Help with Controlling RGB LED Strip Using Arduino and PWM

Other Hardware LEDs and Multiplexing
1

I want to work on a project where I can control the colors and brightness of an RGB LED strip using an Arduino. The goal is to create smooth color transitions and adjust the brightness through PWM (Pulse Width Modulation).

My setup involves using an RGB LED strip powered by a 12V source, and I’m looking for the best approach to control the colors accurately with the Arduino board.

Here are a few questions I have:

  1. What’s the best way to achieve smooth color transitions using PWM on an Arduino?
  2. How should I manage the power supply for a 12V LED strip when using Arduino, and are there any key considerations to keep in mind?
  3. Would it be better to use a library like Adafruit_NeoPixel, or is controlling the PWM directly enough for basic color control?

Any advice or resources to help me get started would be greatly appreciated!

2

Your topic does not indicate a problem with IDE 2.x and therefore has bee moved to a more suitable location on the forum.

How many LEDs are we talking about?
It depends on the type of strip if you need to use PWM or a neopixel library.

3

this depends on the LED strip you are using. For "Neopixels" (WS2811, WS2812, APA106,...) use a Neopixel Library (Adafruit_NeoPixels or FastLED), for common RGB LEDs use PWM and a dedicated driver if you want to use more than one LED.

4

I normally use discrete LEDs and drive them with a MOSFET. It works very well. The dimming curve will not be linear but you can compensate for that.

5

What you have to be very careful of is the frequency of the PWM produced as a natural function of the addressable LEDs interfering with any extra PWM you impose from an analogWrite.

Best if you don't do it, or be prepared to see something odd.

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