The Adafruit Mini PCB RGB NeoPixels are the smallest breakout boards for NeoPixels you can get. They measure a neat 8 x 10mm and have 2 x sets of 3 x pads on the back for power, data-in and data-out.
NeoPixels are individually addressable and can give you 24-bits of RGB colour with 8-bit PWM. These seemingly simple gadgets have triggered an amazing array of creative projects, from watches and compasses to steampunk goggles and more. Each NeoPixel has solder pads for 5V DC and Gnd, plus data-in and data-out, using just 1 x GPIO pin on your microcontroller. Simply feed the data-out from one NeoPixel into the data-in of another to control them both from the same microcontroller (MCU).
Since the data protocol has strict timing requirements, the NeoPixels are best controlled by a real-time microcontroller such as the Arduino rather than a Linux board like the Raspberry Pi. Use an MCU with a clock speed of 8MHz or greater (Arduino is 16MHz).
Adafruit have published a driver library to save you the trouble and let you get on with designing eye catching displays. They have a reputation for the quality of their supporting documentation and you will find their Uberguide to NeoPixels and their Best Practices guides invaluable. In particular the Best Practices guide will help you prolong the life of your NeoPixels and avoid common mistakes.
- Supplied in a pack of 5 NeoPixels
- 800kHz protocol speed
- Dimensions 8 x 10mm (0.3 x 0.4in.)
- Adafruit part no.: 1612
*Customers looking to resell on eBay or Amazon should contact Adafruit directly.
| Layout |
Single |
| No. of LEDs |
5 |
| Shape |
Round |
