Today we're announcing our own Cool Components LED range, we have been working hard to get the best possible LED Strips, Bars and Matrices at some amazing prices for you. By working with some of the worlds leading LED manufacturers we've ensured the highest standards of quality, as well as keeping the majority of the new range compatible with either the NeoPixel or DotStar libraries - so you'll get them up and glowing as quickly as ever.
NeoPixel vs DotStar
We chose to stock LED Strips that are compatible with the most common libraries, these are the DotStar and NeoPixel libraries developed by Adafruit. But which type is best for you? Well there's a couple of factors that'll determine which one you should choose and we'll try our best to outline the pros and cons of both.
DotStar:
- Very fast data and PWM transmission rates making them great for PoV (Persistence-of-Vision) effects
- Compatible with a wide range of devices as there's no strict data timing requirements
- Needs two control pins
- Works with Servo libraries allowing interrupts etc
NeoPixel:
- Usually cheaper than their DotStar counterparts
- Require a stable 800kHz data rate limiting the devices it can be used with
- Only needs a single control signal
- Available in a wide range of form factors, from Rings to Matrices
The LEDs...
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LED Strips: These 1m long LED strips are flexible and great for attaching to surfaces. We've got plenty for you to choose from: NeoPixel:
DotStar: |
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Side Lights: The NeoPixel Side Light Strips are perfect for adding vibrant, glowing light at a 90 degrees angle into your life! They're super slim and ideal for use in accent lighting, back lighting, edge lighting and much more! We've got them in 1m lengths with a range of different LED densities! There's a 60, 90 and 144 LEDs per meter versions. |
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LED Matrix: These are great for displaying scrolling text, animations and other lighting effects. We've got a selection of different LED Matrices in various sizes, some rigid and others flexible.
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LED Bars: We've got two different types of LED Bars, the first is a rigid PCB strip. We've got a 0.5m Side Light NeoPixel version which is great for edge lighting under desks or behind surfaces. The Ultra High Density DotStar is emits The second is the 75mm Bars that come in a strings of 20 segments, each segment contains 3 RGB LEDs. These bars are perfect for mounting to walls and surfaces due to each segment having two mounting screw holes. |
Don't worry if you're not quite sure how to get started don't worry we'll be releasing a series of guides aimed at getting setup and started with both NeoPixel and DotStar LED products. If you've got any more questions about our LED range or anything else please don't hesitate to contact us and we'll do our best to help you as much as possible.