What could be better than smart RGB LEDs? Smart RGB + White LEDs! These NeoPixel rings now feature 4 LEDs (red, green, blue, and white) for amazing lighting effects. This is the 16-LED RGBW NeoPixel Ring in warm white. There are also many other NeoPixel rings in our store. 16 ultra-bright smart LED NeoPixels are arranged in a circle with a 1.75-inch (44.5mm) outer diameter. These rings are chainable - connect the output pin of one to the input pin of another. You can use just one microcontroller pin to control as many as you can chain together. Each LED is addressable as the driver chip is inside. With a ~18mA constant current drive, the color remains consistent even with voltage variations, and no external choke resistors are needed, making the design sleek. Power it with 5VDC and you're good to go. The NeoPixel is split, with one half being the familiar RGB and the other a white LED with yellow phosphor. Unlit, it looks like an egg yolk. When lit, it's extremely bright. You can control each channel with 8-bit PWM (8 x 4 channels = 32-bit color overall), perfect for adding colorful and white dots to your project. NeoPixel LEDs use an 800 KHz protocol, requiring specific timing. The PWM rate is ~400 Hz, which works well but may be noticeable if the LED is moving. DotStars have a 20 KHz PWM rate, offering smoother blending. We recommend DotStars if possible. NeoPixels are 5050-sized LEDs with an embedded microcontroller inside. You can set the brightness and color of each R/G/B/W with 8-bit PWM precision (32-bit color per pixel). They're controlled by shift-registers and need only 1 digital output pin to send data. The PWM is built into each LED-chip, so once you set the color, it'll keep the LEDs going. We have a tutorial on wiring, power usage calculations, and example code. Note that you'll need a NeoPixel library with RGBW support, which isn't always available. Our Adafruit NeoPixel library supports RGBW. Our detailed NeoPixel Uberguide has everything you need for NeoPixels of any shape and size, including ready-to-go library and example code for various Arduino models. It comes as a single ring with 16 individually addressable RGBW LEDs, assembled and tested.
Using this NeoPixel ring is easy. First, power it with 5VDC. You can connect multiple rings together by linking the output pin of one to the input pin of another. Then, use just one microcontroller pin to control them all. When it comes to programming, you'll need a NeoPixel library with RGBW support. Our Adafruit NeoPixel library is a good option. If you use a plain 'RGB' library, you'll get strange results. As for maintenance, keep it in a dry and cool place. Avoid exposing it to extreme temperatures or moisture. If you notice any issues with the LEDs, check the connections first. And remember, these LEDs are very bright, so don't look directly at them when they're on full power. Have fun adding colorful and white lighting to your projects!
