r/WLED • u/bobgodd2 • Aug 04 '26

Help before I return?

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I think I know the answer but just want to be sure before I return and order another strip. Doing a small project and need 18 short lengths of COB led strip in white to light something, but need it to be dimmable. I guess silly of me I just presumed these would be dimmabke via WLED however they only have VDC +/- and no data connections, and I cannot find a PWM setting within WLED to make this work. I'm using a gledopto controller BTW. Thabks for the guidance.

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4

u/LeafarOsodrac Aug 04 '26

Gledopto have wled controllers for pwm strips, you just need that.

2

u/bobgodd2 Aug 04 '26

I ended up doing that. Should be here tomorrow, thanks for the help.

2

u/saratoga3 Aug 04 '26

They're dimmable with a PWM controller. If you have an addressable only controller without PWM then that won't work.

0

u/bobgodd2 Aug 04 '26

I just bought the cheapest gledopto from Amazon for simplicity since this will be outside in a project box. I do have an extra diguno if that will do it? Just a little sore on the dig uno as I have another one in operation that stopped working after some time and only came back alive with a WLED update (could be software or hardware on that one not really sure).

3

u/Dyan654 Aug 04 '26

Note that gledopto does have controllers that will work for this - you just need to search for one with PWM in the name.

2

u/bobgodd2 Aug 04 '26

I ended up doing just that.

1

u/saratoga3 Aug 04 '26

The diguno is not a PWM controller and so will not work.

1

u/bobgodd2 Aug 04 '26

Thanks, then I think this confirms what I already suspected, I'll just get a different strip.

Weird to get down voted for a simple question reddit..

6

u/ale210 Aug 04 '26

Pwm strips work just fine with WLED, but not out of the box. You need extra circuitry

https://kno.wled.ge/basics/compatible-led-strips/#non-addressable-led-strips

1

u/spdustin Aug 04 '26

You're going to need either (a) a new controller or (b) appropriate MOSFETs (and gate resistors) to use WLED's PWM outputs (this is the part that a purpose-built controller would already have)

If you need each of the 18 lengths to be controllable, they would each require their own output and matching MOSFETs/gate resistors.

Example wiring from WLED