addressable.wiki

SK6812

5050 · smd · SK6812 · OPSCO Optoelectronics

Also sold as NeoPixel, SK6812 5050

Channels
RGB
Wires
1-wire
Dimensions
5.0 × 5.0 × 1.6 mm
Pins
4
Max current
60 mA
Supply
3.7–5.5 V

Pin- and footprint-compatible with the WS2812B in 5050, and generally the better part: higher PWM frequency, wider supply range, shorter reset. If you are choosing between them for a new design, this is usually the one.

Variants

One row per orderable SKU. Everything not listed is inherited from the part above.

Order codeFaceLensWhite PinsSiliconStatusFirst seenDatasheet
SK6812 white clear — 4 — active unknown 02
SK6812-B black clear — 4 — active unknown 02
Black housing; identical die and pinout.

Pinout

SK6812SK6812-B
top view1. VDDPWR2. DOUTOUT3. VSSGND4. DININ
  1. 1 VDD power
  2. 2 DOUT data out
  3. 3 VSS ground
  4. 4 DIN data in

Protocol — SK6812

Timings shown from datasheet. Other sources disagree; see the protocol page.

hilo012002400T0H 300nsT1H 600ns0 bit1 bit
T0H 300 / T0L 900 · T1H 600 / T1L 600 · period 1200 ns · reset 80 µs source: datasheet

Compatibility

  • drop in WS2812B

    Timings overlap enough that WS2812B code drives it without changes, and the 5050 footprint and pinout match. The differences that matter are better PWM frequency and a shorter required reset. source ↗

  • protocol compatible of this SK6812 RGBW

    Identical timing, but four channels rather than three. Driving it with an RGB library shifts colours down the strip, because every pixel consumes one extra byte.

  • electrically similar of this SK6822

    Same family and single-wire scheme, but a 1750 ns bit period against the SK6812's 1200 ns. Not interchangeable at the same timings.

Dating evidence

Nobody announces these parts, so this records what we can actually cite rather than a release date. Library support proves only that the part existed by that date.

  • 2015-07-08 datasheet revision OPSCO SK6812 specification rev. 02, dated on its cover page ↗ day
  • 2015-10-02 first library support FastLED — first commit introducing SK6812 ↗ day
  • 2018-01-10 first library support WLED — first commit introducing SK6812 ↗ day

Where to buy

Stub data — a few rows so purchase links can grow later. Prices are not tracked.