# Weird issues controlling a 12V WS2811 LED string with the neopixel node

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/weird-issues-controlling-a-12v-ws2811-led-string-with-the-neopixel-node/80100>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [27 July 2023 00:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/weird-issues-controlling-a-12v-ws2811-led-string-with-the-neopixel-node/80100 "2023-07-27T00:10:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![serendipitist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@serendipitist](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/serendipitist)\
**Post date:** [27 July 2023 00:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/weird-issues-controlling-a-12v-ws2811-led-string-with-the-neopixel-node/80100/1 "2023-07-27T00:10:29Z")

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Hi all-

I'm developing a museum exhibit using Node-RED, and I'm using the [node-red-node-pi-neopixel](https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-node-pi-neopixel) to control it. Simplified version of the issue: I'm treating the strip as an LED VU meter to display 0-100% of an arbitrary "power level" across 10 LEDs. I have this working very well using a 5V WS2811 string connected directly to the Pi for both 5V power and data from Pin 12 (GPIO18).

When I attempt to connect my 12V WS2811 string that will be used in production (using a tested 12V DC power supply), it behaves very erratically. [I made a short video illustrating the behavior](https://vimeo.com/848914172/72f49ec4e2?share=copy). I'm sending the same RGB value for each of the pixels (using the `x,y,r,g,b` payload format), and you can see from the video that there's a lot of flickering and incorrect colors showing up.

Additional info:

- I have tested the string with an SP107E connected to the same 12V power supply and everything behaves swimmingly. So I know it's not the strip.
- My code works properly with a different 5V LED strip, so I don't believe it's the code. For purposes of QA, I did try simply injecting different string payloads into the neopixel node that replicated what I was injecting with code, same behavior.
- [Here is my wiring diagram](https://postimg.cc/PNNhTj2L)
- I've tried both GRB and RGB settings, to no avail
- I did follow the instructions in [this oft-referenced tutorial](https://randomnerdtutorials.com/node-red-with-ws2812b-addressable-rgb-led-strip/), including editing `/boot/config.txt` as specified
- I did try a different pin for data just to rule that out

Can nny LED wizards out there point me in the right direction?

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**Author:** ![Sean-McG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/sean-mcg/32/54677_2.png) [@Sean-McG](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Sean-McG)\
**Post date:** [27 July 2023 00:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/weird-issues-controlling-a-12v-ws2811-led-string-with-the-neopixel-node/80100/2 "2023-07-27T00:46:51Z")

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As far as I can tell the data line on these is 5V but the gpio pins are only 3.3V, so I would suggest a level converter to boost your signal to 5V

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**Author:** ![serendipitist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@serendipitist](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/serendipitist)\
**Post date:** [27 July 2023 03:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/weird-issues-controlling-a-12v-ws2811-led-string-with-the-neopixel-node/80100/3 "2023-07-27T03:14:19Z")

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I was starting to come to that conclusion myself. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find a wiring diagram that shows how to do this with a 12 V strip, only 5 V strips. I do have a bunch of 3.3 V to 5 V converters, but I’m just not sure how to wire it all up. Would you happen to know of a diagram I can reference?

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**Author:** ![Sean-McG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/sean-mcg/32/54677_2.png) [@Sean-McG](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Sean-McG)\
**Post date:** [27 July 2023 05:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/weird-issues-controlling-a-12v-ws2811-led-string-with-the-neopixel-node/80100/4 "2023-07-27T05:28:17Z")

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Well it depends on converter, but if its something like this -

You provide a common ground, then on LV side 3.3 from the pi and on HV side 5V also the pi.

Then connect gpio pin to LV1 and leds to HV1.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/0/4/0427dca227c548fd41056783b615286a2d4a154d.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![serendipitist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@serendipitist](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/serendipitist)\
**Post date:** [27 July 2023 07:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/weird-issues-controlling-a-12v-ws2811-led-string-with-the-neopixel-node/80100/5 "2023-07-27T07:03:41Z")

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That was _exactly_ what I needed, thank you. It works like a charm now!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![serendipitist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@serendipitist](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/serendipitist)\
**Post date:** [27 July 2023 23:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/weird-issues-controlling-a-12v-ws2811-led-string-with-the-neopixel-node/80100/6 "2023-07-27T23:41:51Z")

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In order to help future folks like me, here's a diagram of what worked for me.

This is a 12V WS28xx strip (ignore that the diagram says "+5V" on the strip, this is the only Fritzing part I could find) and external 12V power supply, driven by a Raspberry Pi via the neopixel node in Node-RED. A 3.3V to 5V directional converter was used to get the 3.3V data signal from the Pi to 5V which the strip would understand.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/6/d/6d174d1d8923e057d594832115fed02a8a68e833.png)

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**Author:** ![BarryMas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/barrymas/32/38363_2.png) [@BarryMas](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/BarryMas)\
**Post date:** [3 August 2023 09:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/weird-issues-controlling-a-12v-ws2811-led-string-with-the-neopixel-node/80100/7 "2023-08-03T09:32:02Z")

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I use a 74HCT type IC for level converting from 3.3V to 5V, f.i. 74HCT241. Cheap and standard footprint.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [17 August 2023 09:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/weird-issues-controlling-a-12v-ws2811-led-string-with-the-neopixel-node/80100/8 "2023-08-17T09:32:07Z")

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