The NeoPixel RGBW Stick – Natural White packs 8 individually addressable RGB + Natural White LEDs onto one slim, chainable board, delivering full 32-bit colour control and bright white output from a single data pin… and more!
What’s better than smart RGB LEDs? Smart RGB+White LEDs! These NeoPixel sticks now include four LEDs in each package — red, green, blue and white — giving you even more lighting flexibility. This is the Natural White RGBW version. We also offer this stick in Warm White, Cool White, and classic RGB.
Each NeoPixel is effectively split in two: one half is the familiar RGB LED, and the other is a white LED with a yellow phosphor. Unlit, it looks like a tiny egg yolk. Lit up, it’s incredibly bright and fully controllable with 8-bit PWM per channel — that’s 8 bits across four channels for full 32-bit colour per LED. Perfect for projects that need both vivid colour and a clean natural white output.
This stick packs 8 of the tiny 5050 (5mm x 5mm) smart RGBW LEDs onto a slim PCB with mounting holes and a chainable layout. Each LED has an integrated driver chip and provides ~18mA constant current drive, keeping colour consistent even if the supply voltage varies — no external resistors required. Power it with 5V DC (4–7V works) and you’re good to go.
NeoPixels use the 800 KHz single-wire protocol, so precise timing is required. The PWM refresh rate is ~400 Hz, which works well but may be noticeable if the LEDs are moving quickly. (If ultra-smooth motion is critical, DotStars run at a much higher PWM rate.)
You can chain sticks together by connecting the output of one to the input of the next. Because the protocol is timing-sensitive, you’ll need a real-time microcontroller such as an AVR, Arduino, PIC, mbed, etc. It won’t work with Linux-based microcomputers or interpreted platforms like Netduino or Basic Stamp. Our Adafruit NeoPixel library for Arduino supports these LEDs (8MHz or faster processor required), and other platforms may have compatible ports available.
We also have a full tutorial covering wiring, power calculations, and example code. Please note you’ll need a NeoPixel library that supports RGBW — using a standard RGB-only library will produce incorrect results.
Comes as a single stick with 8 individually addressable RGBW LEDs, assembled and tested.
Specifications
Dimensions: 10.2mm x 51.1mm x 3.2mm
Weight: 2.6g
May ship with either WS2812B or SK6812-based LEDs. They are the same brightness, colour and protocol
Revision History
As of October 27, 2023 - We've updated this PCB with Adafruit Pinguin to make a lovely and legible silkscreen.
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