---
title: "RGB LED strips controller"
url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/WIZnet/projects/rgb-led-strips-controller/"
markdown_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/WIZnet/projects/rgb-led-strips-controller/md"
type: "UCC: User Created Content"
author: "WIZnet"
author_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/WIZnet/"
original_url: "https://www.hackster.io/ThereIsNoTry/rgb-led-strips-controller-b15300"
published: "2023-02-07"
language: "en"
likes: 6
views: 583
comments: 0
source: "WIZnet Makers (https://maker.wiznet.io/)"
---

# RGB LED strips controller

> .

Original source: https://www.hackster.io/ThereIsNoTry/rgb-led-strips-controller-b15300

## Article

**Description**

In LED strips world, there are (so) many models.

As explained on Wikipedia… “**The most common design differences are in how individual LEDs are **controlled**, specifically differences in color and whether or not each LED is addressable**

- Single Color, non-addressable**: Every LED on the strand is a single white colour, typically ranging from 2700K to 6500K in **[**colour temperature,**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colour_temperature)** or any of several monochrome colors covering the range of the visible spectrum (generally from 400-700 nanometers in wavelength).**

- Multicolor, non addressable**: Each LED is capable of displaying red, green, blue, or all three (white), driven by three input power rails. All the LEDs display the same colour at any one time, but the colour can be manipulated by varying the voltage applied to each of the three power inputs.**

- RGB, addressable**: Multiple colours and addresses. Each LED has its own chip meaning they can be individually triggered for chasing, strobing, and colour changing”**

As a generic rule of thumb, you can consider that “**cheap** RGB LED strip” = “non addressable”. There are numerous tutorials on addressable LED strips but not that much on simple, non addressable ones.

Here is how my LED strip looks like. The strip is divided into **segments**, each segment hosting 3 RGB LEDs:

![A segment](https://hackster.imgix.net/uploads/attachments/279387/20170325_011643115_ios_ZT0TgBFW2z.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=680&h=510&fit=max)

*A segment*

![Connections between segments](https://hackster.imgix.net/uploads/attachments/279389/20170325_011700408_ios_WulfocCBbI.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=680&h=510&fit=max)

*Connections between segments*

Here is how my LED strip is wired, internaly:

![](https://hackster.imgix.net/uploads/attachments/279398/20170325_012914937_ios_XBWxA88lLl.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=680&h=510&fit=max)

Some models share a common POSITIVE, other shares a coomon NEGATIVE. My LED strip is as per the following:

![](https://hackster.imgix.net/uploads/attachments/279039/wiring_LxSr7HlZzr.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=680&h=510&fit=max)

The next topic to consider is .**… input voltage. **LED strip lights most commonly operate on 12 or 24 volts DC[f](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_current)rom a power supply. Mine was 12 VDC. Depending on the strip lenght, you should pay attention to current as well and select a power supply that can handle LED strip current requirements.

If you just want to turn LED strip on/off (as a whole or per color), relays are ok and easy to setup but if you want to control intensity as well (dimming), then MOSFETs are a great solution.

In order to control colors (and intensity), I need to control A1, A2 and A3. The LED strip requires 12 VDC feed and, even if you had a 5 VDC LED strip, it would require to much current to be controlled directly, that’s why I need some kind of circuit based on transistors.

Here is how my control circuit looks like (duplicate it 3 times, one for each color):

![Control circuit for Green LED](https://hackster.imgix.net/uploads/attachments/279397/20170326_134154655_ios_39n81NOqlV.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=680&h=510&fit=max)

*Control circuit for Green LED*

Here is how it looks like once integrated in a box

![Final packaging](https://hackster.imgix.net/uploads/attachments/279402/20170326_135439390_ios_2uRnN5zDSx.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=680&h=510&fit=max)

*Final packaging*

Notes:

- This tutorial is about “how to control LED strips”. In the picture, you may notice that it does more than that and you are totaly right. I will come back with other tutorials with more information on this.

- The LED strip control circuit is on the right: 3 MOSFETS are used to control a RGB LED strip and there is a fourth one to control another B/W LED strip.

![](https://hackster.imgix.net/uploads/attachments/279464/20170326_154150122_ios_bilFK2wrz5.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=680&h=510&fit=max)

## **Components**

- 1 × [Arduino UNO & Genuino UNO](https://www.hackster.io/arduino/products/arduino-uno-genuino-uno)

- 1 × [Arduino Ethernet Shield 2](https://www.hackster.io/arduino/products/arduino-ethernet-shield-2)

- 1 × 12 VDC power supply

- 1 × AC housing

- 1 × JST connectors

- 1 × Extension PCB for Arduino

- 1 × FQP47P06 MOSFET

- 1 × 2N3904 transistor

- 1 × Resistor 1k ohm

Author : [Philippe Libioulle](https://www.hackster.io/ThereIsNoTry)

<p>Source : <a href=’https://www.hackster.io/ThereIsNoTry/rgb-led-strips-controller-b15300?ref=part&ref_id=31780&offset=0′>https://www.hackster.io/ThereIsNoTry/rgb-led-strips-controller-b15300?ref=part&ref_id=31780&offset=0</a></p>

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Source: https://maker.wiznet.io/WIZnet/projects/rgb-led-strips-controller/