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APA104

1-wire RGB · APA Electronic · ws281x · clone of WS2812B

Channels
RGB
Bits / channel
8
Supply
4–5.5 V
PWM
—
Backup data
no
Packages
1

APA’s WS2812B-compatible single-wire part. Turns up unannounced in cheap strip sold as “WS2812B”, which is a good illustration of why this catalogue models clone relationships explicitly.

Timing

APA104 bit timingAPA104 bit timing: a zero bit is 250 nanoseconds high then 1000 low; a one bit is 875 high then 375 low; reset 280 microseconds low1 · Bit encoding, to scaleDINhighlowbit 0 period 1250 nsbit 1 period 1250 nsT0H 250 nsT1H 875 nsT0L 1000 nsT1L 375 ns"0" bit"1" bit02505007501000125015001750200022502500time, ns2 · One frame: 24 bits, most-significant bit firstDIN170110010007100110101700101100bitG · 8 bitsR · 8 bitsB · 8 bitsWire order GRB · frame = 24 × ~1250 ns ≈ 30 µs · example data, first bits 1 0 1 …3 · RESET / latchlast bits of frame 1first bits of frame 2LEDs latch the data they receivedRESET: DIN low ≥ 280 µs (not to scale)4 · Cascade: each DOUT feeds the next DINMCULED 1DINDOUTLED 2DINDOUTLED NDINDOUTLED 1 keeps the first 24 bits, re-shapes the signal and sends the rest out on DOUT;LED 2 keeps the next 24, and so on. The last LED's DOUT is left unconnected.
T0H 250 / T0L 1000 · T1H 875 / T1L 375 ns · period 1250 ns · reset 280 µs source: fastled (driver-tuned, not the datasheet)
SourceT0HT0LT1HT1LPeriodRateReset±
fastled ↗ 250 ns 1000 ns 875 ns 375 ns 1250 ns 800 kHz 280 µs —
The APA104 datasheet specifies a longer reset than the WS2812B - commonly quoted at 24 us minimum but with a much longer safe value in practice. Not independently verified here.

Clones & compatibility

“Compatible” is never stated bare here — each relationship carries how strong the claim is, and what bites if you assume too much.

  • near clone WS2812B

    Same single-wire 800 kHz scheme and the same 5050 footprint, and every library drives it as a WS2812. Reset requirements differ, so a marginal driver that works on one may not work on the other.

  • near clone of this WS2812B

    Same 800 kHz single-wire signalling, but the APA104 inverts nothing and differs in reset requirements; usually interchangeable in practice.

Library support

FastLED
WS2812 ↗
Adafruit_NeoPixel
NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800
WLED
WS281x

Parts using this protocol