WS2812 - Neopixel LED Strip PH 2A Connector

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parkview
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WS2812 - Neopixel LED Strip PH 2A Connector

Post by parkview » Mon Oct 25, 2021 11:54 am

I love the JST PH connector. It's very versatile and compact. You can get it in surface mount SMD, or Through Hole package. It's rated for 100V, 2A. If you need more current, then there is the JST XH connector. It's rated for 250V, 3A. There are even higher rated connectors, but I haven't had a need to use them yet.

I was chatting with a friend last night and he was showing me a RGB LED lamp he was building out of folded origami opaque plastic sheet. It reminded me that I was going to have a go at deigning some small 26mm long connector boards that have a PH connector at one end, and exposed solderable traces at the other end. This will allow you to solder down either 8mm to 12mm wide WS2812 RGB LED strips. There are notches in the PCB to help hold heatshrink in place to help hold the LED strip to the board and to act as a bit of a strain release. Two layers of heatshrink should do the trick - kind of what I have used below:
LED-1.jpg
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The board will also work with the higher density 12mm wide LED strips, and the PH connector could be swapped out for a XH connector. It will just fit - kind of:
LED-2.jpg
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The board includes provision of a power indicator LED and can be soldered on if required, and a solder jumper to enable it:
LED-Board.jpg
LED-Board.jpg (21.69 KiB) Viewed 4586 times
It cost under A$14 (inc. shipping) for five panels of 18 PCB's for a toal of 90 PCBs. Thanks you JLCPCB!

parkview
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Posts: 603
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 8:25 pm
Location: Busselton
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Re: WS2812 - Neopixel LED Strip PH 2A Connector

Post by parkview » Fri Nov 12, 2021 9:54 pm

The WS2812 to JST PH connector PCB arrived this week. I made a few up this afternoon. It didn't take long, as I only placed the PH connector and a 22uF SMT onto the PCB:
WS2812-connector3.jpg
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Then a quick solder job to attach a strip of 12mm wide WS2812 RGB LEDs. To keep the LED strip in place, I heatshrinked a clear sleeve of 20mm wide (measured when flattened out) heatshrink.
WS2812-connector2.jpg
WS2812-connector2.jpg (52.92 KiB) Viewed 4512 times
I think it cam out rather well, although the next batch will incorporate some GND/5V/Data labels near the PH connector. I have some on there, but the extra wide 12mm strip covers these PCB labels. I will also place these labels on the back of the PCB as well.

parkview
Guru Maker
Posts: 603
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 8:25 pm
Location: Busselton
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Re: WS2812 - Neopixel LED Strip PH 2A Connector

Post by parkview » Tue Feb 08, 2022 2:05 pm

Sometimes you just want to display a short segment of WS2812/Neopixel RGB LEDs on a breadboard. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to plug in a short strip of RGB LEDs into a breadboard? I added on a 3-pin right angle pinheader so this adapter can be used on a breadboard:
RGB LED Breadboard Adaptor.jpg
RGB LED Breadboard Adaptor.jpg (45.04 KiB) Viewed 4288 times
The only problem with this version, is that the pinheader is too far up the PCB. The only way you can plug it into a breadboard is by leaning it over. Standby, as a new version of this PCB will be on it's way soon from the Chinese manufacture. While I was at it, I also created a black coloured one for the outgoing opposite end. This means I can now daisy-chain them if I like, or inject power back in at the end if I want too. I also updated the graphics a bit, to make things clearer.

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