NeoPixel Ring - 16 x WS2812 5050 RGB LED

This is the 16 LED NeoPixel Ring from Adafruit, a small chainable 1.75" (44.5mm) outer diameter board equipped with 5050 WS2812 RGB LEDs. The WS2812s are each addressable as the driver chip is located inside the LED. Each NeoPixel Stick has ~18mA constant current drive so the color will be very consistent even if the voltage varies, and requires 5V.

Every ring is equipped with a single data line with a very timing-specific protocol requiring a real-time microconroller with a 8MHz or faster processor such as an AVR, Arduino, PIC, mbed, etc. There are solder pads on the back for connecting wires or breadboard pins and two mounting holes for securing this board to many different surfaces.

NeoPixel Ring - 16 x WS2812 5050 RGB LED Product Help and Resources

WS2812 Breakout Hookup Guide

July 24, 2013

How to create a pixel string with the WS2812 and WS2812B addressable LEDs!

LED Cloud-Connected Cloud

February 22, 2016

Make an RGB colored cloud light! You can also control it from your phone, or hook up to the weather!

DIY Heated Earmuffs

January 31, 2018

Embedded with heating pads and four Neopixel rings, these earmuffs do more than your average winter accessory to keep you warm while still looking good.

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LEDs working in pairs, not individually

Neopixel rings have a known issue where sometimes the LED's only work in pairs instead of individually. Contact SparkFun Technical Support if you run into this issue.


Core Skill: Soldering

This skill defines how difficult the soldering is on a particular product. It might be a couple simple solder joints, or require special reflow tools.

3 Soldering

Skill Level: Competent - You will encounter surface mount components and basic SMD soldering techniques are required.
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Core Skill: Programming

If a board needs code or communicates somehow, you're going to need to know how to program or interface with it. The programming skill is all about communication and code.

2 Programming

Skill Level: Rookie - You will need a better fundamental understand of what code is, and how it works. You will be using beginner-level software and development tools like Arduino. You will be dealing directly with code, but numerous examples and libraries are available. Sensors or shields will communicate with serial or TTL.
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Core Skill: Electrical Prototyping

If it requires power, you need to know how much, what all the pins do, and how to hook it up. You may need to reference datasheets, schematics, and know the ins and outs of electronics.

2 Electrical Prototyping

Skill Level: Rookie - You may be required to know a bit more about the component, such as orientation, or how to hook it up, in addition to power requirements. You will need to understand polarized components.
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Comments

Looking for answers to technical questions?

We welcome your comments and suggestions below. However, if you are looking for solutions to technical questions please see our Technical Assistance page.

  • Member #469712 / about 11 years ago / 4

    Beware! 16-pixel rings are addressed counter-clockwise, while 12- and 24-pixel rings are addressed clockwise! This can make programming the rings of different sizes arrayed together VERY difficult.

  • Pneumatic / about 9 years ago / 1

    How sensitive to input voltage are these? I would like to power them from a 6V lantern battery (6.6V unloaded according to my DMM). Will I burn it out? (This seems to be in the unfortunate range of to high for most 5V projects, but too low for a 7805 regulator).

  • The Doctor Doge / about 10 years ago / 1

    What is the inside diameter?

    • Member #1306418 / about 6 years ago / 1

      Dimensions:

      Outer diameter: 44.5mm / 1.8"

      Inner diameter: 31.7mm / 1.2"

      Thickness: 6.7mm / 0.3"

      Copied from manufacturers website

  • RunWreckRi0t / about 11 years ago / 1

    How many mm thick are these?

    • bobski / about 10 years ago / 1

      My educated guesstimate would be somewhere between 2.6mm and 3.0mm.

Customer Reviews

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Sensitive little bugger...

Typical LED RGBs, they are very bright, easily handled with Arduino code, yet are VERY sensitive to voltage limits. Don't ever go above 5v. It will smoke check fairly quickly. ;) Also, solder from the back side ONLY. The tolerances on the LED side are way too tight. One little extra slip or blob of solder and you've shorted them out; apply voltage to it and you've destroyed another ring.

I would recommend these things be redesigned using solder PADS on the back-side for the connections instead of through-holes. That way you can't ever get too much solder leaking through and shorting on the front side.

worked exactly as promised

It showed up - I followed instructions, and it all worked perfectly.