# Noobie help with SK6812 chip LED strip lights.



## mmorton89 (Mar 3, 2017)

Hello I am working on my first LED lighting project and am trying to learn as much as I can about LED's. I can't find the answers I am looking for on google when I search on SK6812 chips so I came here hoping to learn more about these.

The reason I want to use these chips is because I want RGBW LEDS but the basic RGBW LED strips alternate the RGB chips and W chips and I want a 4 in 1 chip that has the RGB and W in the same chip. The only LED strips I could find that were like this were LED strips labeled as SK6812.

My question is how do you control these? The RGB strips I have been looking at have 4 wires a red, green, blue and a power. These SK6812 LED's only have 3 wires a 12v, ground and data?So I have been having troubles finding controllers for these LED's. Do I have to get a special controller?

Here is an example of the LED strips I am talking about.http://www.vozop.com/index.php/5m-dc12v-sk6812-rgbw-300leds-20pixes-m-led-digital-strip-light.html


----------



## FRITZHID (Mar 3, 2017)

Neopixal type LED strip. Needs a voltage and data in to control the LEDs themselves, they are what we refer to as "addressable". Search addressable LED strip and you'll find tons on info.


----------



## mmorton89 (Mar 3, 2017)

FRITZHID said:


> Neopixal type LED strip. Needs a voltage and data in to control the LEDs themselves, they are what we refer to as "addressable". Search addressable LED strip and you'll find tons on info.



Thanks for the reply! I am coming across the same problem I did before when searching the web for controllers. All I can find is programming libraries for neopixels and other LED addressable programs for micro-controllers.

I am not looking to program these LED's myself and would like to find a pre-made controller preferably with an IR remote. Do these not exist? I am having troubles finding them.

Is using something like the [FONT=&quot]Arduino the only way to control these LEDs?[/FONT]


----------



## FRITZHID (Mar 4, 2017)

Here's one example

http://www.ebay.com/itm/262379751600

This is a simple controller, although there are much more complicated controllers out there.


----------



## mmorton89 (Mar 5, 2017)

That's my exact problem right now. I think I have started to find controllers like the one you posted that would work with these LED's but all the ones I have found so far are simple. I can't seem to find the more complex ones like this. (I know this one is not that complex but it has everything I need on the remote.)

https://www.walmart.com/ip/44-Key-C...2034&wl11=online&wl12=712133041&wl13=&veh=sem

Is there a specific keyword I am missing here for the 3 pin connector controllers? I have found several controllers that would work perfectly but they all have the RGB 4 pin connectors.

I have tried search terms like "WS2812 led controller", "SK6812 led controller", "SK6812 44 key remote led controller" and "3 pin led controller".


----------



## FRITZHID (Mar 5, 2017)

That Tbh I'm not sure of. I haven't delved into the addressable LED strips much. If you had a manufacturer name, that would go a long way to find the info you're looking for.


----------



## matthewdllh (Apr 11, 2017)

You dont need special hardware for those digital strips (normally), just some kind of IC sending serial data. So just get any arduino board, connect power to the board and your strip (don't power it via the board, but separately!) and get some kind of library that can control the sk6812 rgbw digital led strip (http://www.ledlightinghut.com/files/SK6812%20RGBW.pdf ) .


----------

