DM412 Pixel Protocol
The DM412 is a two-wire clocked RGB/RGBW pixel driver IC in a SOP16 package, delivering 16-bit per channel colour depth at a 5V pixel supply.
Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Clock Type | Clocked |
| Color Resolution | 16 Bits |
| Physical Package | SOP16 |
| RGB | Yes |
| RGBW | Yes |
| Output Pixel Voltage | 5V |
| Redundant Data Line | No |
Strengths
- 16-bit per channel PWM resolution gives fine tonal gradation and smoother low-end dimming than 8-bit single-wire parts, useful for subtle gradients and slow fades.
- The clocked two-wire interface separates data from clock, relaxing timing tolerance and making the signal less sensitive to data-rate jitter and cable-length variation than a single self-clocking line.
- Flexible LED support: the row lists both RGB and RGBW configurations at a 5V pixel voltage, driving external LEDs from a standard SOP16 driver IC.
Limitations
- The second (clock) conductor is a real tradeoff, not a free upgrade: it adds wiring and cost and another point of failure, and a high-frequency clock line radiates EMI that can cause interference in sensitive installations. The market is trending toward data-only single-wire chips to avoid both; the timing tolerance is genuine but comes at that cost, so clocked is not simply 'better'.
- Redundant Data Line is 'No', so there is no backup data path: a single broken joint or dead driver silences every pixel downstream of it. Plan for injection and repair points on long runs.
- The row lists no PWM Rate and no Suitable Camera rating, so flicker-free performance at a given camera frame rate cannot be confirmed from these specs. For on-camera or high-speed capture work, validate a sample at the target frame rate rather than assuming it is camera-safe.
Overview
The DM412 is a two-wire clocked LED pixel driver: it takes a separate data line and a dedicated clock line rather than one self-clocking signal, so it is not a WS2812-style single-wire part despite older reference copy that described it that way. Supplied in a 16-pin SOP16 package, it drives external RGB or RGBW LEDs at a 5V pixel supply with 16-bit per channel PWM resolution, allowing fine gradation across the dimming curve. The dedicated clock relaxes data-timing tolerance relative to single-wire chips, at the cost of an extra conductor. It carries no redundant data line, so a broken link breaks the chain downstream of the fault.
Mapping an installation? ELM, ENTTEC's free LED pixel mapping software, drives the controllers above over Art-Net and sACN, from a single fixture to building-scale maps.
ENTTEC has been engineering lighting control in Australia since 1999, and shipping LED pixel controllers since the original Pixelator in 2014.