HIGH TECHNOLOGY AND LOW-COST RGB LED STRIP

Energy-saving, efficient, and safe RGB rope light

 

Our 5050 RGB LED strip lights are safe to use, having low carbon, no radiation, no flicker, and no pollution to humans and the environment. Also, SDIP LED light strip has good heat dissipation making it long-lasting and durable. SDIP manufactures a 12v RGB LED strip, making it safe for use both interiorly and exteriorly use. This also ensures reduced power consumption.

With SDIP you are ensured a water-resistant RGB LED strip light, that is cuttable at appropriate points. Our smart RGB LED strip is enclosed in a silicon coating, making them durable in extreme weather conditions, and able to resist water and dust, providing maximum brightness. To provide you with fully integrated lighting, SDIP manufactures a smart RGB LED strip that can be integrated into your home and smart devices like phones and voice assistant software.

Send in your orders today and receive quick delivery to your desired location.

 

A Detailed Overview of RGB LED Strip

 

An RGB LED strip comprises of a circuit board with three LEDs (Red, Green, and Blue) mounted on it.

These three-channel LEDs are capable of producing powerful as well as highly energy-efficient lights to illuminate a variety of spaces.

Since the RGB LED strips can be installed almost anywhere, it helps users negate the space restrictions associated with traditional lights.

RGB LED strips offer a bunch of advantages when used for lighting offices, homes, retail spaces, vehicles etc.

Scientifically speaking, LEDs are semiconductors that emit light when electricity passes through it in a particular direction.

Thus, LEDs (Red, Green, and Blue) LEDs emit light using the same principle and the flexible RGB LED strip produces bright and clear light.

The color, brightness, and temperature of the lights can be customized by using different sizes of LED, size of the tape, and even the voltage.

You’ll find three different types of RGB LED lights: Silicone, Rigid and Flexible.

RGB LED strips are available in 4 different sizes and the package sizes are marked by 4-digit codes such as 3528, 5050, 3030 and 2835.

The number on the RGB LED strip corresponds to the size of the chip i.e. a 5050 RGB LED strip has a chip size of 5.0 mm X 5.0 mm.

RGB LED Strip

 

