs a DC12V power supply to design an IC that controls 3 lamp beads to emit light. If a DC24V power supply is required, an IC is designed to control 6 lamp beads to emit light.

DMX512 External 5050RGB Addressable Strips:

DMX is the abbreviation of Digital MulTlpeX, which means multiple digital transmission. The DMX 512 control protocol is an industry standard for data transmission between lighting controllers and lighting equipment released by the United States Stage Lighting Association (USITT) in 1990. The full name is USITT DMX 512 (1990).

Currently, based on the DMX512 control protocol, there are only integrated SOP8/SOP10/SOP16 pin external ICs, and the circuit function design of each manufacturer is similar.

DMX512 products have the function of continuous transmission after the breakpoint. They are widely used in the fields of outdoor lighting and engineering.

Its control protocol has a wide range of general applications and benefits, including good software compatibility, strong anti-wave frequency interference ability, high Voltage transmission, and simple installation and wiring.

In addition, it can be combined with SPI serial and parallel applications, supports wiring address code, and has high flexibility and adjustability. It can also address feedback function, which can detect bad pixel issues on the software side.

Compared with SPI products, DMX512 has higher costs, and the signal transmission and PWM refresh speeds are slower.

We can provide installation drawings according to your actual installation site. The following are the drawings we have completed for other customers as examples.

 

If you have any engineering needs for addressable LED lights, please contact our team directly. We can provide you with relevant products according to your design needs. Our goal is to give you excellent results according to your unique requirements.