Has anyone used FastLED2 with an Arduino Pro Mini (or a clone like DeekRobot)? I thaught it should work out of the box. The example sketch is working with a WS2812B on a leonardo/mega/uno but will not work on the DeekRobot.
Has anyone a hint what to do?
Thanks, Holger
I can’t find the DeekRobot mini product page (their website’s broken) but is it an Atmel 328P-based Arduino or a 32u4 (Leonardo-like) board? It should still work either way, as long as you’ve got the correct board type selected in the Arduino IDE.
What does “will not work” mean in this context? Does the sketch compile? Will it upload without errors? Does loop() get called (try adding a Serial.println() to check)? Do the LEDs light up at all? Do the LEDs light up, but with the wrong colours? Does the magic smoke leak out when you turn everything on?
Things to check: 1) Are you using the correct combination of Arduino IDE version and board settings? 2) Are you powering the mini correctly (bigger Arduinos can usually take 12V, but the smaller ones often don’t have their own regulator and need to be fed from 5V or 3.3V directly) 3) Did you connect the strips’ data line to the same pin on the mini as the bigger Arduino (and if not, did you change the #define)?
Hi Robert,
the DeekRobot is a 328P.
The sketch compiles (as “Arduino Pro Mini wirth328 and 5V”). I will have to check if the main loop() works - this is something I really haven’t done yet. I only tried the “FastLED/Blink” example on a Leonardo and the DeekRobot. On The Leo the first 6 LEDs were blinking, on the DeekRobot not.
Luckily there was no magic smoke 
I will check the rest of your “ideas to check” at afternoon. Maybe the bug is in front of the Arduino 
Thanks, Holger
Just a fix: Also the DeekRobot says it should be a 328P I cannot write the code to the uC as “Arduino Pro Mini wirth328 and 5V”. It only works als “Arduino Micro”. I have to “google” whats the difference between them.
I’ve had no problems with that configuration, I use a deek robot clone in one project, and it gave me no problem at all. I configure the IDE to use pro mini with 328 and 5v.
Generally, I prefer to use Nanos or clones thereof, as they have built-in USB, but I have a few pro minis to use up, and they do take a little less space than a nano, so there are times where it’s useful.
Sorry I have no great insight as to what the problem is, but I can confirm that it does in fact work. Maybe try a different pin to rule out a strange conflict with some other library in your project?
Another possibility is to try it on a really simple small strip. I tend to keep a pre-wired and resistored 2-LED ws2812b strip handy. If something is really acting up in my main project, I’ll upload Cylon or some other really simple script, and plug it directly into the test strip. If that works, then you can be reasonably sure that it’s either your code or the other strip that is the problem.
Good luck!
David, thanks for your response. My next try will be at weekend. I think I have a fake Deek-Robot. On the chip you can read 328P but programing only works with “Arduino Micro” - a 32u4…
I hope my ordered nanos will arrive soon so I can use a nano for my project.
BTW: I tried the simple example sketches on my “Deek” but they won’t work… hmmm… perhaps really a fake one.