The Main Difference：WS2813 vs WS2815
WS2813 LED strip is an updated version of WS2812B, it is DC5V with voltage drop.
The WS2815 light strip is DC12v input instead of DC5v input, and there is almost no voltage drop, which is the main difference compared with WS2813. So can run longer distance than WS2813 light strip.
Video 1. WS2813 vs WS2815 RGB LED strips
WS2813 LED Strip vs WS2815 LED Strip
To have a better understanding of addressable pixel LED strips, please, check the following table:
| Item | WS2813 LED strip | WS2815 LED strip |
|---|---|---|
| Differences | ||
| Voltage | DC5V | DC12V |
| LED per meter | 60/144 | 30/60/66/84/120/144 |
| Color | Addressable RGB | Addressable RGB |
| Voltage drop | High | Low |
| Reset time | 250us | 280us |
| Similarities | ||
| Chip Size | 5050 | 5050 |
| IC type | Built-in IC | Built-in IC |
| Break continues | Yes | Yes |
| Signal: | Dual signal | Dual signal |
| Individually Addressable: | Yes | Yes |
| Cut Segment: | 1-LED | 1-LED |
| Frequency | 2000Hz/s | 2000Hz/s |
| Data Rate | 800Kbps | 800Kbps |
| PWM Resolution: | 8 bits (256 levels) | 8 bits (256 levels) |
| Output channel | 3 | 3 |
| Wires | Positive + Negative + Dual Data lines | Positive + Negative + Dual Data lines |
| Price: | Normal | Normal |
Table 1. A table to quickly compare ws2813 and ws2815. Most comprehensively covers all the similarities and differences between WS2813 LED strip and WS2815 LED strip.
WS2813 has the same protocol compatibility as WS2812B and is an upgraded version of WS2812B. The main reason is that it has a higher internal PMN frequency than WS2812B (WS2813 PMN frequency is 2000Hz or WS2812B PMN frequency is 400Hz) and dual signals instead of single signal of WS2812B.
WS2815 is almost the same as WS2813, the main difference is the voltage, WS2815 is 12V, WS2813 is 5V.
Let’s look specifically at the differences between the two Arduino programmable LED strips: WS2815 and WS2813.
Differences: WS2813 vs WS2815
Voltage:
WS2813 is DC5V and needs DC5V power supply. WS2813 has a power protection function, if the +5V and GND polarities are reversed, the LED will not burn out.
WS2815 is DC12V, it needs to be powered by DC12V driver. The downside of running 12V is that it often needs to “drain” power depending on what is displayed. This causes the WS2815 to use more watts than a WS2812B running the same mode.
Voltage Drop:
The WS2813 led strip only has DC5V, and in general, it can only be made up to 5 meters per roll. Even so, if we light up the white LED strip, we can see that as shown in the picture: the white LED strip has a significant voltage drop.
But for the 12V WS2815, only a little voltage drop can be seen when the 5m long white led strip lights up. In this way, we can make longer lengths, or greater power to achieve higher brightness.
Figure 1. If there is sufficient power input, there is no voltage drop of 12V for 5M/Roll on full white.
If there is sufficient power input, there is no voltage drop of 12V for 5M/Roll on full white.
What is voltage drop? How to solve the LED strip voltage drop? Please watch the video below.
Reset time:
The reset time of ws2813 is 250us, ws2815 is 280us. So the WS2813 LED works better with lower frequency and cheaper microcontrollers.
Similarities: WS2813 vs WS2815
Dual Data and Break Continue:
Both WS2813 LED strip and WS2815 LED strip adopt double signal line cross transmission technology. The second spare signal line can continue to send a signal to the next pixel after the first signal is interrupted, and has an break continue function. It can be seen on the LED strip that even if one of the LED strip light beads dead, the other lamp beads can still emit light normally. It has no bearing on the result.
Figure 2. Break Continue of WS2813 and WS2815 LED Strip
What is break continue or breakpoint resume of addressable LED strip? Watch the video below.
Built-in IC:
Both WS2815 and WS2813 are built-in ICs. They are controlled individually. The 5050 LED bead contains all electrical components and may form a complete external control pixel without the need of any additional peripheral auxiliary electronic components. It also reduces virtual welding during product installation and causes defects.
