SK9822 Pixel Protocol
Manufacturer: Opsco OptoelectronicsA two-wire clocked RGB pixel with separate data and clock lines and an integrated driver IC, functionally an APA102-style chip.
Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Clock Type | Clocked |
| Color Resolution | 8 Bits |
| Physical Package | SMD5050 with integrated LEDs |
| RGB | Yes |
| RGBW | No |
| Output Pixel Voltage | 5V |
| PWM Rate | 4600Hz |
| Suitable Camera | Up to 154fps |
| Redundant Data Line | No |
Strengths
- Clocked two-wire operation gives strong timing tolerance: because data is latched against the dedicated clock line, refresh is not held hostage by tight self-clocked pulse windows, which helps on longer or electrically noisier runs.
- 8-bit-per-channel RGB in a standard SMD5050 package with integrated LEDs makes it a practical, familiar building block for strips and matrices.
- Its 4600Hz PWM rate is comfortably flicker-free and camera-safe up to 154fps, covering typical broadcast and film capture without visible banding.
Limitations
- The second (clock) conductor is a real tradeoff, not a bonus: it adds wiring and cost and introduces another joint that can fail, 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, so the SK9822's genuine timing-tolerance advantage comes at that cost and does not make clocked simply better.
- With no redundant data line, a single broken connection or dead pixel halts every pixel after it, so long runs need careful joints and power injection.
- Colour is limited to 8 bits per channel and RGB only (no white channel), so very deep dimming and pastel or tunable-white looks are constrained compared with higher-bit or RGBW parts.
Overview
The SK9822 is a two-wire clocked RGB pixel: each 5V device carries a separate data line and a separate clock line, so the receiver latches on the clock edge rather than reconstructing timing from the data stream. Built as an SMD5050 package with integrated LEDs, it drives 8-bit-per-channel colour at a 4600Hz PWM rate, which is comfortably flicker-free and safe for cameras up to 154fps. It has no redundant data line, so a broken joint stops the chain downstream. The SK9822 is commonly attributed to Opsco Optoelectronics. ENTTEC is not affiliated with Opsco Optoelectronics.
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.