Hi everyone
I'd like to buy a 12V strip and found a WS2815 chip. I've written it for the WS2812B and am using this library. Will the 2815 strip work with this library?
I think it will work with that library, but I cannot guarantee it!
I would also warn you to check if the strip you found is 12V or 5V, and if it is 12V, can every individual led be controlled, or only groups of 3 LEDs.
Even if you are happy with the answers that you find, ws2815 is likely to be more expensive than ws2812 strip, so consider if any advantage that ws2815 might have justifies the higher price for your project.
from WS2812BFX.H
* Uses the Adafruit NeoPixel library. Get it here: https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_NeoPixel
The adafruit neopixel library will work on an ESP8266 as long as you don't use Wifi.
It uses a bit-banged method.
For a UART method use FastLED or Makuna Neopixelbus, which also has a DMA mode which will run fully in the background (my absolute preference !)
WS2815 protocol is (almost) the same as WS2812B, if it works with the one it will work with the other.
WS2815 is 12V single LED per pixel, just as the OP is expecting. (800KHz Frame-reset > 280us and will work with 3 or 4 step UART or I2S (DMA) methods as well as with bit-banged methods.)
Problem with Bit-Banged methods on an ESP8266 (or any ESP for that matter) is that either they turn of interrupts during transmission, causing Wifi connections to fail fairly soon, or when leaving interrupts enabled, cause glitches as a result of timing errors during Wifi connection maintaining.
Does this not make it very inefficient, resulting in higher current and significantly more heat, compared to 12V ws2812 strips?
Unless, perhaps... each pixel contains 9 very small led chips, 3x red, 3x green, 3x blue, connected in series for each channel?
1 Like
That's the best guess I think. If not, 80% would be heat and that would likely be big issue and no-sense. Seems to be impossible to find die level info for these LEDs.
No i don't think so. I think the wattage is more or less the same.
Past weekend i was assisting in a deco project with someone who was using GS8208 strip which offers similar specs at 60 leds per meter they use 8 Watts / meter, which is really not a lot. I figure the WS2815 come to something similar. (the package will probably have it written on as well) It is just about the internal circuitry having current limiting resistors. It is really a fair bit more pricey though.
The datasheet shows 15mA constant current for the RGB channel, (pretty sure that is for all 3 combined) + the Quiescent current comes to about 180mW per pixel. That is that is not all that much, and they will keep improving efficiency.
I found something like this.Can this effect be achieved with this controller?Can I send commands from the esp to turn it on? It would be great if it could communicate via RS485? Do you know of any drivers for these ribbon cables?
I'd like to achieve this effect. The LED in the strip lights up one by one, and when it reaches the end, it starts lighting up the next strip.
Yes
1 Like
That controller is an ArtNet node that can receive ArtNet packets and send out WS281x signal. It is possible to make an ESP8266 act as an ArtNet Server (or node for that matter)
If you want to use ethernet you will need an ethernet port.
You should look into Resolume which comes in a demo mode in which it can act as an ArtNet server and only has a periodic sound an momentary dimming of the LEDs as a limitation (compared to the full version)
You can also receive ArtNet (which is basically UDP packets) over WiFi.
Again you will need to generate the WS281x signal though.
1 Like
I need to familiarize myself with this driver because I would like to control the tape from the ESP level.
Great!