Datasheet

One possibility is to repurpose an ATX computer power supply. The nice beefy server types often

provide up to 30 Amps. Some minor modifications are needed…Google around for “ATX power

supply hack.” Note that the ATX 5V rail can be very unstable if there's no load on the 12V rail!

Even larger (and scarier, and much more expensive) are laboratory power supplies with ratings into

the hundreds of Amps. Sometimes this is what’s needed for architectural scale projects and large

stage productions. And occasionally we get requests for help…

Please note that projects of this scale are potentially very dangerous, and the problems of

power distribution are fundamentally different than hobby-scale projects. As much as we enjoy

helping our customers in the forums, they are for product technical support and not full-on

engineering services. If you’re developing a project of this scope, hire a professional electrician with

experience in high-power, low-voltage systems such as photovoltaics or large RVs and boats. This

is no charade.

Distributing Power

The longer a wire is, the more resistance it has. The more resistance, the more voltage drops along

its length. If voltage drops too far, the color of NeoPixels can be affected.

Consider a full 4 meter reel of NeoPixels. With 5V applied at one end of the strip, for those pixels

closest to this end, power traverses only a few inches of copper. But at the far end of the strip,

power traverses 8 meters of copper — 4 meters out on the +5V line, 4 meters back on the ground

line. Those furthest pixels will be tinted brown due to the voltage drop (blue and green LEDs require

higher voltage than red).

Pro Tip: NeoPixels don’t care what end they receive power from. Though data moves in only one

direction, electricity can go either way. You can connect power at the head, the tail, in the middle, or

ideally distribute it to several points. Try to aim for about 1 meter lengths for the best color

consistency. With larger NeoPixel setups, think of power distribution as branches of a tree rather

than one continuous line.

Resistance is just as much a concern on tiny