building a word clock: using non-adressable LED strips

Other Hardware LEDs and Multiplexing
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Hi, I want to build a word clock, and I already have my layout done:

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I don't want to pay too much money for LEDs, and I don't really need uniquely adressable LEDs. I also don't want them to be RGB.

Would it be a good idea to use a non-adressable white led strip, cut it into pieces and place pieces behind the words? This way I would be able to save a lot of money.

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How that would look like:

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Would it be a good idea to use a non-adressable white led strip, cut it into pieces and place pieces behind the words?

The money you save will cost you wiring complexity and you will also need a FET to drive each strip which will cost you money so your savings may not be as great as you think.

You can get white only addressable strips as well.

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How many individually controlled sections will you need? Looks around 30-40? You can use tpic6c595 or tpic6b595 shift registers. Each register can control 8 sections. You can daisy-chain as many of the chips together as you need, only 3 Arduino pins will be needed.

When you have designed your circuit, you should find the best prices you can for the parts and then calculate the total cost. Compare this to the cost of the addressable led strip. Let us know if you make any savings.