The addressable LEDs we have so far, and what they actually are
“NeoPixel” is a brand, not a part. Adafruit coined it in December 2012, because “WS2812 Intelligent Control LED Integrated Light Source” is not a name anyone can sell. It stuck — and now one word covers dozens of different chips from half a dozen makers. Almost every NeoPixel is a WorldSemi WS2812B or an OPSCO SK6812.
This catalogue lists the driver ICs behind the trade names and the packages each one ships in, with timings, pinouts, clone relationships and datasheets — so you can tell a WS2812B-2020 from a SK6812MINI-E at a glance.
It is a work in progress: 230 parts and 114 protocols so far, strongest on WorldSemi and OPSCO, thin elsewhere, and not every LED by a long way. Where datasheets disagree we say so, and you should still check the datasheet before you design. How accurate is this? · What is missing
- NeoPixel WS2812B 1-wire, RGB
- NeoPixel RGBW SK6812 RGBW adds a real white die
- DotStar APA102 SPI, no timing worries
- “12 V pixels” WS2815 less voltage drop
Popular
Which chip should you pick?
One row per driver protocol that ships in a catalogued part. Tick what you need and the rest drops away.
| Protocol | Good for | Data | Colour | Supply | Backup line | PWM | Reset | FastLED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inolux PI (single-trace IC)13 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1.2 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TX181212 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| SK681210 parts | WS2812B drop-in with an RGBW sibling; datasheet generations disagree. | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1.2 kHz | 80 µslater sheet: > 200 µs | native |
| SK68058 parts | 5 mA per channel, in packages from 1.1 mm. | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| TCWIN T63 group7 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| WS2812B-V57 parts | Same part number as the WS2812B, wider timing windows, reset above 280 µs, 2 kHz PWM. | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 2 kHz | 280 µs | native |
| WS28157 parts | Long runs at 12 V, backup data line. | 1-wire | RGB | 12 V | yes | 2 kHz | 300 µslater sheet: > 280 µs | native |
| WS2812E6 parts | Same timing as the WS2812B-V5; 12.5 mA drive; 1313 to 5050. | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 2 kHz | 280 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B (12 mA, 0.25/0.47 us windows, reset 80 us)6 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1.5 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Everlight 3-channel 8-bit PWM single-wire IC5 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 50 µslater sheet: > 250 µs | unknown |
| TX18135 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | yes | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| WS2812C5 parts | 5 mA per channel; WS2812B-V5 timing. | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 2 kHz | 280 µs | via-alias |
| WS28165 parts | 16 bits per channel, 48 bits per pixel. | 1-wire | RGB · 16-bit | 5 V | yes | 10 kHz | 280 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B (5 mA, 1.2 us cycle, reset >200 us)5 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4.5 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| TX18184 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | yes | 8 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TZ18154 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| WS2812B4 parts | The default. Every tutorial assumes it; check whether your reel is V5. | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 400 Hz | 50 µs | native |
| WS28134 parts | 5 V with a backup data line. | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | yes | 2 kHz | 300 µslater sheet: > 280 µs | native |
| APA1023 parts | Busy processors and cameras (20 kHz PWM). | SPI | RGB | 5 V | no | 20 kHz | — | native |
| Beking SID single-wire IC (5 mA class)3 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| Chongtian M2 / M3 single-wire IC (0.3 / 0.9 us)3 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4.5 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| Guiguang GL01H (unnamed IC)3 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1.5 kHz | 180 µs | unknown |
| SK6812 RGBW3 parts | A real white die, fixed 3000 / 4500 / 6000 K. | 1-wire | RGBW | 5 V | no | 1.2 kHz | 80 µs | native |
| ABOC BB single-wire IC (RGB order)2 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 200 µs | unknown |
| AOP single-wire IC (high speed mode, 280 us reset)2 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 280 µs | unknown |
| Everlight one-wire RGB+IC (5V01)2 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 50 µs | — |
| Harvatek T42132 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 3.6 kHz | 200 µs | — |
| Inolux PC (clock-and-data IC)2 parts | — | SPI | RGB | 5 V | no | 1.2 kHz | — | unknown |
