Do You Know Ws2813 Addressable RGB LED Strip

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This post is about the WS2813 LED strip, which is an addressable and breakpoint continue RGB LED strip. The information in this post also works with other similar LED strips, such as strips of the WS28XX family, Neopixel strip and others.

Introducing the WS2813 LED Strip

The WS2813 addressable LED strip comes in several varieties that differ in size, sealant or LED density. Choose the one that best fits your purposes. 

Where to buy?

You can buy one here on alibaba.

In the following figure you can see my WS2813 LED strip. It is 5 meters long and the LEDs are enclosed in a weatherproof silicone. So, they can be left outside at the rain and dust without any problem.

In my opinion, this is the coolest type of LED strips. You can control the brightness and the color of each LED individually, which allows you to produce amazing and complex effects in a simple way.

This LED strip is made by WS2813 LEDs wired in series. These LEDs have a IC built right into the LED. This allows a communication via a one-wire interface. This means that you can control lots of LEDs using just one digital pin of your Arduino.

In the following figure you can see the chip inside the LED. The LED is an RGB LED and works like so.


This kind of strips are very flexible and can be cut to any length you want. As you can see, the strip is divided into segments, and each segment contains one RGB LED.  


You can adjust its size by cutting the strip with a scissors in the right place (the proper places to cut the strip are marked).


These strips come with  connectors  at each end . I’ve decided to cut the connectors, and solder header pins. It’s more handy if you want to connect the strip to an Arduino or to a breadboard.


Powering the WS2813 LED Strip

The LED strip should be powered using a 5V power source. At 5V, each LED draws about 50mA, when set to its full brightness.  This means that for every 30 LEDs, the strip may draw as much as 1.5 A. Make sure you select a power source that matches the strip’s needs.

If you end up using an external supply, don’t forget to connect the power supply ground to the Arduino ground.