Broken LED strip?

Using Arduino LEDs and Multiplexing
1

Hi all, I'm quite new to Arduino but I'm really enjoying trying to figure out new things.

My newest "project" involves a LED strip (https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12027). I've tried a lot of things but I just can't get the thing to work properly. It did work before, but all of a sudden it doesn't respond any more. When I connect the 5V and GND there is one LED that lights up faintly and the rest stays blank. Also, when I wiggle the 5V wire around, all of the lights flash on briefly in the correct color and then die out (indicating that the LEDS still work?).

Does anyone know what I'm doing/did wrong and how I can fix this? I've searched around on this forum and Google, but not much help there.

Thanks in advance!

2

As they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

3

That's a good starting point, could've thought of that myself.

Here is what my LED strip currently looks like:

I briefly thought to provide a picture of the "working" LEDS (where they blink on and then off again), but apart from that being a hell of a challenge it doesn't provide much more info. So I guess this is it.

Oh, almost forgot! I tried this with an Arduino Uno and a Nano, both with the same results. It isn't connected to an external power source (have tried this, but since it isn't necessary I decided not to use it)

4

Need better images, closer to the connector, also picture of how the Arduino is wired.
If you are taking 5 volts from the Arduino it probably will NOT be able to power that many LEDS.
Use external 5 volt power supply.
May have a broken solder joint at the connector, inspect it for loose connections.

5

When using an external power supply, make sure you have a common ground to the Arduino.
You need proper output driving like a MOS fet or relay.

Do you have a link to the led strip?

6

It has worked for a while with just the 5V from the Arduino itself, but after a while it stopped.

The LED strip can be found here: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12027 (as posted in first post)
Also some extra pictures closer to the working LED and Arduino.

It's hooked up according to the hookup guide on Sparkfun, so red is connected to 5V, yellow to GND and green to pin 4 (as defined in my Arduino code).

I don't see/feel any broken solder joints, so my guess it is has nothing to do with that.

Maybe you can find some extra info on Sparkfun, though I've tried to follow it as closely as possible.

7

Please try an external power supply, don't use the usb supply that powers the Arduino.