| Inolux PI RGBW (single-trace IC, 32 bit)2 parts | — | 1-wire | RGBW | 5 V | no | 1.2 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Lite-On embedded single-wire IC (LTST series)2 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 50 µslater sheet: > 250 µs | unknown |
| SK61122 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 20 kHz | 250 µs | unknown |
| SK98222 parts | APA102 lookalike that dims without flicker. | SPI | RGB | 5 V | no | 4.7 kHz | — | native |
| TCWIN T65 group2 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TCWIN T74 / T752 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| WL-ICLED (24-bit single wire)2 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 5 kHz | 200 µs | — |
| WL-ICLED (dual-wire)2 parts | — | SPI | RGB | 5 V | no | 20 kHz | — | — |
| Xinglight 2812B (5 mA, 0.25/0.47 us windows, reset 80 us)2 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1.5 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B (12 mA, 1.2 us cycle, reset >200 us)2 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4.5 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B through-hole 4.8/5 mm (12 mA, 0.4/0.8 us)2 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 50 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B white/yellow (3.5-7.5 V, 12 mA, 0.295/0.595 us table)2 parts | — | 1-wire | W | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Yongyu 0.3 / 0.6 single-wire IC (BRG / RGB IC series)2 parts | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| AB1002A (Nationstar dual-input)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 80 µs | unknown |
| ABOC BB-HRGB24R single-wire IC (6 mA)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 150 µs | unknown |
| ABOC HBGR32L two-wire IC (18 mA)1 part | — | SPI | RGB | 5 V | no | 20 kHz | — | unknown |
| ABOC IC-NL3C-BA two-wire IC1 part | — | SPI | RGB | 5 V | no | — | — | unknown |
| Amicc SC5050A-B01 (backup input)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | yes | — | 280 µs | unknown |
| Amicc SC5050A-B021 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 80 µs | unknown |
| AOP single-wire IC with advance function mode1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 250 µs | unknown |
| APA102C1 part | APA102 drop-in. | SPI | RGB | 5 V | no | 20 kHz | — | via-alias |
| APA1041 part | WS2812B workalike; reset differs. | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 280 µs | via-alias |
| APA1061 part | 5 mm through-hole workalike; usually RGB order. | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 280 µs | via-alias |
| Beking 12 mA single-wire IC (1615)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Chongtian MX3 single-wire IC (0.295 / 0.595 us)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4.5 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Chongtian PT (4020 RGBIC) single-wire IC1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 80 µs | unknown |
| Guiguang GL2121 (unnamed IC)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1.5 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| H-Great P36 two-wire IC (15 MHz)1 part | — | SPI | RGB | 5 V | no | — | — | unknown |
| HD107S1 part | Faster APA102-style; vendor-claimed specs. | SPI | RGB | 5 V | no | — | — | native |
| HD1081 part | 16 bits per channel for smooth fades. | SPI | RGB · 16-bit | 5 V | no | — | — | native |
| Inolux PI dual-signal (single-trace IC with BIN)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | yes | 1.2 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Kingbright AAAF5050 RGB+IC1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1 kHz | 200 µs | — |
| Meihua MHP1515 IC (unnamed)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| Meihua MHP5050 IC (unnamed)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 80 µs | unknown |
| Nationstar FC-RGBC3228 IC (unnamed)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4.5 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| Nationstar FC-RGBC4020 IC (unnamed)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| Nationstar TBA-C1010 IC (16-bit, unnamed)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB · 16-bit | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| OSP (Open System Protocol)1 part | — | Bus | RGB | 5 V | no | — | — | — |
| PG12881 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1.2 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| PL98231 part | 5 mm through-hole; own FastLED chipset. | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 0 µs | native |
| SK6812HV1 part | 12 V single-wire SK6812, no backup line. | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| TCWIN T621 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TCWIN T641 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TCWIN T691 part | — | 1-wire | RGBW | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TCWIN T781 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TCWIN T801 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TONYU 61121 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1.2 kHz | 250 µs | unknown |
