Not sure about mupltiplexing but I am using a ws2803 (18ch version of ws2801) and no issues with burning up. I had the same trouble with the tlc5940's and hate them now for being so easy to blow up, the ws2803's have been going like champs and don't burn up if you flick fluoros on n off. They're current source, I'm running them through hex inveters to n channel mosfets to drive rgb strips. Just wish they had built in inverting like the ws2801 has.

Hi, if anyone could get the ws2803 to work beautifully with Vixen light sequencer using the generic serial plugin I'd love them to bits. The WS2803single library would be a good candidate I think? or FastSPI. Running 3x hex inverters > 18 N type mosfets increases the current capability considerably as well. Just need it to talk to Vixen and my setup will be good to go!

Ditched the tlc5940 since I blew all 5 I had up, Tried the WS2803 and omg so easssyyy. 2 wires to control, 5v, ground, iref resistor to gnd and done. Flicked fluoro lights on n off on the same circuit for the house 240v and they didn't get hot, didn't miss a beat, worked perfectly. Just need to find a way to interface it to Vixen light sequencer now and I'll be set. Why are TLC's soooo damn easy to blow? This WS2803 was setup in like 5 minutes and it didn't miss a beat the whole time whereas the TLC would have blown.

I did notice plugging 1 input from 2 WS2803's into the same hex inverter would make a weird flicker issue at times though, but that's no biggie to deal with.

Added a basic update to the schematic so far, I have a 100uF cap and a 0.1uF on the 5 and gnd lines. Quick question, do I need a resistor for the zener diode? Haven't learned those yet.

And of course I just burned up the 5th TLC, and googling around sounds like this is very common. Are they just a terrible design or something? I have 10x WS2803 as well to play with and I'm very close to ditching the TLC all together, only trouble is I have code to get the TLC5940 working with Vixen light sequencing but I am unsure about the ws2803's.

Don't have a scope yet but I'm very close to impulse buying, if anyone can point to a decent but not too expensive one...

Hi, I am making a xmas New Years light controller with an arduino Uno + TLC5940 + hex inverters (for the mosfets) + N channel mosfets. It works nearly perfectly however if I turn off and on a fluoro light somewhere on the same 240v power circuit as the power supply and arduino the TLC goes very very hot n fails.

Any ideas what I can do to protect it more? I've attached the schematic.