WS2818 Pixel Protocol
Manufacturer: WorldsemiA single-wire, individually addressable 5 to 24V RGB pixel protocol with 8-bit-per-channel colour and a redundant backup data line for chain reliability.
Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Clock Type | Data-Only |
| Color Resolution | 8 Bits |
| Physical Package | SOP8 |
| RGB | Yes |
| RGBW | No |
| Output Pixel Voltage | 5 - 24V |
| PWM Rate | 2000Hz |
| Suitable Camera | Up to 67fps |
| Redundant Data Line | Yes |
Strengths
- Single-wire, self-clocking wiring: only power, ground and one data conductor per run, which keeps cabling simple and cheap versus two-wire clocked chips.
- Redundant (backup) data line means one dead pixel does not automatically break the downstream chain, improving reliability on longer installs.
- Wide 5 to 24V pixel supply range gives flexibility on run length and voltage-drop budgeting, and its 2000Hz PWM is comfortably flicker-free for video capture up to 67fps.
Limitations
- As a data-only single-wire protocol it is timing-sensitive: long leader runs, marginal signal levels or slow logic-level shifting can corrupt the bitstream, so data injection and level buffering matter on large rigs.
- Colour resolution is fixed at 8 bits per channel (24-bit RGB) with no dedicated white channel, so very smooth low-level fades and true white mixing are more limited than on RGBW or higher-bit-depth parts.
Overview
The WS2818 is a data-only, single-wire addressable RGB protocol from the WS281x family: each pixel carries an integrated driver IC that latches its 24-bit (8 bits per channel) colour word and forwards the remainder down the self-clocking data line. It runs across a 5 to 24V supply range, refreshes at a 2000Hz PWM rate that is comfortably flicker-free for cameras up to 67fps, and adds a redundant data line so a single failed pixel need not break the whole run. Packaged as SOP8, it is RGB only (no dedicated white channel). ENTTEC is not affiliated with Worldsemi.
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.