| TONYU 68051 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1.2 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TONYU 6812 (TR2)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| TONYU 6812F1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1.2 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TONYU 98221 part | — | SPI | RGB | 5 V | no | 4.6 kHz | — | unknown |
| TUOZHAN P4-1615 IC (unspecified)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | — | no | — | — | unknown |
| TUOZHAN SID (H1010)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TX1812CLL (RGBW)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGBW | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TX1812CXU1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4.5 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| TX18161 part | — | 1-wire | RGB · 16-bit | 5 V | yes | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| TZ28121 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| WL-ICLED (48-bit, bypass pin)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB · 12-bit | 5 V | yes | 600 Hz | 50 µs | — |
| WL-ICLED (PLCC4 5050 timing)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 2.5 kHz | 200 µs | — |
| WS2812D-V61 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 2 kHz | 280 µs | generic |
| WS2812S1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 2 kHz | 280 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B (5 V, 12 mA, 0.295/0.595 us table)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B 12 V 3535 (10.8-13.2 V, 9 mA)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B 2121 (3.0-5.5 V, 12 mA, 0.25/0.3 us)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1.5 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B RGBW 12 V 3535 (9-14 V, 8 mA, 6-pin)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGBW | 5 V | no | 8 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B RGBW 3535 (5 V, 5 mA, 6-pin)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGBW | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B yellow/white 12 V 5050 (9-14 V, 8.5 mA)1 part | — | 1-wire | W | 5 V | no | — | 200 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B-S 1010 (5 mA, 0.3/0.6 us minima, reset 80 us)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 1 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 2812B-T 3535 (4.0-5.5 V, 12 mA, slow-bit timing)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | — | 150 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight 5050 UWC white (5 V, 3 x 12 mA, 0.25/0.47 us windows)1 part | — | 1-wire | W | 5 V | no | 1.5 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight IC-01W (RGBW 5050, 32-bit)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGBW | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight SK6812B 12 V 5050 (9-14 V, 8.5 mA, BIN)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | yes | 8 kHz | 200 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight SK6812B with BIN input (3.5-7.5 V, 12 mA)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | yes | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight SK6812B with FDIN input (5 mA, 0.25/0.47 us windows)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | yes | 1.5 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
| Xinglight XS2812B 3535 (12 mA, 0.3/0.6 us typ, PWM 3-5 kHz)1 part | — | 1-wire | RGB | 5 V | no | 4 kHz | 80 µs | unknown |
Showing the 12 used in the most parts.
Reset is the preferred timing set (the first datasheet set, where we have one); where a later datasheet disagrees, its figure is shown beneath. PWM is the datasheet or commonly quoted figure; where it is blank, none has been verified. The SK6812 PWM is 1.2 kHz in the 2015 sheet and 1.0 kHz in the current one, and the APA102 and SK9822 figures come from a teardown rather than a datasheet we hold (the OPSCO SK9822 sheets say 27 kHz).
376 variants across 230 parts
| Known as | Face / lens | Supply | Datasheet | Angle | Bit period | Reset | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
T621 | |||||||||||||||||
T631 | |||||||||||||||||
T641 | |||||||||||||||||
T651 | |||||||||||||||||
T661 | |||||||||||||||||
T671 | |||||||||||||||||
T681 | |||||||||||||||||
T691 | |||||||||||||||||
T711 | |||||||||||||||||
T731 | |||||||||||||||||
T741 | |||||||||||||||||
T751 | |||||||||||||||||
T761 | |||||||||||||||||
T771 | |||||||||||||||||
T781 | |||||||||||||||||
T801 | |||||||||||||||||
WS2812B10 | |||||||||||||||||
WS281311 | |||||||||||||||||
Nothing matches that. The catalogue is deliberately narrow for now — strips aren’t modelled yet, and a few families are still stubs.
Take the data: data.json · data.csv. Every row links its sources — and if one of them is wrong, please tell us.
By manufacturer
Who makes the silicon. Adafruit and the resellers are not die makers. The 12 with the most parts are below.
