Neopixel or Programmable RGB LED strips are individually addressable LEDs controlled by WS2811, and WS2812 ICs through a single wire. Here, I am sharing my work on how can we make a scrolling text display using a ws2812b LED strip and Arduino UNO. You can make it with any matrix size, as example, I making it with an 8*11 matrix.
Material Required
S.NO | Name | Quantity |
1. | Neopixel led strip | – |
2. | Arduino UNO | 1 |
3. | Soldering iron | 1 |
4. | Soldering wire | – |
5. | Wires | – |
6. | Cardboard sheet | 1 |
Display Making
Either you can make it yourself or you can buy neopixel matrix from here.
We are going to make an 8*11 matrix. It means 8 LEDs in one row and a total of 11 rows will be required. So cut pixel lights and each strip has 8 LEDs (cut from the middle of the copper area)
![rgb led strip electronic smith](http://electronicsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Untitbvled.jpg)
RGB LED strip light has arrows that show IN and OUT. Keep this in mind and paste the pixel facing the opposite (refer image)
![RGB LED strip](http://electronicsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1.png)
Solder the next Din as shown in the following image. Also, connect every GND and every 5v, as shown in the image below.
![RGB LED strip](http://electronicsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/sketch-1024x702.png)
Your display is now ready. The final output will look like this.
![RGB LED strip](http://electronicsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/led-Display-1-1024x541.jpg)
Connections
Arduino Pin no. 5 will connect to the DIN of the strip. The strip GND and +5V will connect Arduino GND and 5V as shown in the schematics below.
![RGB LED strip](http://electronicsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/RGB-led-strip-connection-with-arduino-1024x520.png)
Open Arduino IDE, then we need the FastLED library to work with this Adafruit Neopixel. To install this library go to Sketch>Include Library>Manage library Or press Ctrl+Shift+I.
![Library for RGB LED strip](http://electronicsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Add-new-library-in-arduino-1-1024x549.png)
A new window will pop up, then in the search bar type FastLED and press enter. Here, you can install the first library.
![fastled](http://electronicsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/lib25-1024x540.jpg)
After installation of the library, we will run an example code. Go to File>Examples>FastLED>Noise.
![fastled example](http://electronicsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/fastLed-example-1-1024x532.jpg)
Select the Board, COM port, and upload the code. This library has amazing animations you should try them all.
![](http://electronicsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/itled-1.jpg)
Scrolling Text
These RGB LED strips have no boundaries. I write the code for scrolling the text, where you can display your message in any color. Using these RGB LED Strip I made an artwork (Shadow me).
![](http://electronicsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/text.jpg)
Download Code for scrolling text
Follow me on Instagram
sir can you share scrolling text using fastled