How to Work With Arduino and Different RGB Leds

Arduino is an amazing little device. But one of the most used applications for this powerful little device is often to flash or blink an LED.

This tutorial will show you three ways to work with RGB Leds and Arduino.

1. The first way is to use a simple 4 pin RGB LED. This is for those situations where you need ONE RGB LED to either show a status or just look beautiful. In this video I also show you how the RGB color spectrum works.

2. The second way is if you want to use an Arduino to control those simple and cheap RGB LED strips that you can buy on ebay or amazon for just a few dollars. With this method you can get a massive light source that you simply can control with an Arduino.

3. And the third way is of course how to use the powerful WS2812 (and many other similar adressable RGB LEDs). To make really complex lighting applications. I will guide you how to download the FastLED library and how to address individual LEDs and give them specific colors...

Step 1: Working With Simple 4pin RGB LEDs

This tutorial shows you the basic steps of using a simple RGB LED. I also show you how the RGB Color spectrum works on an Arduino (or computer).

Step 2: Working With Simple RGB LED Strips

This tutorial shows how to use the Arduino to control the simple versions of RGB LED Strips that you can find cheap on ebay and amazon, and many many other places. This solution requires a circuit be made with MOSFETs.

Step 3: Make Really Complex Lighting Solutions With WS2812 (and Others)

In this final part I show how to work with the WS2812 and many other similar LEDs. With these Adressable and programmable LEDs it is possible to make really complex color lighting solutions. And this is the LED that is probably used most extensively here on Instructables and many many projects right now. Other similar LEDs that the library that I show how to use (FastLED) also supports are: WS2811, APA102 and many many more.