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Need help powering Neopixel rings

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lucade2210

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Hello,

I have recently bought four Adafruit neopixel rings with each 12 led's. ( https://www.adafruit.com/product/1643 )
I kind of new to electronics and would like some help powering these units. I want to hook the rings up to an arduino via a single data line, but im not sure how to connect the power. Adafruit website tells me that each led (including an integrated driver) can draw up to 60 mA when on full brightness. Since I'm going to hook the rings up in serie, that would mean I need to supply them with 4 X 12 X 60 = 2,9 A. Since they run on 5 volts, i can easily hook them up to my arduino. But how can i supply the current? Arduino can't handle that amount of current right?

- Luca
 

Hi,

obviously you need a 5V power supply with at least 3A of current capability.


Klaus
 

The arduino does not power the LEDs, instead the arduino simply feeds low current signals to the LED drivers inside each LED. The LED drivers use 18mA for each color in each LED.
Each ring has its own +5V and 0V terminals to power it.
 

Ok, great. So i can just hook up a 5v/3A power supply to the neopixel rings + and -, and send a seperate data line from the arduino the rings data input.

Now, the distance between each ring is about 150 cm, so i would need to place about 6 meters of wiring for both the + and - with 3 amps running through it. Wouldn't that be a problem?
 

Hi,

for sure you additionally need to connect Arduino_GND to LED_GND.

data line:
You have 6m of single ended, unterminated wire for data transmission. This is not the reliable solution.
But it seems the data are shifted serially through the LED modules, this makes 4 data lines with 150cm each. This is better than a single 6m line.

Klaus
 

Ok, should I do the same for the powerlines?
 

Hi,

With the rings i'd use star connection for the power supplies.

Klaus
 

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