What’s Behind the Light? - How WS2812B LED Strips Work

Let’s dive into the WS2812B LED RGB strip datasheet before we try to control the device. Once we get a handle on its operation, we can use our Raspberry Pi or Arduino to make some light.
Note: Parts are referenced in the video. These include a WS2812B LED strip without a controller. Examples can be found on the Internet such as:
- 1 meter, non-waterproof, 60 pixel/meter, $19.95 from Sparkfun: www.sparkfun.com/products/15206
- 5 meter, non-waterproof, 60 pixel/meter, $30.88 from Amazon: www.amazon.com/BTF-LIGHTING-F...
If you plan to use a Raspberry Pi, you’ll also need a 5V to 3.3V Bi-Directional Logic Level Converter Module. Examples include:
- $2.95 from Sparkfun without headers (www.sparkfun.com/products/12009)
- $4.29 with unsoldered header (www.amazon.com/Bi-Directional...)
You will also need a solderless breadboard (sometimes called a protoboard) and some jumper wires to make the connections. Join us in the next video for more information.
#WS2812 #RGB #pixel

[@changjunzhang]

The only video that explained how LED strips work, other videos are actually only how to use them. Thank you!

[@SLguitarGuy]

Yeah true.

[@jj-jo6wr]

Gotta give you some credit for writing the words in backward.

[@UH82NVME]

Legit looked around for this comment because I was going to say the same exact thing. Pretty awesome. lol

[@assses-3216]

You're a really good teacher. I've learnt more from this video than most others I've seen. Thank you!

[@koalahamlet]

This was a fantastic walkthrough, and especially for calculating a real world limitation from basic principles! Thank you very much for making these videos!

[@dushyantpanchal3228]

Keep up the great content. That was very well explained, exactly what I was looking for. Thank you very much!

[@worldsemi1843]

Awesome. Your projects are incredible!

[@SLguitarGuy]

Thank you soo much ❤this video needs more recognition than any other video regarding leds.As a payback I'll share this video in a community post.

[@simonsays7688]

Thank you for this! I’m always curious about how each individual ICs are controlled.

[@luka147]

Excellent video and great explanation

[@wi_zeus6798]

Phenomenal video and presentation

[@maurocremonini]

Great video, thanks👍👍

[@GeorgiyPavlov-gt6ow]

This is awesome!

[@mikentx57]

Very good explanation on how the communications worked. Did you learn to write backwards in the military? You do amazingly well at it..

[@pedronogueiralemos2670]

Thank you!

[@ignaciomajcherczyk7468]

Nice explanation, You can alsoo use 74HCT chips to drive the DI line from a Rpi or ESP32. indeed you can translate at MHz speed and from logic levels as low as 2V (one)

[@SebastianoG31]

Maybe it's a stupid question but looking at his video and going to consult the WS2812B datasheet can I assume that the control of a single pixel or a series of such in a differentiated way is to be done through a carefully calculated modulation of the data transmission frequency? In any case, thank you for the video you created, it has been a long time since I wondered how these led strips worked electronically.

[@chrisclarke5328]

What is the data protocol called, if it isn't SPI?

[@RahulPatil-qy7bx]

Nice video, however how does the led know its address

[@Intermation]

The LED doesn't know its address. I just assumes the first RGB packet it receives is for it. It pulls that packet out of the stream and passes the rest along to the next LED which repeats the process.

[@chrisclarke5328]

Do you offer consultation?

[@SecularMentat]

Those 'level converters' look like they're just IRLZ44Ns on a board. Basically a 'logic level mosfet' that you can pretty easily set up yourself if you don't want to buy a converter board.

[@wajahatriazmirza]

I have to ask how you make these videos ?

[@Intermation]

I'm embarrassed to say that it's just the glass from a storm door held with tie-down straps to a frame I made with iron pipe. The video editing software does the mirroring so the writing comes out correct. There really isn't much magic.

[@thomas-ux8co]

phew. thanks for the explanation

[@davidfernandes3823]

Im trying to find a way to send Din and receive it again in my arduino in a way to detect if one of the pixels are malfunction. is it possible to do that?

[@Intermation]

As far as I know, the LEDs themselves have no self-diagnostics. I guess it might be possible to connect the far end of the Din connection to an input to the Arduino to see if any data passes all the way through the string. That would tell you if one of the LEDs wasn't capturing its color info. It wouldn't, however, tell you if the LED wasn't working. It would only tell you if the receiver wasn't pulling out it's asigned values. Actually, you could send one more 24-bit sequence than you have LEDs. That last sequence should be passed all the way through the string without being captured by an LED. Once again, though, it's not going to tell you if an LED has failed.