At Adafruit, we're always excited to find new and amazing glowing items. These 'chip on board' ultra-flexible LED strips are a real gem! With 352 surface-mount technology (SMT) LEDs per meter, soldered side by side and diffused with silicone epoxy, they look like neon or incandescent tubing or high - quality EL wire, but without the need for costly transformers, glass tubing, or inert gases. Unlike pixel - dot strips, these offer a continuous, pure light source. And compared to our 'Neon' tubing, they're slimmer and more flexible, lacking that chunky diffused look. This particular strip is a non - addressable red LED strip. It has a solid piece of translucent silicone rubber as a diffuser on top of the LEDs, encased in a sealed silicone tube that can be removed. They look amazing and are incredibly easy to use, perfect for lighting up your projects. The silicone casing is strong, durable, and weather - proof. While not suitable for long - term underwater use or extended outdoor exposure, it's tough enough for outdoor projects like costumes, bike lighting, or festival decorations. With an adhesive backing, you can place it wherever you want. You'll receive a 1 - meter long strip with two wires, black and red. Supply 9V for bright light or 12V for very bright light, and the strip will start to glow. At 12V, the whole strip draws a maximum of about 800 milliamps. You can cut the strip if needed. Note that these aren't 'NeoPixel' LED strips, so you can't control individual LEDs. Check out the guide on analog RGB LED strip control for operation details - you'll need a microcontroller with a PWM output and N - MOSFETs or a ULN2803 to manage the power to the entire LED element.
Using this ultra - flexible red LED strip is a breeze. First, decide where you want to place it. Thanks to the adhesive backing, you can easily stick it on a flat surface. Connect the black and red wires to a power source. Supply 9V for a bright glow or 12V for an even brighter one. If you don't need the full 1 - meter length, you can cut the strip down. Just be careful when doing so. Remember, this strip isn't suitable for long - term underwater use or constant outdoor exposure. But it can handle short - term outdoor projects like festival decorations or bike lighting. To keep it in good condition, avoid bending it too sharply as it might damage the LEDs. Also, make sure the power source is stable to prevent any flickering or damage to the strip. If you want to control the light, you'll need a microcontroller with a PWM output and N - MOSFETs or a ULN2803 as mentioned in the product description.
