Turns out the level shifters I bought for my WS2812B project happen to be one of the worst types (they’re the red 4-channel SparkFun ones).
I’ve got two options here. Firstly I could take the obvious route and buy something that’s known to work, like a 74HCT245. Alternatively, since I’m using adjustable DC-DC converters I could just power the LEDs from something like 4v (Brightness is not a concern in this situation).
Which option seems more sensible here? Also, if I choose the lower voltage option, should I still expect each LED to draw a maximum of 60ma?
Just tested and it seems like these strips happen to be tolerant of 3.3v data on a 5v supply. Still want to be sure though.
use a single pixel, very close to the controller as a booster null pixel. dont address it in your code
@Leon_Yuhanov Is that a reliable solution? Not sure how tolerant the strips are. Will it boost regardless of whether it can read the data?
@1icri_Old_Account If you have nothing else on hand, yes its perfect. I do this on all projects where i use a 3.3v controller. If you are really biting your nails, use a simple Logic gate like a 74LS series AND