WS2811 vs. WS2812B

WS2811 Pinout

WS2811 is 3 output channels special for LED driver circuits. It internal includes an intelligent digital port data latch and signal reshaping amplification drive circuit also include a precision internal oscillator and a 12V voltage programmable constant current output drive. To reduce power supply ripple, the 3 output channels are designed to delay turn-on function.

WS2811 Circuit

Flexible LED strip light is the most commonly produced product of WS2811. This strip can be easily used in facade lighting, wall lighting, backlighting, holiday (Christmas, etc.) lighting, stage design lighting, staircase lighting, display case lighting, ceiling lighting, etc. It can be also used as a car light.

WS2812B Pinout

WS2812B is an intelligent control LED light source that integrates the control circuit and RGB chip into a 5050 component package. WS2812B LEDs have an IC built into the LED, which enables communication via a one-wire interface.  It includes a smart digital port data latch and a signal reshaping circuit for amplifying the drive.

The WS2811 LED chip runs on 12V. A WS2812B chip, on the other hand, just requires 5V. If you use an LED strip with a lot of LEDs, you'll see a lot of voltage drop along the strip, which means the last few LEDs at the far end of the strip from the board will have a lower voltage.

For example, suppose you have 30 LEDs in your strip and the voltage drop near the end is 2V. If you're using a WS2811 chip, the last few LEDs will get roughly 10V in that situation. For an LED designed to function at 12V, this is still OK. On the other hand, if you use a WS2812B that operates at 5V, the voltage drop will be 3V instead of the claimed 5V. That's a huge voltage decrease right there.

The WS2811 does not control a single LED. Instead, it manages a trio of LEDs in a cluster. That means you can't control them at a granularity of fewer than three LEDs.

On the other hand, each WS2812B can control one LED. If you need a control granularity of 1 LED, the WS2812B should be used instead of the WS2811.

Because the WS2811 operates at 12V, it consumes much more power. The WS8212B, on the other hand, can function at a substantially reduced power usage because it uses 5V.

Pros of WS8211

• It runs on 12 volts. As a result, it can manage a larger number of LEDs in a strip.

• Ease of use when dealing with mass LED controls.

Cons of WS8211

• It can only control three LEDs at a time. As a result, the lower granularity level of control is three LEDs. Because of the 12V functioning, it uses a lot more power.

Pros of WS8212B

• Individual LEDs can be controlled.

• The granularity of LED control is 1 LED.

• Lower power consumption.

• The WS2811/WS2812B depends on sending data matching at a very tight timing. The advantage of the WS2812B is that production o is easier and therefore cheaper, and each RGB LED takes much less space on strips.

Cons of WS8212B

• Because it runs on 5V, the voltage drop becomes noticeable as the number of LEDs in the strip grows.

WorldSemi was founded in 2007, we work as the leading LED specialist in IC designer for Constant Current LED Driver IC, Chip Driver LED, we are recognized as the product development and delivery of LED lighting industry leader and we’ve expanded offerings to the inclusion of LED strip lights, LED point lights and LED controllers, etc. As the original manufacturer of WS28xx series products (WS2801S, WS2811, WS2812, WS2812B, WS2813, WS2818....), WorldSemi with its advanced equipment, first-rate technical staff, and strict quality management system and the high-quality service to customers’ trust and support. WorldSemi team believes that high performance, super quality, and competitive price of our products will satisfy your requirements.

WS2811 VS WS2812B

To summarize, whether you should utilize WS2811 or WS2812B is entirely dependent on the type of use cases you have. When it comes to controlling a long LED strip, the WS2811 is the logical choice.

On the other hand, if you want to control LEDs down to the granular level of a single LED, the WS2812B is the way to go. Therefore, I hope this article can help you grasp the differences between WS2811 and WS2812B.