# Source: https://learn.adafruit.com/rgb-led-strips.md

# RGB LED Strips

## Overview

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adafruit/5162826878/

We love some good LED blinking as much as the next person but after years of LED-soldering we need something cooler to get us excited. Sure there are RGB LEDs and those are fun too but what comes after that? Well, we have the answer: **LED Strips**! These are _flexible_ circuit boards with full color LEDs soldered on. They take a lot of LED-wiring-drudgery out of decorating a room, car, bicycle, costume, etc. The ones we carry are also waterproof (although not all are).  
  
There are two basic kinds of LED strips, the "analog" kind and "digital" kind. Analog-type strips have all the LEDs connected in parallel and so it acts like one huge tri-color LED; you can set the **entire** strip to any color you want, but you can't control the individual LED's colors. They are very very easy to use and fairly inexpensive.  
  
The Digital-type strips work in a different way. They have a chip for each LED, to use the strip you have to send digitally coded data to the chips. However, this means you can control each LED individually! Because of the extra complexity of the chip, they are more expensive.  
  
**[You can buy waterproof analog-type RGB LED strips by the meter at the Adafruit shop!](http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37&products_id=285 "Link: http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main\_page=product\_info&cPath=37&products\_id=285")**

Danger: 

Technical specs:

- 10.5mm (0.41") wide, 3mm (0.12") thick, 100mm (3.95") long per segment
- Clear waterproof molded
- 3M adhesive strip on back
- Maximum 12V @ 60mA draw per strip segment
- 3 common-anode RGB LEDs per segment
- LED wavelengths: 630nm/530nm/475nm
- No microcontroller or chip controller ('analog' only!)
- (We're working on getting an English datasheet from the manufacturer!)

![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/002/681/medium800/led_strips_analogstrip_t.jpg?1396785743)

- [Next Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/rgb-led-strips/schematic.md)

## Featured Products

### Flexible RGB Neon-like LED Strip 120 LEDs - 1 meter long

[Flexible RGB Neon-like LED Strip 120 LEDs - 1 meter long](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4245)
Here at Adafruit we love discovering new and exotic glowing things. Like moths to the flame, we were intrigued by these fresh&nbsp; **Flexible Silicone Neon-Like LED Strips**! They _look_ a lot like neon, but without the need for expensive transformers, glass tubing or inert...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4245)
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### RGB LED weatherproof flexi-strip - 30 LED/m - 5m

[RGB LED weatherproof flexi-strip - 30 LED/m - 5m](https://www.adafruit.com/product/285)
These LED strips are fun and glowy. There are **30** RGB LEDs per meter, and you can control the entire strip at once with any microcontroller and three transistors. The way they are wired, you will need a 9-12VDC power supply and then ground the R/G/B pins to turn on the three colors. Use...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/285)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/285/guides)
### RGB LED Weatherproof flexi-strip 60 LED/m- 5m

[RGB LED Weatherproof flexi-strip 60 LED/m- 5m](https://www.adafruit.com/product/346)
These LED strips are fun and glowy. There are **60** RGB LEDs per meter - twice as many as our other strip, and you can control the entire strip at once with any microcontroller and three transistors. The way they are wired, you will need a 9-12VDC power supply and then ground the R/G/B...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/346)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/346/guides)
### Analog RGBW LED Strip - RGB plus Cool White - 60 LED/m

[Analog RGBW LED Strip - RGB plus Cool White - 60 LED/m](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2440)
_A dream come true...an analog&nbsp;LED strip with both RGB and Cool White LEDs...It's so........bbbeeeaaaaauuuttttiiiifuuulllll!!!_

These LED strips are fun and glowy. There are **60** RGB and Cool White LEDs per meter - you can control the entire strip at once with any...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2440)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2440/guides)
### Analog RGBW LED Strip - RGB plus Warm White - 60 LED/m

[Analog RGBW LED Strip - RGB plus Warm White - 60 LED/m](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2439)
_A dream come true...an analog&nbsp;LED strip with both RGB and Warm White LEDs...It's so........bbbeeeaaaaauuuttttiiiifuuulllll!!!_

These LED strips are fun and glowy. There are **60** RGB and Warm White LEDs per meter - you can control the entire strip at once...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2439)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2439/guides)
### Solderless DotStar and Analog RGB LED Strip Clip Sampler

[Solderless DotStar and Analog RGB LED Strip Clip Sampler](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1004)
These ingenious little clips make it easier than ever to use our analog RGB LED strips - no need to solder! The clips snap onto the ends of the LED strip and hold securely. They're not waterproof but you could cover them in heat-shrink to make them weatherproof.  
  
You get one...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1004)
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### TIP120 Power Darlington Transistors - 3 pack

[TIP120 Power Darlington Transistors - 3 pack](https://www.adafruit.com/product/976)
Transistors are powerful little electronic switches, and when our little NPN transistors aren't power enough for your project, we have been known to use these beefy TIP120 Darlington transistors. Great for whenever you need to control medium to high-power electronics such as motors,...

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[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/976)
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### Breadboarding wire bundle

[Breadboarding wire bundle](https://www.adafruit.com/product/153)
75 flexible stranded core wires with stiff ends molded on in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, brown, black and white. These are a major improvement over the "box of bent wires" that are sometimes sold with breadboards, and faster than stripping your own solid core wires. Makes...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/153)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/153/guides)

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