Booster for Fastled

[SteveCS]

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

[SteveCS]

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?

[jondibar]

Unusual but it should work.

[dundakitty]

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

[shawn]

This thread has more information:
https://forum.pjrc.com/threads/25549...evel-converter

In summary, the bidirectional shifters are slower. Use the active, unidirectional faster shifters.

[Gibbedy]

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/3284...d=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.