Booster for Fastled

SteveCS

Well-known member
Hello all

I have a Teensy 3.6 outputting Fastled data. Reasonably simple project. 12v RGB strip by the way.

I need to extend the cable to the leds, and at 3m I am starting to get data issues. I believe it is because the 3.3v output is borderline for the strip IC to deal with.

I would like to make a simple booster circuit (or preferably buy one) that will bump that 3.3v Fastled data up to 5v.
But I understand that some of these 3.3v to 5v level shifters don't play well with the data speeds that Fastled uses.

Anyone have any suggestions or advice? Maybe a suggestion of a suitable level shifter.

Thank you
 
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Could I simply put a single sacrificial RGB led in the actual controller box as the first led?
Am I wrong in thinking that first WS2815 RGB strip individual driver chip will then output a 5v level signal onwards?

LED data issue.jpg
 
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If the 3.3v signals are reliable to the first LED, then using the first LED as a level shifter should work. I've used a TXB0104 level-shifter chip with APA102 LEDs without any problem. If you don't want to handle SMD chips a break-out board is available such as https://www.adafruit.com/product/1875
 
Hello all

I have a Teensy 3.6 outputting Fastled data. Reasonably simple project. 12v RGB strip by the way.

I need to extend the cable to the leds, and at 3m I am starting to get data issues. I believe it is because the 3.3v output is borderline for the strip IC to deal with.

I would like to make a simple booster circuit (or preferably buy one) that will bump that 3.3v Fastled data up to 5v.
But I understand that some of these 3.3v to 5v level shifters don't play well with the data speeds that Fastled uses.

Anyone have any suggestions or advice? Maybe a suggestion of a suitable level shifter.

Thank you

Even level shifted I belive you have issues with a signal like this as the distance increases. Something about balanced / unbalanced signals i dunno. The common thing todo is convert the signal to rs485 levels. The aliexpress devices I use cost a few dollars and will give you the level shifting as a bonus.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/328...50!65149887275!sea&curPageLogUid=vaWghBXB2NXp

pjrc I think sell a rs485 breakout which will do the same thing. You feed one device a 0 - 5 (or 0-3.3) volt signal, it does some rs485 magic and sends it to another rs485 device maybe 100m away and that device spits out 0-5v to your smart led. Works fine for 800khz ws2811 leds.
 
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