- TCWIN
- WorldSemi
- Xinglight
- OPSCO Optoelectronics
- Inolux Corporation
- TUOZHAN
- APA Electronic
- Everlight Electronics
- Wurth Elektronik
- American Bright Optoelectronics
- Chongtian
- TONYU
All 29 makers
- TCWIN 40
- WorldSemi 40
- Xinglight 33
- OPSCO Optoelectronics 26
- Inolux Corporation 17
- TUOZHAN 7
- APA Electronic 6
- Everlight Electronics 6
- Wurth Elektronik 6
- American Bright Optoelectronics 5
- Chongtian 5
- TONYU 5
- Beking Optoelectronics 4
- Guiguang Light 4
- Nationstar 4
- American Opto Plus LED 3
- Amicc 2
- Dongguan Shiji Lighting 2
- Harvatek 2
- Lite-On 2
- MEIHUA 2
- Yongyu Photoelectric 2
- ams OSRAM 1
- Bright LED Electronics Corp. 1
- H-Great 1
- Honglitronic 1
- Kingbright 1
- Lumex 1
- Shenzhen LED Color Opto Electronic 1
From the blog
All posts →-
Every addressable LED package, from 5050 down to 1111 (and the through-hole ones)
A package name is a nominal size, not a footprint. A tour of the package names in the catalogue, from 5050 down to 1.1 mm and the through-hole domes, and where one name hides different pinouts and drive currents.
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WS2812B vs SK6812 vs APA102: which addressable LED should you use?
Three chips cover almost every project. Here is what actually differs between them, in numbers from the datasheets, and a short rule for choosing.
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Why your new WS2812B reel flickers: the V5 and the 280 µs reset
A reel of the same part number behaves differently from the old one. The cause is usually a silicon revision with a longer reset period, and the fix is a few lines of code.
If you only know the word “NeoPixel”
NeoPixel
Adafruit’s trade name for individually addressable RGB LEDs with the driver built into the package, coined in December 2012 as a sellable alternative to WorldSemi’s “WS2812 Intelligent Control LED Integrated Light Source”. Adafruit did not make the silicon - they popularised it, wrote the library and the guides, and the name stuck to the whole category. It is a brand, not a part: almost every “NeoPixel” is a WorldSemi WS2812B or an OPSCO SK6812.
ws2812bDotStar
Adafruit’s trade name for the APA102 family. Unlike NeoPixels these use a separate clock line, so they refresh far faster and do not care about precise timing — which makes them the sane choice on a busy processor or for persistence-of-vision work.
apa1021-wire
A single data line carrying self-clocking pulses, where a bit is encoded as the ratio of high time to low time. Cheap — one pin, three wires total — but the driver must hit sub-microsecond timings, so interrupts can corrupt a frame. WS2812 and SK6812 work this way.
SPI
Separate data and clock lines. Because the clock is explicit, timing is no longer critical and refresh rates are much higher. Costs one more pin and one more conductor along the strip. APA102, SK9822 and HD107S work this way.
RGBW
A fourth, dedicated white die alongside red, green and blue. Mixed white from RGB is greenish and wastes power; a real white die is cleaner and brighter. Sold in warm (~3000 K), neutral (~4500 K) and cool (~6000 K) flavours, and you must pick one at purchase.
white temperature
The colour of the white die in an RGBW part, in kelvin. Lower is warmer and yellower, higher is cooler and bluer. It is a physical property of the die, so it cannot be changed in software.
reset time
The low period that tells a strip “the frame is over, latch it”. Get it wrong and the strip either never updates or shifts colours down the line. This is the single most common source of “my new LEDs flicker” — later WS2812B silicon (V5) extended the required reset from ~50 us to ~280 us, so code written for older parts can glitch on newer ones.
silicon revision
The same part number can ship with different dies over time. WS2812B-V5 is the clearest case: same package and pinout, but a longer reset period and a higher PWM frequency. This catalogue treats a revision that changes timing as its own protocol, so the difference is visible rather than buried.
package
The physical body, named for its nominal size in tenths of a millimetre: a 5050 is about 5.0 x 5.0 mm, a 3535 about 3.5 x 3.5 mm, a 2020 about 2.0 x 2.0 mm. The real outline often differs a little (the WS2812B 5050 is 5.4 x 5.0 mm with its pads, the WS2812B 2020 is 2.2 x 2.0 mm). Smaller packages mean denser strips and less heat per LED, but finer soldering.
