Hi all. I am looking for some addressable WHITE strip (NOT RGB) for a project.
Does anyone knows where can i get some? I want to manage about 5 meters
of led lights and be able to program it.
Thanks in advance!
Daniel
I'm fairly sure that doesn't exist. A quick search didn't turn anything up and all the addressable controller chips I've ever seen are designed for RGB.
The answer is probably to use RGB strips. RGB can be "white", too.
(Yes, it's not perfect white, but...)
too bad because i just want to program monochrome leds (white) and
i think they may be controlled with far less data than RGBones
eldany:
i think they may be controlled with far less data than RGBones
??
If you only want white then you don't have to store separate values for R,G and B. Just store brightness and send the same number three times.
You could build your own strip with the chip and white LED.
There are white LEDs in 5050 size, with three separate white chips. You could (in theory) take a strip that has controller chips and RGB LEDs, remove the RGBs, and install the white LEDs. It wouldn't take any less data, though.
??
If you only want white then you don't have to store separate values for R,G and B. Just store brightness and send the same number three times.
[/quote]
yes but i could manage 8 leds with 1 byte instead 1 led with 3 bytes
macegr:
There are white LEDs in 5050 size, with three separate white chips. You could (in theory) take a strip that has controller chips and RGB LEDs, remove the RGBs, and install the white LEDs. It wouldn't take any less data, though.
i think my solder skills are far of that 
i'll try the rgb strip and see the performance. I am afraid because i want to control 4 motors, audio, a bunch of buttons,
rotary encoders, and lights and i don't want to spend too many processing with just the lights.
Thanks for all the reponses guys!!!
See ya
Daniel
fungus:
eldany:
i think they may be controlled with far less data than RGBones??
If you only want white then you don't have to store separate values for R,G and B. Just store brightness and send the same number three times.
yes but i could manage 8 leds with 1 byte instead 1 led with 3 bytes
eldany:
fungus:
eldany:
i think they may be controlled with far less data than RGBones??
If you only want white then you don't have to store separate values for R,G and B. Just store brightness and send the same number three times.
yes but i could manage 8 leds with 1 byte instead 1 led with 3 bytes
What's preventing you from doing that with RGB LEDs?
fungus:
eldany:
fungus:
eldany:
i think they may be controlled with far less data than RGBones??
If you only want white then you don't have to store separate values for R,G and B. Just store brightness and send the same number three times.
yes but i could manage 8 leds with 1 byte instead 1 led with 3 bytes
What's preventing you from doing that with RGB LEDs?
i'm just afraid about performance because i want to control a lot more of things and
i think a white adressable led strip could be programmed sending just 1 byte for 8 leds and
in rgb 3 bytes for each led....(24 times more data)...
that's 4800 bits for 150 RGB leds VS. 150 bits if each led state can be just managed by ON/OFF states.
Anyway i'll get some rgb strip and see what happens...maybe both cases are so fast that is impossible to measure
I will be controlling some rotary encoders and motors in the same program...there is where my fear comes!
eldany:
i'm just afraid about performance because i want to control a lot more of things and
i think a white adressable led strip could be programmed sending just 1 byte for 8 leds and
in rgb 3 bytes for each led....(24 times more data)...
that's 4800 bits for 150 RGB leds VS. 150 bits if each led state can be just managed by ON/OFF states.
Anyway i'll get some rgb strip and see what happens...maybe both cases are so fast that is impossible to measure
I will be controlling some rotary encoders and motors in the same program...there is where my fear comes!
OK, that makes sense.
150 LEDs will take about 6 milliseconds to update.
Last time I had this problem I added a Tiny85 to the system just to control the LEDs. The Arduino Uno sent messages to the Tiny85 when I needed to change things.
Just a heads up, in case people are looking for white addressable: RGBW strips now exist!
The chip is SK6812RGBW.
Those RGBW chips are sexy. I gotta score some of those - they'll be perfect in my pingpong ball lights.
The other approach is to just use WS2811's (the ICs without the LEDs) and discrete white LEDs, but that's not going to be easy for a strip as long as you want (I sell little boards here that are 2 inches long and fit 3, https://www.tindie.com/products/DrAzzy/bare-board-various/ - but I'm not sure how interesting these even are. Certainly not enough for anyone who saw that page to buy any yet 
)
eldany:
I'm just afraid about performance because i want to control a lot more of things and i think a white addressable led strip could be programmed sending just 1 byte for 8 leds and in rgb 3 bytes for each led....(24 times more data)...
that's 4800 bits for 150 RGB leds VS. 150 bits if each led state can be just managed by ON/OFF states.
A bit late now, but that calculation was wrong to start with. The eight bits comprise a PWM value, not separate outputs. A strip with three white LEDs instead of RGB LEDs would still require eight bits per LED and thus take only a third as many bytes to control as the RGB strip, not a factor of 24.
if you are still looking.
I found this one
Mey be help you =) If you still need
how to set up the controller? the code?
i got this white addressable led strip, it is same protocol with APA102 white
Old forum post I know, but for those still looking for white addressable led, here is one that looks good and is affordable.