WS2813 LED Fire hazard warning? Just thought I’d cross post this in case others are thinking of using them (I am not the original author, please follow the post to Facebook for that).
** WS2813 POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD WARNING**
(CONFIRMED: ws2813 chip confirmed as issue by both strip manufacturer and tests.)
OP: This new pixel IC is getting hype, for its redundant data lines, but I’ve had serious electrical issues during testing. Today, during a routine 100 hour test, one of the WS2813 LED’s starting burning and fuming. Left unnoticed, this would have definitely caught fire. Please use extra precautions with this IC, and avoid altogether if you are not an experienced electrician or are planning a permanent install. Tech deats below.
WS2813 Summary:
WS2813 uses the same protocol as WS2811, but has a redundant data line.You can literally smash pixels with a hammer and the LED chain continues flawlessly in most situations. Unfortunately, there is an unexplainable voltage drop and resistance on all the varying WS2813 products I tried: causing bad data, bad power, and a fire risk!
The Electrical Issues:
- Extreme Voltage Drop
----- A 5v, 5m led strip drops to 2 volts instead of the usual 3.5 (ws2811).
----- The pixels in the center are bright red even when powering both sides.
----- A 12v, led wire chain needs power injected every 100 pixels, instead of 300 (ws2811) - Extreme heat:
----- the led diodes & wires get noticeably hotter than my ws2811/12b series
----- fumes can be smelled when running led’s at full white - Smoke/Fire
----- SMOKE: When running the 12v LED’s at full white, the heat from the wires/pcb caused the pixel diode to literally burn its epoxy/potting material. I was running a chain of 300 pixels, each pixel connected via wire from eachother, and powered from both ends. There was a very noticable power drop in the center. The most concerning part - I was running this in a cool 65F room with a fan blowing over them. The pixels were bundled tightly together with bad airflow.
Conclusion: Energy cannot be created or destroyed. The unexplained extra resistance of WS2813 pixel strings and strips causes data issues, power issues, and a dangerous amount of heat.
If assembled incorrectly, these can catch fire. Be Extremely Careful!