SK9822

5050 · smd · SK9822 · OPSCO Optoelectronics

Also sold as SK9822 5050, APA102 clone

Channels
RGB
Wires
SPI
Dimensions
5.0 × 5.0 × 1.7 mm
Pins
6
Max current
60 mA
Supply
4.5–5.5 V

Sold as an APA102 equivalent and usually substituted for one without comment. It is close, but see the protocol page: global brightness works differently (a real current source, so no flicker when dimmed), PWM is 4.7 kHz rather than 20 kHz, and end-frame handling differs.

Variants

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

Order codeFaceLensWhite PinsSiliconStatusFirst seenDatasheet
SK9822 white clear 6 active unknown
SK9822-B black clear 6 active unknown

Pinout

SK9822SK9822-B
top view1. VDDPWR2. CICLK3. DIIN4. VSSGND5. DOOUT6. COCO
  1. 1 VDD power
  2. 2 CI clock in
  3. 3 DI data in
  4. 4 VSS ground
  5. 5 DO data out
  6. 6 CO clock out

Protocol — SK9822

Timings shown from datasheet.

Compatibility

  • near clone APA102

    Widely sold as an APA102 equivalent and usually works, but it is not a drop-in. Global brightness is a controlled current source rather than superimposed PWM, so it does not flicker when dimmed. PWM is 4.7 kHz against 20 kHz. The update is non-staggered, and end-frame handling differs - a driver that relies on the APA102's end-frame behaviour can misbehave. source ↗

  • near clone of this APA102

    Frequently sold as interchangeable and usually works, but the SK9822 implements global brightness as a real current source rather than superimposed PWM, runs a lower PWM frequency, updates non-staggered, and differs in end-frame handling. Not reliably drop-in.

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.

  • 2016-04-21 first library support FastLED — first commit introducing SK9822 day
  • 2016-12-13 first documented cpldcpu, 'SK9822 - a clone of the APA102?' - written after APA102 buyers started receiving SK9822 parts, so it was already substituting in the supply chain by then day