WS2812 Breakout Hookup Guide

Contributors: jimblom

Resources and Going Further

For more information about the WS2812 and WS2812B, check out the resources below:

• Breakout Board Schematic (PDF)
• Breakout Board Eagle Files (ZIP)
• Breakout Board GitHub Repo
• Datasheet
  • WS2812 (PDF)
  • WS2812B (PDF)
  • Differences between WS2812 vs WS2812B (PDF)
• Example Code and NeoPixel Library (ZIP)
• Adafruit NeoPixel Library GitHub Repo
• FastLED Library GitHub Repo

Now that you've got the gist of the WS2812 Breakout board, how are you going to use it in a project? Need some inspiration? Check out these tutorials:

• Using OpenSegment -- The OpenSegment is a very large, 4-digit 7-segment display. If you're on a blinky-high after playing with the WS2812 LEDs, this is another fun component to play with.
• Getting Started with the LilyPad MP3 Player -- If you're into e-textiles (or even if you're not, this thing is awesome), check out the LilyPad MP3 Player. Combine the LilyPad MP3 player with the WS2812 to make a nifty LED-music show.
• Designing PCBs: Advanced SMD -- If you'd like to lay out your own, custom PCB for the WS2812 LED/chip, check out this tutorial. It'll walk you through every step required to design your very own circuit board using free software. You can use the WS2812 footprint from our parts library to get started.

Check out these projects using the WS2812 addressable LEDs for more ideas:

Or check out this project using the APA102's for some more edge lighting ideas: