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5.0 × 5.0 mm 6 pins top-emitting

SK9822

5050 · smd · SK9822 · OPSCO Optoelectronics

SPI RGB 4–5.3 V active

Also sold as SK9822 5050, APA102 clone

At a glance

Colour
RGB8 bits per channel
Data
SPIclock + data, timing-tolerant
Supply ≠
4–5.3 Vno backup data line
Size
5.0 × 5.0 × 1.6 mm6 pins · top
Max current
—per-channel not recorded
PWM ≠
4.7 kHzno reset period
Library support
FastLED WLED Adafruit

Datasheets disagree

The sources we hold state different values for the facts below. Rather than pick one quietly, both sides are listed with where each was read. Check the datasheet for the exact part number and revision you are buying. How this is shown.

Protocol SK9822

PWM frequency

OPSCO’s own sheets give 27 kHz and 1.2 kHz; the best-known third-party analysis gives 4.7 kHz.

What each source says about pwm frequency
SourceSaysPage
cpldcpu, SK9822 teardown (2016) 4.7 kHz —
sk9822-001 27 kHz (SK9822-001) 6
sk9822-a-000 27 kHz (SK9822-A-000) 6
sk9822-ec20-000 1.2 kHz (SK9822-EC20-000) 6
LCSC parametric table, SK9822-EC20 4 kHz —

What we show. 4.7 kHz (the teardown) is shown. The sheets may describe different silicon generations, or contain errors; only a scope settles it.

Colour order

The sheets do not agree on the order the three colours are lit or sent, and one disagrees with itself.

What each source says about colour order
SourceSaysPage
sk9822-001 output structure BGR 7
sk9822-a-000 output structure RBG 7
sk9822-ec20-000 output structure RBG (p7) and GRB (p8) 7

What we show. Not changed in the data. Test on hardware before committing to a colour order in firmware.

Supply voltage

Only one of three sheets gives a minimum supply voltage.

What each source says about supply voltage
SourceSaysPage
sk9822-001 VDD 4.0 / 5.0 / 5.3 V (min / typ / max) 6
sk9822-a-000 VDD typ 5.0, max 5.3 V, no minimum 6
sk9822-ec20-000 VDD typ 5.0, max 5.3 V, no minimum 6

What we show. 4.0 to 5.3 V is shown, the only sheet that states a minimum. Earlier versions showed 4.5 to 5.5 V, which none of the sheets state.

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.

Datasheet cross-check (2026-10-15, OPSCO SK9822-001 and SK9822-A-000): body 5.0 x 5.0 mm, 1.6 mm high, 5.4 mm across the pads, three pads on each of two opposite sides at 1.6 mm pitch. Datasheet PWM frequency is 27 kHz for both, which contradicts the 4.7 kHz measured on early SK9822 parts by cpldcpu (see the sk9822 protocol page); the two SK9822 datasheets also differ on current (17 vs 18 mA) and maximum clock (15 vs 30 MHz), so part-level current is left null and carried per variant. The SK9822 data frame is blue, green, red - the sheet’s own wording for -001 - whereas SK9822-A-000 lists red, blue, green; see the variant notes.

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 B/1B/0
SK9822-B black clear — 6 — active unknown B/1B/0
SK9822-001 white diffused — 6 — active 2025-08-13 B/1B/0
Sold on LCSC simply as “SK9822” (C2829089), filed under LED Drivers rather than LEDs. Datasheet: translucent lens, 120 degrees, 17 mA per channel (max 3 x 17 = 51 mA at full scale), 4.0-5.3 V, maximum clock 15 MHz, 27 kHz PWM, MSL 5a, ESD 2 kV, -40 to +80 degC. Data frame order given as blue, green, red after the 3-bit 111 marker and 5-bit global brightness. The catalogue’s lens enum has no translucent value; diffused is the nearest.
SK9822-A white diffused — 6 — active 2024-04-07 B/1B/0
Datasheet SK9822-A-000: 18 mA per channel (max 3 x 18 = 54 mA), maximum clock 30 MHz, 27 kHz PWM, -40 to +85 degC, translucent lens, 120 degrees. Page 7 of the sheet lists the data order as red, blue, green and the output structure as “RBG sequential lighting” - unlike -001, which says BGR. Neither has been checked on hardware; verify colour order on a real part before relying on it.

Pinout

SK9822SK9822-BSK9822-001SK9822-A
SK9822 5050 package, top and side viewPin 1 is ringed. pin 1 SDI (data in), pin 2 CKI (clock in), pin 3 GND (ground), pin 4 VDD (power), pin 5 CKO (clock out), pin 6 SDO (data out).11 SDIdata in22 CKIclock in33 GNDground44 VDDpower55 CKOclock out66 SDOdata out5.4 mm overall5.0 mmtop view1.6 mmside view
  • Data
  • Clock
  • Ground
  • Power
  • Pin 1
  • Cut corner

Outline and pin positions checked against the manufacturer datasheet (OPSCO SK9822-001 / SK9822-A-000 p4-5). Pin 1 (SDI) sits at the cut corner. What this means.

  1. 1 SDI data in
  2. 2 CKI clock in
  3. 3 GND ground
  4. 4 VDD power
  5. 5 CKO clock out
  6. 6 SDO data out

Protocol — SK9822

This is an SPI part: the clock is explicit, so there is no fixed bit period. The frame layout is shown below.

SK9822 SPI frameSK9822 clocked frame: start frame, one 32-bit LED frame per pixel with brightness and colour bytes, and an end frame, plus data and clock waveforms1 · Frame stream (data clocked on CLK)Start frame32 × 0LED 132 bitsLED 232 bits…LED N32 bitsEnd frameclock ≥ N/2 edgeseach LED forwards what it does not keep on DO / CO2 · One LED frame: 32 bits, MSB first111brightB 8G 8R 83 marker bits (111), 5-bit global brightness 0–31, then 8-bit channels3 · DATA and CLK, first 8 bits of an LED frameDATACLK11110010111 markerbrightness bits 4..0data changes while CLK is low,LED samples on the rising edgeno fixed bit period: clock rateis set by the host
Frame layout: APA102-family 32-bit LED frames convention, see the protocol notes for end-frame differences

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.

  • electrically similar of this TONYU 9822

    Inferred from the part code and the frame diagram only; the TONYU sheet never names OPSCO, SK9822 or APA102. The 32-bit frames (start 32 zero bits, 111 + 5-bit brightness + three colour bytes, end 32 one bits) and the five-bit global brightness are the APA102 / SK9822 layout, with a different colour order (G, R, B here; OPSCO's SK9822 sheets print B, G, R or R, B, G) and a pin order of SDI, CKI, GND, VCC, CKO, SDO that matches OPSCO's SK9822 by position. PWM 4.6 kHz is close to the 4.7 kHz measured on SK9822 by cpldcpu. The 16-bit gray scale in the sheet's text is NOT supported by its own frame diagram (see the notes).

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
  • 2024-04-07 datasheet revision OPSCO SK9822-A-000 specification, version B/0, sending date ↗ day
  • 2025-08-13 datasheet revision OPSCO SK9822-001 specification, version B/1, sending date ↗ day

Where to buy

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

Similar parts

Same protocol or package first, then the same data scheme and colour channels.

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