No matter what code I use, I can't get more than 1 LED to light up on my strip of LEDs using either the FastLED library or the Adafruit_Neopixel library.
Any suggestions to what I could do, as I know that the circuit works as it always lights up 1 of the LEDs
Hi,
Please read the first post in any forum entitled how to use this forum.
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,148850.0.html then look down to item #7 about how to post your code.
It will be formatted in a scrolling window that makes it easier to read.
Can you please post a copy of your circuit, in CAD or a picture of a hand drawn circuit in jpg, png?
We cannot help you until we see code and circuit.
Thanks.. Tom.. 
Here is a drawing of my circuit. The DIn on my LED strip is connected to D13 on the arduino and the GND and 5V are connected accordingly. Also across the power lines I have 1000uF and across the DIn I have a 330 ohm resistor
What is the purpose of the resistor ?
The purpose of the resistor is to simply limit the voltage so the 12V DC supply from the mains doesn't damage the LED strip
The resistor is recommended for the data signal on these strips. One WS2812B LED is drawing 60-80mA (depending on the number of color components). 12 LED's will then draw 720-960 mA. The arduino can only deliver ~200mA total, so you are drawing 3-4 times the amount of current available (if hooked up to the 5V pin).
No one has EVER suggested powering the LED strip from the Arduino. Quit trying to do that.
PaulS:
No one has EVER suggested powering the LED strip from the Arduino. Quit trying to do that.
If no one has ever suggested this, then why are there so many projects that use 60+ LED strips when connected to an arduino
That is because the strip needs to be connected to it's own power source. If you have a 5V 2A power supply, it can easaly power both the arduino and the strip. You are talking about a 12V power supply - please DO NOT connect your LED's to 12V, they can't handle it..
Zimran1234:
If no one has ever suggested this, then why are there so many projects that use 60+ LED strips when connected to an arduino
Connecting the data input line and the ground line to the Arduino, to CONTROL the strip, makes sense.
Connecting the power line and the ground line to the Arduino, to POWER the strip, does not.
Danois90:
That is because the strip needs to be connected to it's own power source. If you have a 5V 2A power supply, it can easaly power both the arduino and the strip. You are talking about a 12V power supply - please DO NOT connect your LED's to 12V, they can't handle it..
I have the Arduino board powered by the 12V supply and my LED strip is connected to the 5VDC pin on the arduino board.
Zimran1234:
I have the Arduino board powered by the 12V supply and my LED strip is connected to the 5VDC pin on the arduino board.
And this is your problem. There is simply not enough power to light up the entire strip and you may actually end up damaging the arduino. What is the power rating (amps / watts) of your 12V supply?
Zimran1234:
I have the Arduino board powered by the 12V supply and my LED strip is connected to the 5VDC pin on the arduino board.
That is wrong. You could connect the Arduino as the only consumer to a nuclear power plant capable of delivering 27 million Megawatts, and you still can't expect the Arduino to provide more than 200 milliwatts. That is NOT enough to power more than one LED.
Danois90:
And this is your problem. There is simply not enough power to light up the entire strip and you may actually end up damaging the arduino. What is the power rating (amps) of your 12V supply?
The power output on my 12V supply says 0.5amps
So you are trying to draw up to 1000mA from a 500mA power supply, aye? The voltage regulator on the arduino is (AFAIK) linear, so you are expecting it to dissipate ~7 watts of heat, this is completely impossible. You could try to use a DC-DC step-down (buck) converter, to get the 12V converted to 5V - this may work, but a decent 5V power supply would be better
Hi,
Thanks for the circuit.
Can you post your code please?
What model Arduino are you using?
The 5V from the Arduino is regulated from the 12V supply, the regulator on the controller is limited in the amount of current it can supply before it is overloaded, becomes hot, and possibly destroys its self. This limit happens to be much lower than the maximum current that can be used by the strip.
You need a separate power supply for the strip, possibly a DC-DC buck converter to convert your 12V to 5V at the current needed for the strip.
Tom...