Neopixels, or addressable LEDs, are color LEDs with a built in chip that takes care of the one wire data communication and of the Pulse Width Modulation for the built in RGB(+W) LEDs. The LEDs are connected via just 3 wires, GND, 5V, Data. The Data line is connected to an Arduino output and we can control the color and brightness of multiple LEDs, via just one output. Wonderful to use in say a village with multiple houses on our model railway layout. The wiring is super simple and the lights in every house switch independently and can each have their own color an brightnes ... just like real.
Link to Fun with Arduino 23 Neopixel Addressable LED, WS2812, struct{...}
