Using an Arduino to Communicate with an LED strip

Projects General Guidance
1

Hi there!

My project: I'm trying to use a flowmeter that - when it detects water - changes the color of an LED strip
The LED strip: Supernight SMD 5050

I'm a little confused because I was given this specific strip and I'm not sure how to connect it to the Arduino. It has 5-pins on it, and while I know one is for power and one for ground, any idea how to use the other 3?
A significant problem I've read about is the fact that the LED strip requires a significant amount of power, which the Arduino can't supply. I have a 12V power adapter that comes with the strip. Can I use that to power the LED's while having the Arduino control which lights turn on?

Thanks!

2

Look at decoding the IR codes from the remote and do it that way ;).

3

If you need "custom functions", the other 3 pins are PWM for the red, green and blue LEDs.

You can use a PWM signal to alter the brightness of each LED type (RGB) to give varying colours.

4

Are you sure it has 5 connection?

The way you drive these is to connect the common anode connection to +12V and the switch the red, green and blue, lines to ground with a FET for each line. Maybe there are two +12V connections. That data sheet is crap because it tells you very little.

5
6

In that video they use a TIP31 with a 1k base resistor for a 1meter/1Amp LED strip.
That's where I stopped watching the video.
Leo..