Single Point Single Control:
The WS2815 LED strip is similar to the WS2813 LED strip, with one data line and one spare data line. If one of the LEDs is broken, the others will still work fine. Any one of the LED chips can be individually controlled and set to any color as each LED chip can have its own color or brightness.
Connector:
For WS2813 and WS2815 light strips, please choose the 4-pin connector. Red: 5V power supply, Green: Date line, Blue: Spare date line, Black: GND.
Waterproof Level:
According to the humidity of the application scene, WS2813 and WS2815 LED strips can generally be divided into several waterproof levels. If your project requires a higher waterproof level, please contact us, we can provide you with customized services for WS2813 and WS2815 LED strips with different waterproof levels.
We can provide customized services for WS2815 and WS2813 LED strip products. Spot fast delivery products are as follows:
WS2815 Individually Addressable RGB LED Strip
| Item | Voltage | Power | Pixel Qty | LED Qty | Cutting Unit | Break Continue | PCB Width |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STB-TTL-4PIN-RGB-30-12 | DC12V | 4.3W/M | 30pixels/m | 30LEDs/m | 33.33mm | Yes | 10mm |
| STB-TTL-4PIN-RGB-60-12V | DC12V | 8.6W/M | 60pixels/m | 60LEDs/m | 16.67mm | Yes | 10mm |
| STB-TTL-4PIN-RGB-60-12 | DC12V | 8.6W/m | 60Pixels/m | 60LEDs/m | 16.67mm | Yes | 10mm |
| STB-TTL-3PIN-RGB-60-12V | DC12V | 8.6W/M | 60pixels/m | 60LEDs/m | 16.67mm | Yes | 5mm |
| STB-TTL-3PIN-W-60-12V | DC12V | 8.6W/M | 60pixels/m | 60LEDs/m | 16.67mm | Yes | 5mm |
| STB-TTL-4PIN-RGB-66-12/24V | DC12V/24V | 13.2W/M | 66pixels/m | 66LEDs/m | 15.15mm | Yes | 10mm |
| STB-TTL-4PIN-W-66-12/24V | DC12V/24V | 13.2W/M | 66pixels/m | 66LEDs/m | 15.15mm | Yes | 10mm |
| STS-TTL-3PIN-RGB-84-12V | DC12V | 12W/M | 84pixels/m | 84LEDs/m | 35.7mm | Yes | 6mm |
| STS-TTL-3PIN-W-84-12V | DC12V | 12W/M | 84pixels/m | 84LEDs/m | 35.7mm | Yes | 6mm |
| ST-WS2815-4PIN-RGB-120-12 | DC12V | 17.2W/m | 120pixels/m | 120LEDs/m | 8.3mm | Yes | 5mm |
| STB-TTL-3PIN-RGB-120-12V | DC12V | 17.2W/M | 120pixels/m | 120LEDs/m | 16.67mm | Yes | 5mm |
| STB-TTL-3PIN-W-120-12V | DC12V | 17.2W/M | 120pixels/m | 120LEDs/m | 8.3mm | Yes | 5mm |
| STB-TTL-4PIN-RGB-120-12 | DC12V | 17.3W/M | 120pixels/m | 120LEDs/m | 16.67mm | Yes | 10mm |
| STB-TTL-4PIN-RGB-144-12V | DC12V | 20.6W/M | 144pixels/m | 144LEDs/m | 6.9mm | Yes | 12mm |
| STB-TTL-4PIN-RGB-144-12V | DC12V | 20.6W/M | 144pixels/m | 144LEDs/m | 13.89mm | Yes | 8mm |
WS2813 Individually Addressable RGB LED Strip
| Item | Voltage | Power | Pixel Qty | LED Qty | Cutting Unit | Break Continue | PCB Width |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STB-TTL-4PIN-RGB-60-5V | DC5V | 12W/M | 60pixels/m | 60 LEDs/m | 16.67mm | Yes | 10mm |
| STB-TTL-4PIN-RGB-144-5V | DC5V | 28W/M | >144pixels/m | >144 LEDs/m | >6.9mm | >Yes | >12mm |
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