The 24 LED RGBW NeoPixel Ring – Cool White features 24 individually addressable RGBW LEDs in a 2.58" circular layout, fully chainable and controlled from a single microcontroller pin for bright, precise lighting effects.
What’s better than smart RGB LEDs? Smart RGB + White LEDs. This 24 LED RGBW NeoPixel Ring – Cool White adds a dedicated white channel to the classic NeoPixel design, giving you brighter, cleaner white output alongside full RGB control.
The ring features 24 ultra-bright 5050 RGBW NeoPixels arranged in a circle with a 2.58" (65.5mm) outer diameter. It’s fully chainable — connect the output pin of one ring to the input pin of another and control as many as you like using just a single microcontroller pin.
Each LED includes an integrated driver chip and provides approximately 18mA constant current drive, ensuring consistent colour even if the supply voltage varies. No external choke resistors are required, keeping your design slim and straightforward. Simply power the ring with 5V DC and you’re ready to go.
Each NeoPixel is effectively split into two sections: the familiar RGB LED, and a separate white LED with a yellow phosphor. Unlit, it resembles an egg yolk. When illuminated, the output is extremely bright. Each of the four channels is controlled with 8-bit PWM, delivering 32-bit colour per pixel (8 bits × 4 channels) for detailed and flexible lighting effects.
NeoPixels use a single-wire 800 kHz protocol, which requires precise timing from the controlling microcontroller. The PWM refresh rate is approximately 400 Hz, which works well in most applications but may be noticeable if the LEDs are moved quickly. For comparison, DotStars use a 20 kHz PWM rate for smoother blending during motion.
Internally, each LED acts like a shift register, passing data along the chain. Once you send colour data, the PWM is handled on-chip, so the ring continues displaying the selected colours without further communication.
A NeoPixel library with RGBW support is required. Using a standard RGB-only NeoPixel library will produce incorrect results. The Adafruit NeoPixel library supports RGBW, but other libraries may require modification.
Be sure to check out the tutorial for wiring guidance, power usage calculations, and example code.
Specifications
Outer diameter: 65.5mm
Inner diameter: 52.2mm
Thickness: 3.25mm
Weight: 6.6g
Revision History
As of Aug 14, 2023 – we've updated this PCB with Adafruit Pinguin to make a lovely and legible silkscreen - you may get the new PCB or the older version with vector fonts - both are identical other than the fancy silkscreen.
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