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Connecting LED strips to your Raspberry Pi can be a bit challenging, especially for beginners. It may require some modifications to an amplifier’s circuitry if you do not want to blow up your Pi.
In other instances, you may need to build your driver using transistors. However, you can use some simple methods, such as the ones we will describe below.
In our article, we will show you how to connect an LED strip to Raspberry Pi. We will share with you two methods, and you can choose which the easier option for you is.
Let’s dive into it.
You will need the following materials:
MOSFET Installation
Think about the MOSFET as the switch that will control the LED strip. You control it via the Gate input.
In the case that low voltage is flowing, the MOSFET takes on the role of a large resistor. The LED strip will, therefore, not light up.
If you apply voltage, the MOSFET allows the current to flow through, and the LED will light up.
Your Gate voltage must not exceed 3.3 volts. When you have the Raspberry Pi, it controls the speed with which the MOSFET turns on and off. Your LED strip will therefore seem brighter or darker.
Depending on how you set one of the three individual colors that the MOSFET controls, you’ll get varying brightness or darkness levels. Note that every MOSFET controls one color.
Your MOSFET has three pins that you need to be aware of; the Gate pin, Drain Pin, and the Source Pin.
LED Strip Connection
Raspberry Pi connection
For every color on the LED strip, you need one Raspberry Pi GPIO pin.
Securing the Power Source
Connect the power jack so that you have a stable power supply to your unit. You will need two separate connections for the LED strip and Raspberry Pi.
Take the following steps:
Testing the Set-up
Use the PiGPIO to test whether your set-up is working. Determine what range of color brightness you want and then use the following commands:-
With this set-up, the brightness range is from 0 to 255. For the yellow and purple from the above, you will need the set the brightness to about 50%.
If the test set-up works, then you have been successful in connecting your Raspberry Pi to your LED strips.
You will need the following materials:
The advantage of using the RGB signal amplifier is that everything is basically plug-and -play.
For under $6, you can buy the amplifier from platforms such as Amazon.
Even if you opt for a different amplifier, be careful about the one you buy. Some of the amplifiers, for example, connect the input and output pin. If you try and set it up to your Pi, it will irreparably damage it. In some cases, it may even blow up.
You will also need to download the relevant software on your Raspberry Pi. For the purposes of this set-up, we will use PiGPIO.
The process is as simple as:
Use the same steps as above to test the connection. The plug-and-play set-up is easy to use and convenient, especially for beginners. You will also find a lot of information online, such as the one we have put above to help you with some configurations.
We have shared with you two methods of how to connect an LED strip to Raspberry Pi. The steps are straightforward, and with the right equipment, your set-ups should be complete in a short time.
For beginners, we would suggest that you take the time to learn the different components of your Raspberry Pi. It also helps learning to identify potential electrical flaw areas that could damage your equipment.
Otherwise, go ahead and use our tutorial above to help you connect your LED strip to your Pi.
Just a random guy who likes to build things. Providing tool knowledge, appliance/device testing tips, and DIY project info in an easy-to read & non-intimidating style.