WS2812B-V5
1-wire RGB · WorldSemi · ws281x · revision of WS2812B
- Channels
- RGB
- Bits / channel
- 8
- Supply
- 3.5–5.5 V
- PWM
- 2 kHz
- Backup data
- no
- Packages
- 0
A silicon revision of the WS2812B, modelled here as its own protocol rather than a footnote because it changes timing. Same part number on the reel, same footprint, different behaviour - which is exactly the kind of thing this catalogue exists to make visible.
Refresh & flicker
Higher PWM frequency than pre-V5 silicon, so noticeably less flicker on camera. The exact figure is commonly quoted as ~2 kHz but is not stated in a datasheet this catalogue has verified - see DATA-QUALITY.md.
Timing
| Source | T0H | T0L | T1H | T1L | Period | Rate | Reset | ± |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fastled ↗ | 225 ns | 1000 ns | 580 ns | 645 ns | 1225 ns | 816 kHz | 280 µs | — |
| FastLED carries a dedicated V5 entry because the timings genuinely differ from earlier silicon. | ||||||||
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 package, pinout and command set, but the reset/latch period is extended to roughly 280 us. Code written against the old 50 us figure can glitch. This is the most common cause of "my new reel of the same part flickers". source ↗
Library support
- FastLED
WS2812B_V5↗- Adafruit_NeoPixel
NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800- WLED
WS281x
FastLED exposes this as a distinct chipset. Adafruit_NeoPixel does not distinguish it, relying on its own conservative latch period.
Parts using this protocol
No package is catalogued for this protocol yet — it is seeded for family completeness, or it is a driver IC that drives external LEDs rather than shipping as an integrated package.
Dating evidence
Evidence, not a release date. A library commit proves the part existed by that date and says nothing about how long before.
- 2024-08-31 first library support FastLED — first commit introducing WS2812B-V5 ↗ day