Drivers & Controllers

Everything you need to power and control your addressable LED projects. From microcontrollers and level shifters to power supplies and professional accessories.

Controllers

Controllers are the brain of your LED setup. They run the code that creates patterns, handles timing, and manages effects. Choose based on your project complexity, wireless needs, and programming experience.

ESP32 boards offer WiFi control and WLED compatibility
Arduino Nano perfect for learning with 5V logic
Teensy 4.1 excels at high-performance applications
Raspberry Pi enables complex integrations and web interfaces

ESP32 DevKit C V4

Controller

Most popular ESP32 development board featuring dual-core processor, built-in WiFi/Bluetooth, and excellent WLED support. Perfect for smart LED projects requiring wireless control.

Pros

  • •WLED ecosystem
  • •WiFi/Bluetooth built-in
  • •Dual-core performance

Considerations

  • •3.3V logic requires level shifting
  • •Higher power consumption

Important Notes

  • •Use 74AHCT125 or similar for 5V strip compatibility
  • •WLED firmware provides web interface and app control

ESP8266 D1 Mini

Controller

Compact WiFi-enabled microcontroller perfect for simple wireless LED projects. More affordable than ESP32 with good WLED support.

Pros

  • •Very affordable
  • •Compact size
  • •Good WLED support

Considerations

  • •Single core processor
  • •Limited GPIO pins

Important Notes

  • •Perfect entry point for WiFi-controlled LEDs
  • •Use external level shifter for 5V strips

Arduino Nano (ATmega328P)

Controller

Classic beginner-friendly microcontroller with 5V logic. Perfect for learning LED programming with FastLED or Adafruit libraries.

Pros

  • •Beginner-friendly
  • •5V logic (no level shifting)
  • •Huge community

Considerations

  • •Limited memory
  • •No wireless

Important Notes

  • •Perfect for beginners learning FastLED library
  • •No level shifting needed for 5V strips

Teensy 4.1

Controller

Ultra-high performance ARM Cortex-M7 microcontroller capable of driving thousands of LEDs with complex real-time effects. Professional-grade option.

Pros

  • •Extremely fast (600MHz)
  • •Multiple simultaneous outputs
  • •Real-time performance

Considerations

  • •Higher cost
  • •3.3V logic

Important Notes

  • •OctoWS2811 library enables 8 simultaneous outputs
  • •Ideal for LED matrices and video walls

Raspberry Pi 4

Controller

Full Linux computer capable of running complex LED software, web servers, and media integration. Perfect for smart home and dashboard projects.

Pros

  • •Full Linux OS
  • •Web interfaces
  • •Multiple protocols

Considerations

  • •Higher power consumption
  • •GPIO timing limitations

Important Notes

  • •Use rpi-ws281x library for WS281x strips
  • •Consider SPI-based LEDs (APA102) for better timing