Starting with addressable pixel LED is mostly a question of doing things in the right order. Each step below has its own guide; follow them from top to bottom and you will have a running installation by the end.
1. Connect the controller to your network
A pixel LED controller and your computer have to be on the same network before anything else works. Set the IP address of the device and of your PC as shown in PC configuration for LED Strip Studio. If the connection refuses to come up, the Windows network configuration guide explains what a network and an IP address actually are, and the advanced settings cover DHCP and static addressing.
2. Wire the LED strips
Check which LED types your controller drives and how to connect them in wiring RGB and RGBW LED pixel strips, then set the right chip type for your strips in LED chip (IC) type on LEC3 and SPI Matrix. Getting the cable gauge right matters as much as the strip itself — see choosing cables for an LED project.
3. Draw the mapping
The mapping is the plan of your installation: where every strip runs and how many pixels each segment has. Start with create pixel LED mapping, and if the layout is a regular grid, the rectangular screen tool will save you hours.
4. Play your first content
With the mapping finished you can send content to the pixels. The manual walks through the first scene in play content, and 2D color effects are the easiest place to start experimenting.
5. Run the show without a computer
For a permanent installation, export the finished effects to an SD card and let the controller play them on its own — see how to export effects to SD card. Several controllers can be kept in step with multi-device synchronization.
Not sure which device you need?
What controller can I use with LED Strip Studio software compares the options, and the LEC3 Demo Kit bundles a controller, strips, power supply and cables into one package to try the system out.