How to Supply Power to TCL pixels

 

To power your Total Control Lighting project effectively, follow the rough guidelines below for how often to insert power:

TCL pixels (P9813 chip): DC 5V 2A every 100 pixels.  Please see Power Supplies for TCL.

TCL pixels (WS2812 chip): DC 5V 4A every 300 pixels: two 5-meter rolls of single density, one 5-meter roll of double density, or four 1/2-meter strips of super density.  Each 16 x 16 grid requires two power supplies — one at each end.

Power consumption varies depending on the program that the pixels are displaying.   To display solid white in its brightest light, you may wish to insert power more frequently than the guidelines above.

Power Supplies for TCL, which gives an overview of powering the TCL line that uses the P9813 chip, outlines principles that can also be applied to the P2812 TCL line.  Both lines of TCL use the same 4-pin and barrel connectors; the same power supplies and accessories can be used for both.