Adafruit Soft Flexible Wire NeoPixel Strand – 50 NeoPixels

We have all sorts of LED strips for a wide range of needs. Chunky strips? We got those! Strips with alligator clips that are easy-peasy to MakeCode? Oh definitely. Weatherproof? We have a gamut of options.

And here’s a new variation, a veritable bundle of Solid Core Wire Mini NeoPixels! Attaching NeoPixel strips to your costume can be a struggle as the flexible PCBs can crack when bent too much. So how to add little dots of colour? Use this NeoPixel that uses solid cords of plated wire that hold their shape! They’re very small, so they’re easy to embed into any structure, costume, or wearable. The wires can be sewn over, or embedded in a casting.

The strip is made of solid core wires with a coated NeoPixel every ~100mm (~4 inches) with a total of 50 LEDs. It does not come with weatherproof sheathing so you cannot wash them or dunk them underwater. You can cut the strand pretty easily with wire cutters. Note that while the wires are coated so they don’t short against each other, that coating will wear off over time especially when flexed, so avoid abrasion or repeated flexing of the connector cables.

Connecting to these is a little tricky because there are no power/data markings (there’s no PCB!) So instead, look at the dot at the end of the strand. The wire closest to the green dot is the ground. The wire on the opposite side is power. The centre line is data in. There are two ways to determine the input pixel. One is the green dot is actually a ‘pointy’ dot and the point shows the direction of the data. The other way is to hold the first pixel so the dot is closest to you, the input is then on the right side.

The strands come with connectors pre-attached but you can carefully solder to the solid wires as well. You can pick up a 3-pin JST set to turn it into a quick connection. Of course, you can also connect strands together to make them longer, just watch how much current you need! We have a 5V/4A supply that should be able to drive 1 meter and a 5V/10A supply that can drive up to 10 meters (depending on use) You must use a 5V DC power supply to power these strips, do not use higher than 6V or you can destroy the entire strip.

We have a tutorial showing NeoPixel wiring, power usage calculations, example code for usage, etc. Please check it out!

Revision History:

• As of September 18th, 2024 – The design of the LED Strip has been updated now with fully encased wires and silicon-covered neopixels