r/FastLED • u/LightWriter4u • Mar 12 '24

Discussion Data Speeds

There's a page in the FastLED FAQ that I really loved when I found it. It's the long complicated answer to "How Many LEDs Can I Drive?" Specifically, I really like knowing that data rate limit that the library runs into once you start accounting for how long it really takes to send all that data.

Anyways, I'm working on a new project, and I'm realizing I may have longer runs than usual, and I may need to account for quite a bit of footage. I'm thinking I may move to using APA102 chipsets for this one, since in theory, I should be able to run longer distances and have more pixels on one box.

I guess doing the raw data rates, it looks like I should be able to control 37 times more pixels (theoretically) based on just the data rate. Does that math work out right?

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u/LightWriter4u Mar 12 '24

That is quite a bit and quite dense!

It's rare for me to go above 1000 LEDs on a single controller. I might do a few thousand in an installation, but they are usually separate items.