At a glance
- Colour
- RGB8 bits per channel
- Data
- 1-wiretimed pulses on one line
- Supply ≠
- 3.7–5.3 Vno backup data line
- Size
- 2.2 × 2.0 × 1.1 mm4 pins · top
- Max current
- 15 mA5 mA per channel
- PWM
- 2 kHzreset 280 µs
- 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 WS2812C
Supply voltage
V6 sheets state a lower minimum supply than the earlier WS2812C sheets.
| Source | Says | Page |
|---|---|---|
| ws2812c-c114587 | VDD +3.7 to +5.3 V | 2 |
| ws2812c-v6-c55109521 | VDD +3.3 to +5.3 V | 2 |
What we show. 3.7 V is shown, the safer minimum.
The WS2812C in the 2020 package: same half-moon pad pinout and drawing as the WS2812B-2020, but 5 mA per channel, so noticeably dimmer. The sheet says V1 is an upgrade of “the original WS2812C-2020”, so an earlier non-V1 version existed; this catalogue has no data on it. The earlier pin order (VDD, DOUT, VSS, DIN) recorded here was wrong for this package.
Variants
One row per orderable SKU. Everything not listed is inherited from the part above.
| Order code | Face | Lens | White | Pins | Silicon | Status | First seen | Datasheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WS2812C-2020-V1 | — | — | — | 4 | V1 | active | 2021-06-24 | |
| Stock 0 when checked. The sheet says V1 upgrades an earlier WS2812C-2020; that earlier version is not documented here. | ||||||||
| WS2812C-2020-V6 | — | — | — | 4 | V6 | active | 2021-06-24 | PDFPDF |
| V6: 3.3-5.3 V supply, bidirectional. V6 and later WorldSemi sheets state that DIN and DOUT may be swapped: the part takes data on either port and forwards it out of the other, so it has no fixed direction. | ||||||||
| WS2812C-2020-V6/W | — | — | — | 4 | V6 | active | 2021-06-24 | PDFPDF ↗ |
| Same sheet content as -V6; stock 0 when checked. | ||||||||
Pinout
- Data
- Ground
- Power
- Pin 1
- Polarity bar
Outline and pin positions checked against the manufacturer datasheet (WS2812C-2020 sheet (same drawing as WS2812B-2020)). Half-moon pads; the polarity mark is printed on the back. What this means.
- 1 DO data out
- 2 GND ground
- 3 DI data in
- 4 VDD power
Protocol — WS2812C
Timings shown from datasheet. Other sources disagree; see the protocol page.
Compatibility
-
drop in
WS2812B
Sold as fully compatible with the WS2812B and driven identically by every library; the difference is packaging and cost, not signalling.
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.
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.
Was this page useful?
0 people found this useful