I have a set of WS2812B LED's. I am wanting to wire a couple LED's in series as an experiment for a larger project. This is so I can use a higher voltage power supply without having to up the current output/draw. In the final operation it makes sense.
I would assume that two 5V LED's would need 10V to operate. However the first LED is taking 9V and the second is getting 1V when I use a multimeter (approximate numbers). Below I illustrated the normal parallel wiring versus my odd series wiring. It makes sense for a standard component LED that you need twice the voltage as each drops the LED's nominal voltage (also 2 components exactly the same in series should split evenly the voltage), is there something different about these types of LED's? Is it the capacitor that causes an issue?
I checked and the Ground and +5V tabs on either side of the LED have continuity, so shouldn't matter if I use the front or back tab.
Doing the parallel wiring they work fine. Series the second one will flicker and not be the correct color. Eventually the first one will stop showing correct color, probably due to overvoltage.
the signal is a varying voltage between GND & 5v+, i am pretty sure you will burn at least 1 of the chips possibly both. Regardless, it will never work (and it doesn't have to)
Regular LEDs can be wired in series but not addressable LEDs or (RGB LEDs).
The current through both will be the same which messes-up the addressing (they would all have to be the same color and brightness) and the data voltage has to be relative to the LED's ground so the data simply won't work.
With RGB LEDs all of the same color would have to be in series and you can't do that with 3 LEDs in each package and only 4 connections.
My hope was that I could use a 24V PSU that can output 1A rather than needing a 5V supply that can output 5A, which is hard to find for a battery pack. Guess I will just have to parallel a few 5V supplies instead.
You could, however, use one power supply for one strip, and another for a second and so forth, no matter how the data in and out lines are configured.
All supplies and strips and the Arduino must have a common ground, but there should be no direct connection between any of the 5V supplies 5V output lines.
Please if you have the least doubt, post a proposal schematic for how you will use a few power supplies.
You are also not using the recommend ~500 ohm resistor at the data in point on the strip.
Simplified diagram so didn't show a resistor or other circuitry.
And yes that I what I meant as in "paralleling", didn't clarify well enough. separate supplies, common the grounds, so I can get a better current division.
