What type of LEDs you can control?
Pixel controllers such as LED Ethernet Controller 3 or SPI Matrix can control RGB or RGBW addressable LED pixels. Many different LED manufacturers produce various LED strips, pixels, and bars available on the market.
List of supported LED IC types
Each addressable LED pixel has its own IC (Integrated Controller) and technical specifications. SPI pixel controllers support the most common IC types:
APA102, APA102_DOUBLE, APA102-65536, APA104, WS2801, WS2803, WS2811, WS2811_RGBW, WS2812, WS2813, TM1809, TM1829, SK6812, SK6822, SM16716, SM16726, LPD6803, LPD8806, LPD1886 8bit, UCS1903, UCS2903, UCS9812, D705, MBI6120, P9883
Hardware and software developers regularly add new IC types with firmware and software updates. The team remains flexible about adding new versions to support projects. Refer to the complete list of supported ICs.
Clock & Data pinout
Different LED strips use different pin configurations beyond LED count, IC type, color, and length. Digital addressable LEDs use SPI-like communication with controllers. Some LED strips have 3 pins—Data, GND, and Voltage—while others include a 4th Clock pin.
4 pins – ground, data, clock, +5V
Power
Digital/addressable LEDs typically use 5V DC, though some systems use 12V or 24V DC. Selecting appropriate power supplies and cables requires understanding power consumption and voltage drop.
Power consumption
Basic formulas calculate power consumption and current:
- I [A] = 0.036 [A] (current per RGB LED) × number of LEDs
- I [A] = 0.048 [A] (current per RGBW LED) × number of LEDs
Note: These values apply when using common ICs like SK6812 or WS2812.
Power consumption calculation: P [W] = U [V] × I [A], where U equals 5 for 5V DC LED strips.
These formulas help determine how many power sources an installation requires.
Recommended wire types
Every LED installation requires quality signal and power cables. Recommendations vary based on cable type and usage.
Signal Cables
FTP Ethernet cable CAT.5E usage:
- Computer and LED controller
- LED controller to another LED controller
- Switch and LED controller/Computer
2/3 core shielded signal cable usage:
- LED controller to LED strips
- LED strips to other LED strips
Recommended maximum signal cable distance is 5m in non-heavy EM interfered environments. To increase signal distance, use The Symmetrizer.
Power Cables
Recommendations based on experience and standards:
H05V-K 0.5mm² black + red
- 5V/12V/24V distribution for short strips (max 5m)
- Short distance from power supply (max 2m)
- Good for tracing parallel with strip to decrease voltage drop (3m+ strips)
- For currents <5A
H05V-K 1.0mm² black + red
- 5V/12V/24V distribution for strips (max 10m)
- Short distance from power supply (max 2.5m)
- Parallel placement for 5m+ strips to reduce voltage drop
- For currents <10A
H05V-K 1.5mm² black + red
- 5V/12V/24V distribution for strips (max 15m)
- Short distances from power supply (max 3m)
- For currents <15A
H05V-K 4.0mm² black + red
- 5V/12V/24V distribution for strips (max 40m)
- Short distances from power supply (max 4m)
- For currents <30A
H05V-K 6.0mm² black + red
- 5V/12V/24V distribution for strips (max 60m)
- Longer distances from power supply
- For currents <40A
Voltage drops
Technical restrictions of LED strips and power cables directly impact voltage drop. Key factors include cable area, length, and LED quantity. Voltage drop appears as brightness or color loss on LEDs.
A primary rule applies to 90% of LED installations: perform power injection each 4A for 5V addressable LED strips.
Cable area/cross section calculation
Follow this simple rule: “1mm² cable area = 10A maximum”
This example shows different cable areas for different parts of the LED installation.
Example of connections
LED Ethernet Controller 3, LED Ethernet Controller POWERED, and SPI Matrix offer several connection options with LED power supplies and strips. These pixel controllers support voltage ranges from 5 to 24V. Each controller includes polyfuses preventing damage. Each SPI output handles 10A per channel maximum, with input/power connectors handling 20A maximum.
Direct connection
In direct connection, the power supply connects to the LED controller, and LED strips receive power directly from the controller.
Example scheme showing digital LED Strip (+5V, GND, Data), power supply, and LED Ethernet Controller 3 (same for SPI Matrix).
The LED Ethernet Controller 3 and SPI Matrix pass maximum 20A current through the power connector. While using higher-current power supplies is possible, this doesn’t increase LED capacity powered directly from the controller. Total capacity is approximately 550 RGB (270 per output maximum) or 410 RGBW (200 per output maximum) LED pixels.
Separate power injection
For applications requiring more than 10A per output, use a separate power supply with power injection.
Example scheme showing digital LED Strip (+5V, GND, Data), LED Ethernet Controller 3 (same for SPI Matrix), and separate power supplies (power injection).
Important: Connect only GND and data (clock if available) from the LED strip to the controller connector. Do not connect +5V of LED Strip and +Vcc of the controller, as this might activate the polyfuse and disable the signal output.
For LED pixels or strips with clock pins, use this configuration:
Use differently colored cable for clock (for example, blue). Like the data-only case, connect controller GND with LED pixels GND. Connect data and clock directly to LED pixels. Do not connect +Vcc and +5/+12V DC together.
Additional power injection (power supply 3) can supply your LED strips and pixels.
Networking of LED controllers
Multiple LED controllers can connect to a network in several ways. Different controller types work together, and third-party software and controllers integrate with the system.
All controllers operate on networks with IP address 192.168.1.X by default.
A complex networking scheme shows several connection options:
- Standard scheme with LED Ethernet Controllers and LED Strip Studio software
- Art-Net scheme using third-party Art-Net controllers and software
- Art-Net to DMX scheme transforming one Art-Net universe to DMX 512 for controlling analog dimmers or other DMX devices
- Daisy-chain all LED controllers or use switch/router
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