How to wire a Level Shifter with ws281x RGB Led Stripe 24V

Using Arduino General Electronics
1

Hi,
I am running a 24V WS281x RGB Led stripe and I am not sure if I can connect a 74AHCT125 Level Shifter directly to the 24V DC power supply or if it will fry it.

I am following this example of wiring (Raspberry Pi Wiring | NeoPixels on Raspberry Pi | Adafruit Learning System) it should be the same for Arduino, but they are only using a 5V power supply.

Thanks

2

The level shifter is used to change logic levels from 3.3v to 5v. So regardless the 74HCT125 should be powered with 5v as 5v logic is what the ws281x leds require.

3

Do you have a datasheet for your led strip?

Most likely, the strip has a DC 24v on power lines only, but uses a nornal 5v logic level for control signal

4

The documentation is very limited.

Item No.: 360°RGB neon 22mm
Light Source: Addressable RGB
Voltage: DC24V
Power Consumption: 28.8W/M
Color: RGB
Section size(mm) φ22mm
Pixel Quantity 20pixels/m

But would that mean I connect the level shifter to a 5V power supply and the led stripe to a 24V power supply?

I would wire up everything and try to make it run from the Arduino/Raspberry directly, if there is no result try the level shifter connected to 5V power supply? Would this be the safe and right way?

5

If you have a 5V Arduino, you don't need a level shifter. (There are 5V and 3.3V Arduinos.)

The data line is 5V. Don't connect the level shifter to 24V.

The 24V power supply goes only to the power connection on the LED strip. (And there should be a common ground between power supplies.)

Note that with a 24V strip, the LEDs are will be addressed in groups... They aren't actually "individually addressed". 12V strips are normally addressed in groups of 3, so I'd guess 6 LEDs at 24V. You should be able to see the chips & LEDs and you can count the LEDs between chips.

6

Thanks I will wire things up and give it a try. My leds are all inside a plastic tubes, so I can't see anything. But fingers crossed. Was thinking about just getting a K-1000C controller and wire the buttons to an Arduino to switch the Mode/Program and speed. Seems to be a more stable approach maybe.

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