Raspberry Pi Pico Tutorial : NeoPixels / WS2812B LED's

Welcome to the - Learn how to use the Raspberry Pi Pico Tutorial Series:

This video looks at the NeoPixels / WS2812B addressable LED's using the Raspberry Pi Pico.

In the first example we look at how to control the LED's individually and setting the color.

The second example we make a simple Larson Scanner / Knight Rider LED's.

We finish the video by looking at a prototype for an upcoming project on creating an Edge Lit acrylic clock also known as the cheap "nixie clock"

Check out my channel for other videos on the Raspberry Pi Pico, as I will regularly upload tutorials and projects related to the Raspberry Pi Pico.

If you found this tutorial helpful, subscribe to the channel and leave a comment and welcome to the NerdCave.

Code:

Library:

Getting started video:

[directorstu]

Thanks very much for this. Fast and too the point. But not so fast a newbie like me cannot follow it. Much appreciated!

[polizeiwegvonhier]

Great video!!!! Fun project for my Audi and will drive around until I get fined by the police and cry. Instructions and links were super helpful. Thanks for the coding. I’m learning Python on the fly and this is a fun way to do it.

[WilliamBurlingame]

Thanks for the video. I was able to light a strip of 90 LEDs with my pico. I did have one problem. I get green instead of red on example 2. I didn't look to see what caused the problem. I just made red = (0, 255, 0) and made the adjustment for other colors.

[Keeping_IT_Simple]

2:24 you say verbally GP pin 21 but the diagram & code actually use GP pin 28

really enjoying your style of explaining things - very relaxing but at the same time you manage to impart plenty of information

[F_zzzussy]

amazing vid, just wanted to know how to light up only one pixel.

[FabZoneu]

You say "upload it to the pi" does this mean 'RUN' or do I have to save the code to the Pico itself? When I hat RUN nothing lights up, I only get "MPY: soft reboot" in the console

[StevenCookFX]

Changes to recent builds makes the modules RP2 and machine non existent. I keep getting errors. I can't find anything about how to get around this other than using DigitalIO which means a lot of rewriting code. :/

[Alvin_Ajith]

Is it possible to control the brightness of individual pixels separately ?

[matthiasfalzon]

Hello, thank you for this, it runs perfectly and I was quickly able to modify the code for more uses.
Quick question, I used this neomatrix before on a raspberry pi 4 and it required a micro-controller which converted the gpio output to 5V, is this not required here? Clearly it is not required but it is safe to run it this way? I remember before that the adafruit documentation said that the DIN inputs need to be 5V, else it may damage the neomatrix.

[techminds]

hey NerdCave, I am getting this error and I was hoping maybe you can help me here :

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: can't import name Neopixel

and great video btw .

[danijaime]

Hello nice video, for me it doesnt work becaue of the libraries, could you tell me how i can install the libraries like utime, pin, array...?

[Aij]

Hi, just wondering how you're getting on with the led clock project, could not find any video on it.

[dantek]

I get this after running the script a few times:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 11, in <module>
File "neopixel.py", line 97, in __init__
OSError: [Errno 12] ENOMEM

Unplugging and then plugging back in seems to resolve the issue. Any idea what is going on here?

[joejvr]

hey, using WS2812B with Pico, getting no errors on code but LEDs not working (29 LEDs without ext power supply) also using (pin40) power, (pin38) ground and (pin34) gp28, hoping you can point me in the right direction :) thanks

[jamesharris]

if your using your own power 5v do you only need to add the signal wire to the pi pico?

[Videogame]

Hi I have had difficulty running the program I only change number pixel to 25 I get an error line 3 no name random or no name neopixel. ? Any help please anyone. What do I need to update or install. Thanks

[Gruthius]

I am using the "SEZO WS2812B RGB 5050SMD 8x32" LED Matrix from amazon and cannot for the life of me even get one pixel to go to a colour other than white at full brightness. I have tried both this library you have suggested and also the adafruit library with CircuitPython. Both give the same result. By selecting num of pixels just turns that many fully white, with the occasional green pixel at the end. Cannot modify the brightness or anything. Any suggestions?

[Videogame]

Hi add code to thony pi pico and run it but got an error line 3. Random no name neopix?

[squirralien]

Is there a limit to how many LED's you can run with the pico, could you run a 32x8 panel with a completely random ? I have just discovered the pico and how affordable they are with the shortage of the RP boards.

[yapzanan]

Is it save to drive 25 neopixels without any external powersupply? I intend to use it as rgb perkey for keyboard