Hello all, I am working with a student on a LED project and we are new to all of this.
The Addressable strip I bought has only 3 connectors and all the "how to"s I find online talk about a 4th “clock” connector.
Can anyone direct me to a link that talks about how to send data to a strip like mine? Thank you.
connectors are
DO (I assume it’s data)
Those look like the WS2812 series where it only needs a single communication line.
thanks that gives me something to search for 
Actually DO (Data Out is the connection at the far end of the strip and is for connection to the DIN on the next strip.
DIN is your Data INput connection.
The +5 and GND (0v) will go all the way down the strip connecting to every chip as needed.
The DIN will go into the first chip and once processed, come out of the chip via the DO and be connected the DIN of the next and so on all the way down the strip until the end.
The data stream is sent serially through from LED chip to LED chip.
Connect a suitably sized +5v supply across the +5v and GND connections. Your Arduino (or what ever you use to control the strip) will probably not drive more than about 20 LEDs happily.
Join the GND also the controlling micro and then connect the DI to the drive IO pin that outputs standard +5v logic (it might work with 3.3v logic).
Then you need some software and off you go.
Agreed on WS2812 series. No clock signal is needed. They have a 2 timings, 400khz and 800khz. The WS2812 is like the WS2811 but with an integrated circuit. You may want to search for WS2811 too.
Looks like the fastSPI lib supports these LEDs, If that doens’t work you can check the Adafruit NeoPixel library (https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_NeoPixel) Or OctoWS2811 (http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/td_libs_OctoWS2811.html)
Note that OctoWS2811 only works on the teensy 3/3.1, however. (You didn’t mention what you’re using as a controller for the leds).
@Daniel_Garcia Arduino uno
Then you can’t use Octo. Stick with FastSPI and you’ll be golden.
Or use the Adafruit NeoPixel Library, definitely WS2811/WS2812
thanks all, your responses gave me many leads to research. Got a lot of reading to do :)- I appreciate the help
if you need help, let me know… am doing all my arduino LED stuff with ws2812.
@Ralph_R will do thanks
I can confirm that the Adafruit NeoPixel library works great for WS2812 strips, Even on the ATTiny85-based Digispark.
I am making a 16X16 array to display images- should I read up on FastSPI or Neopixel? I am planning on having them stored on an SD card .
If I’m not mistaken, NeoPixel is just the name Adafruit uses on their WS2812x product line that they sell. FastLED (formerly FastSPI_LED) is a software used to drive hardware, including NeoPixels. Adafruit also has their own library to drive their hardware. Either would work.
You can use NeoPixels (hardware) to build a matrix and use FastLED to drive them. You can also make your own matrix using any number of hardware, from those WS2812x LEDs with builtin IC, to regular 5050s and separate IC, such as the LPD8806 and others. You can also buy it ready made, like Adafruit’s 8x8 matrix. Get four of those and you’ll have yourself a 16x16.
It’s working great, just goofing off with a 12 LED strip I have left over (They come in 60 and I’m cutting them in 16s). I just need to make a few practical labs for my student then we can start building the 16x16 array- Thanks, all the help really got this project off the ground.
