LPD8806 Pixel Protocol
A two-wire clocked RGB pixel IC using separate data and clock lines for timing-tolerant 8-bit control at 5V to 12V.
Specifications
| Clock Type | Clocked |
| Color Resolution | 8 Bits |
| Physical Package | SOP16 |
| RGB | Yes |
| RGBW | No |
| Output Pixel Voltage | 5 - 12V |
| PWM Rate | 4000Hz |
| Suitable Camera | Up to 134fps |
| Redundant Data Line | No |
Strengths
- Clocked two-wire operation (separate DATA and CLOCK) latches data against an external clock, so it tolerates timing variation better than self-clocked single-wire chips, which has traditionally helped on longer runs.
- 8-bit per-channel resolution delivers standard 24-bit RGB colour, adequate for smooth gradients and general pixel-mapping work.
- Wide 5V to 12V output pixel supply range gives integrators flexibility, and higher-voltage strips reduce voltage-drop and injection headaches over distance.
Limitations
- Being clocked, it needs a second conductor for the CLOCK line: that adds wiring and cost, creates another connection that can fail, and a high-frequency clock line radiates EMI that can interfere with sensitive installations. The market is trending toward data-only single-wire chips to avoid both issues, so the timing-tolerance benefit comes at a real cost rather than being simply better.
- RGB only with no white channel (RGBW: No), so it cannot produce a dedicated calibrated white and is less suited to tunable-white or high-CRI white work.
- No redundant data line, so a single broken pixel or joint kills every pixel downstream with no failover path.
- The 4000Hz PWM rate is comfortably flicker-free for the rated camera use (up to 134fps, roughly 30 PWM cycles per frame), so it is camera-safe for typical broadcast and video work, but it does not offer the very high refresh headroom of newer data-only parts if a project later demands it.
Overview
LPD8806 is a clocked RGB pixel driver: each IC takes a separate DATA line and a dedicated CLOCK line, so data is latched against the controller's clock rather than self-timed. That two-wire scheme relaxes signal-timing tolerances along a run, which historically made it forgiving over longer strips. Each channel carries 8-bit resolution for 24-bit RGB colour, the parts run across a 5V to 12V supply range, and the SOP16 package houses one controller per pixel. It is RGB only, with no white channel and no redundant data line.
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.