Hi,
I am a complete newbie to the world of addressable LEDs and had a question.
When we refer to digitally addressable LEDs, is the addressable component an attribute of the LED driver or the LED itself?
For example, could I purchase any COB LED and then purchase a digitally addressable driver and thus my system is now digitally addressable or does the LED require some special component for it to be digitally addressable?
Thanks in advance!!
mikeypday:
When we refer to digitally addressable LEDs, is the addressable component an attribute of the LED driver or the LED itself?
An "addressable LED" - perhaps better described as "chain-able" incorporates a driver IC such as a WS2811 packed together with a RGB LED. Together they make a WS2812 - or similar; there are other driver chips.
mikeypday:
For example, could I purchase any COB LED and then purchase a digitally addressable driver and thus my system is now digitally addressable or does the LED require some special component for it to be digitally addressable?
As above, but these ICs are designed only for 20 mA LEDs (AFAIK), so it depends on your description of "COB LED". 
The address is a number from the start of the chain. That is number zero, then one and so on until the end of the strip.
If we talk about addressable leds we usually mean the type with driver and led combined. Although the term is also used for the 12V addressable led strips which have a IC per 3 led(chip)s.
Last already shows there are chips which speak the same protocol which you can use to turn a normal led into an addressable one. But, like Paul__B says, most are designed for normal/low power leds.
But more general, yes, it is possible to turn a COB into an addressable led (combo) with some hardware. But it will no be a one component solution.