These DotStar 5050 RGB LEDs combine individually controllable 24-bit colour with fast 2-wire SPI communication and a 1.2kHz PWM rate, supplied as a pack of ten compact SMD LEDs.
Make your own smart LED arrangement with the same integrated LED that is used in the new fancy DotStar strips.
This tiny 5050 (5mm x 5mm) SMD LED is fairly easy to solder and is the most compact way possible to integrate multiple bright LEDs to a design. If you want to prototype with these, we recommend our 5050-size LED breakout PCBs, solder them on for a breadboard-friendly package
They're also a great upgrade for people who have loved and used NeoPixels for a few years but want something even better. DotStar LEDs use generic 2-wire SPI, so you can push data much faster than with the NeoPixel 800 KHz protocol and there's no specific timing required.
Like NeoPixels, DotStar LEDs are 5050-sized LEDs with an embedded microcontroller inside the LED. You can set the colour/brightness of each LED to 24-bit colour (8 bits each red green and blue).
Each LED acts like a shift register, reading incoming colour data on the input pins, and then shifting the previous colour data out on the output pin. By sending a long string of data, you can control an infinite number of LEDs, just tack on more or cut off unwanted LEDs at the end. The PWM is built into each LED-chip so once you set the colour you can stop talking to the strip and it will continue to PWM all the LEDs for you
On NeoPixels, this PWM rate happens 400 Hz, whereas the SK9822 version of DotStars have a 1.2 KHz PWM rate for a smoother look.
Comes in a package with 10 individual LEDs.
Features
5050 SMD integrated LED with embedded microcontroller
Compatible with DotStar strips and breakout PCBs
Generic 2-wire SPI protocol - faster data transmission than NeoPixel 800 KHz
No specific timing requirements
24-bit colour control (8 bits red, green, blue each)
Shift register functionality for daisy-chaining unlimited LEDs
Built-in PWM - continues operation after colour is set
1.2 KHz PWM rate for smoother visual output (vs 400 Hz on NeoPixels)
Easy to solder SMD package
Pack of 10 individual LEDs
Specifications
Single LED: 5mm x 5mm
Important information
We are currently shipping a version that has DOTSTAR_BGR colour order. You can select the colour order in your Arduino sketch. Check the DotStar tutorial for details on how to do this! The LED colours are otherwise identical, you just have to pipe the data to it in a slightly different order.