face colour
The plastic housing around the die, usually white or black. Purely cosmetic when lit; black faces look better when off and give more apparent contrast, and usually cost a little more.
side-emitting
A package that throws light out of its edge rather than its top, for edge-lighting a diffuser or lighting along a surface. The 4020 is the common side-view addressable package.
reverse mount
A part designed to be soldered to the back of a board and shine through a hole in it. The catalogue treats the SK6812MINI-E as the reverse-mount sibling of the SK6812MINI; it is a different 3.2 x 2.8 mm package with a different pin order (1 GND, 2 DIN, 3 VDD, 4 DOUT against the MINI’s 1 DIN, 2 VDD, 3 DOUT, 4 GND), so the two are not footprint-interchangeable.
clone
These parts are copied constantly. Some clones are genuinely drop-in; others advertise compatibility but differ in ways that bite — the SK9822 looks like an APA102 but handles global brightness and end frames differently. This catalogue records how strong each compatibility claim is, with the caveats attached.
backup data line
A second data input so that one failed LED does not kill the rest of the strip. WS2813 and WS2815 have it; WS2812B does not. Worth having in a long or permanently-installed run.
cutting point
The marked pad between LEDs on a strip where it can be cut and rejoined. Not modelled in this catalogue yet — strips are out of scope for now.
Questions people actually ask
Is a NeoPixel the same thing as a WS2812B?
Usually, but not by definition. NeoPixel is Adafruit’s brand name, not a part number. Almost every NeoPixel is a WorldSemi WS2812B or an OPSCO SK6812, and the part number on the reel is the thing to check.
Why does my new reel of WS2812B flicker when the old one did not?
It may be a WS2812B-V5 or later, a silicon revision sold under the same part number. WorldSemi’s V5, V6 and V7 datasheets all require a reset above 280 µs, against 50 µs in the older WS2812B sheet, so code that leaves only 50 µs between frames can glitch. Read the full explanation.
Can I drive an SK6812 with WS2812B code?
Yes for the RGB 5050 version: the pad positions match and the bit timings overlap, so WS2812B code usually works. Check the gap between frames, though. The SK6812 sheets ask for 80 µs (2015) or more than 200 µs (2025), longer than the old WS2812B sheet’s 50 µs, and the two SK6812 datasheet generations disagree with each other. The RGBW version is different, because each pixel takes 32 bits instead of 24, so an RGB driver shifts colours down the strip.
Should I choose the WS2812B or the APA102?
The APA102 has a separate clock, so timing does not matter, and its PWM is about 20 kHz (a teardown figure; the datasheet we hold states none), at the cost of a second wire and six pins instead of four. The WS2812B is the default every library and tutorial assumes, and the V5 and later sheets state a 2 kHz PWM, so the camera-flicker gap is smaller than it was with the 400 Hz original. We compare them in detail.
What is the difference between the SK6812MINI and the SK6812MINI-E?
Same protocol, different package and pin order. The MINI is 3.7 x 3.5 mm with pins 1 DIN, 2 VDD, 3 DOUT, 4 GND; the MINI-E is 3.2 x 2.8 mm with pins 1 GND, 2 DIN, 3 VDD, 4 DOUT, and is catalogued as the reverse-mount version. A board laid out for one will not take the other.
Which part suits a long run on 12 V?
The WS2815 runs at 12 V, which means far less voltage drop over a long run, and the 6-pin versions have a backup data line so one dead LED does not blank the rest. The 4-pin WS2815 variants drop that backup input. The SK6812HV is OPSCO’s 12 V single-wire part, also without a backup line.
Are the dates release dates?
No. Nobody announces these parts, so the catalogue records dating evidence: a datasheet revision, a first library commit, a dated listing. Library support only proves a part existed by that date, and every date carries a confidence marker.
Where does the data come from, and can I reuse it?
Specifications come from manufacturer datasheets where they could be verified and are left blank where they could not. Where two datasheet generations disagree, both are recorded. Timings labelled FastLED are driver-tuned values, not datasheet figures. The whole dataset is published as data.json and data.csv; if something is wrong, tell us.