Hey all I just joined I love LEDs and I found some 6803 chipset strips that im looking to see if i can make some cool stuff any help would be great im reserching a lot but maybe just a point in the right direction would be great.
Unfortunately, the new version of the library is no longer supporting the LPD6803 chipset - however the original version of the library - which you can find here - https://code.google.com/p/fastspi/downloads/detail?name=FastSPI_20121014.zip - does support the chipset. (I’m still working on documenting the new version of the library, once that’s finished I can go back and document how to use pieces of the new library with the old library). Note that LPD6803 support is only for the arduino/avr platform, the original library doesn’t support the 6803 for arm (teensy 3, due) at all.
I highly recommend not buying more 6803’s 
Thats what I thought well can I still do decent effects or should I order new strips?
The only thing I really use right now is an arduino is there a better platform for leds?
The arduino is pretty good - if you’re thinking about doing wearable type things, i’m hearing good things about the gemma and trinket (though, again, those aren’t supported by the old version of the library). I’ve been a fan of using the teensy 3.0 for a lot of my projects, though i’ve started using the Arduino Due and the DigiX for larger scale (thousands of leds) projects.
Well my plan is to make led underglow for my car that is addressable it seems like a really fun little thing to do
Certainly! And you can do that with the first version of the library and the 6803s. They don’t have quite as dynamic a color range as some of the more modern (aka < 2 years old) led chipsets out there. The LPD8806, WS2812B (adafruit sells them as NeoPixels), and the WS2801’s seem to be the most common/better chipsets out there.
I’m happy to help you with getting the first version of the library up and running with the 6803 - though I no longer have any 6803 leds here to test with. At least, I don’t think I do…
Thank you very much ill be posting over the next few days of my progress ill post more about my setup as well thank you again for any help
Ok so I have strips I can get for $50 for 15 feet every three are addressable they are 12v I get them at a small wholesale place. My plan is to snip each And make them 3 deep and all the way down my car it will b a lot of work but I’m sure it will b worth it any suggestions?
Are they the UCS1903’s your talking about? I have been using them in my test rigs, but as Daniel has pointed out to me earlier, they are a slow protocol.
What’s the chipset in the strips that you’re getting? Also - be careful, for some of the strips the “pixel” is a set of 3 rgb LEDs, so instead of being able to address every rgb led individually, you address them in groups off three.
Yeah these are groups of three so I’m putting them sideways and 3 deep so it looks like a bright single pixel
I’ll check the chipset
The chip is an lpd6803s
If you haven’t ordered the strips yet, and they have strips that use a supported chipset (see https://code.google.com/p/fastspi/wiki/ChipsetOverview for a list - I recommend ws2811, ws2812, lpd8806, or tm1809 strips if at all possible). Where are you ordering from, I can probably find you better options/prices.
Well they are a whole sale place down in Ontario cal I pay $49 for 15 feet
Here are 30 led/m ws2811 for $43 for 5m (over 16 feet) - http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/smart-controller-5m-WS2811-LED-digital-strip-30leds-m-with-30pcs-WS2811-built-in-the-5050/701799_672843983.html and that particular store on aliexpress (Ray Wu) has a lot of other options as well. If you haven’t purchased the strips yet, don’t get the 6803’s.
Cool ill check that out
What would you suggest for pretty bright under glow lights wit individual rgbs instead of the 3? I’d like to get some good light coming from underneath the car haha
That strip I sent you a link to does fully individually addressable rgb leds. I haven’t done much with lighting the underbodies of cars- one thing you’ll want to look for is the full waterproof housing/enclosure - you don’t want bare wires/leds hanging out on the bottom of your car!