WS2812B Pixel Protocol
Manufacturer: Worldsemi
A single-wire, individually addressable RGB pixel with the control IC integrated inside a 5050 LED package and 8-bit-per-channel colour.
Specifications
| Clock Type | Data-Only |
| Color Resolution | 8 Bits |
| Physical Package | SMD5050 with integrated LEDs |
| RGB | Yes |
| RGBW | No |
| Output Pixel Voltage | 5 - 12V |
| PWM Rate | 400Hz |
| Suitable Camera | Flickering may be visible |
| Redundant Data Line | No |
Strengths
- Single self-clocking data wire keeps cabling simple: one signal conductor plus power, with no clock line to route, terminate, or shield.
- The control IC is built into each SMD5050 LED, giving true per-pixel 8-bit RGB addressing in a compact, widely stocked package that is easy to source and integrate.
- Each pixel reshapes and retimes the signal it passes on, supporting long daisy-chained runs when supply voltage and injection are managed correctly.
Limitations
- At a 400Hz PWM rate this chip is not camera-safe: the row lists it as likely to show visible flicker on camera, so expect visible flicker and banding under video or high-shutter-speed capture, making it a poor choice for on-camera or broadcast work.
- As a strictly timed single-wire protocol with no redundant data line, it is sensitive to signal integrity over distance, and a single failed pixel breaks the data path to every pixel after it.
Overview
The WS2812B is a data-only, single-wire addressable RGB pixel: each device integrates its control IC inside an SMD5050 LED, reads its 24-bit (8 bits per channel) colour word off one self-clocking data line, then regenerates the signal for the next pixel in the chain. It carries no separate clock and no redundant data line, so timing must be held tightly and a failed pixel interrupts everything downstream of it. Parts in this range operate across a 5V to 12V supply. ENTTEC is not affiliated with Worldsemi.
Compatible ENTTEC controllers
Sku: 71521
Sku: 73539
Sku: 70067
Sku: 70068
Sku: 73-545
Sku: 73924
ENTTEC has been engineering lighting control in Australia since 1999, and shipping LED pixel controllers since the original Pixelator in 2014.