1.     What Does RGB LED Strip Mean?

2.     How RGB LED Strips Work?

3.     What Are The Best RGB Light Strips?

4.     What LED Chips Are Used On The RGB Light Strips?

5.     What Is The Width Of A Standard 12v RGB LED Strip PCB?

6.     What Is Meant By Different RGB LED Strips Like 5050, 3528, 3535, 2835, 5730?

7.     What Is The Difference Between 5050 And 3528 RGB Light Strip?

8.     What Is The Difference Between 2835 and 5050 RGB Light Strip?

9.     If I Connect The Strip Backwards (+) to (-) And (-) to (+) Will That Ruin The 5050 RGB LED Strip?

10.   Can I Use The 5050 RGB LED Strip In High Temperature Areas?

11.   Can I Dim The 5050 RGB LED Strip?

12.   How Many Warranty Years For The 5050 RGB LED Strip?

13.   How To Calculate Voltage Drop In A 5050 RGB LED Strip?

14.   How To Decrease The Voltage Drop In A 12V RGB LED Strip?

15.   What Is CCT Shifting In RGB LED Strip Lights?

16.   What is the brightest RGB LED Strip?

17.   What is the Waterproof Grade Of RGB LED Strip Lights?

18.   Can You Cut RGB LED Strip?

19.   Can I Solder The RGB LED Strip Lights?

20.   How Can I Bend The RGB LED Strip Lights?

21.   How To Install The Flexible RGB LED Strip Lights?

22.   Can I Use A 24V Source To Power 12V RGB LED Strip?

23.   Why The Rated Watts Different To Actual Watts In A 12v RGB LED Strip?

24.   Can I Power 12V RGB LED Strip With USB?

25.   Why Do RGB Rope Lights Fail?

26.   Why Are My RGB LED Strip Lights Turning The Wrong Color?

27.   Why Won’t My 5050 RGB LED Strip Lights Turn Red?

28.   Can RGB Rope Lights Start A Fire?

29.   Can You Program RGB LED Strip Lights?

30.   What Is An Addressable RGB LED Strip?

31.   How Addressable RGB LED Strips Work? 

32.   Can I use RGB LED Strip without controller?

33.   Can You Cut Addressable RGB LED Strips?

34.   What Is The Difference Between Addressable RGB LED Strip And RGB LED Strip?

35.   What Kind Of LED Tape Connectors Can I Use For RGB Rope Light?

36.   How Do I Control The Brightness Of RGB Rope Light strips?

37.   How Do I Calculate The Power Supply Needed For My RGB Rope Light Strips?

38.   How Can I Connect My RGB Rope Light To The Power Supply?

39.   What Should Be The Minimum Distance Between Smart RGB LED Strip and Power Supply?

40.   What Is The Maximum Length Of 12v RGB LED Strip That Can Be Powered?

41.   Is Smart RGB LED Strip Safe?

42.   Does Smart RGB LED Strip Need Drivers?

43.   Is Smart RGB LED Strip Waterproof?

44.   What Is A Wi-Fi Enabled Smart RGB LED Strip?

45.   How Do I Order Smart RGB LED Strip Lights?

46.   What Factors Should I Consider Before Buying RGB Rope Lights?

47.   Is There A Minimum Quantity Of Smart RGB LED Strip I Have To Order?

48.   Can I Customize My Own Smart RGB LED Strips?

49.   Can I Print My Logo On The PCB Of A 12v RGB LED Strip?

 

 

1.     What Does RGB LED Strip Mean?

RGB LED strips area used for a variety of lighting projects and the technology is to light everything from billboards to mobile phones.

RGB is the acronym use for the standard Red, Green, and Blue LEDs mounted on a flexible strip.

There’re four leads in each RGB LED, one for each of the colors and one cathode (-ve) and one anode (+ve).

The longest lead is marked for the anode.

The RGB LED strip comprises of several RGB LEDs connected in series.

These RGB LED strips can be used for a wide range of lighting projects in home, offices, and even outdoors.

2.     How RGB LED Strips Work?

Every RGB LED comprises of red, blue, and green LEDs and each individual LED can be dimmed as well as controlled to produce different hues of a single color.

For instance, the blue LED can be controlled to produce different hues of the blue color.

In fact, each LED is capable of producing 256 different hues of a single color.

Thus, when you combine the three colored LEDs, you can produce combinations of over 16.7 million shades.

The color combinations are created by changing the brightness of each LED.

For instance, if you intend to produce purple color, you’ll have to increase the brightness of Blue and Red LEDs while reducing the brightness of the Green one.

The brightness as well as color of every RGB LED strip can be controlled using a RGB controller.

We shall learn about the RGB controller later.

A great feature of RGB LED lights is that you can create white light by turning all the three LEDs to their highest power.

However, you might witness a little hue or tint in the white light as a purer form of the white light can’t be achieved by using a RGB LED.

There’re certain limitations of using a RGB LED strip light; they can’t produce brown or pink color.

3.     What Are The Best RGB Light Strips?

Well, there’s nothing like the best RGB light strips because it depends on the type of lighting project, budget, and location.

For instance, if you’re to light up an open space, you’ll need one type of RGB LED strip and when you’re lighting a billboard, you’ll need another type.

Architects around the world are using RGB LED strips for a variety of lighting projects, which include everything from an industry to a penthouse.

However, before you get started with your lighting project, it’s important to factor in a few things like location, emotion, functions, and aesthetic.

4.     What LED Chips Are Used On The RGB Light Strips?

The RGB LED strips are flexible circuit boards comprising of SMD LEDs or Surface Mounted light-emitting diodes along with other components.

Even though there’re several LED chips but the most common ones used for manufacturing RGB light strips include 3528s, 5050s, 2835s and 5630s.

These chips aren’t quite different from one another but are of different sizes.

Every chip has its specifications like output brightness, and power requirements.

You must always choose a RGB light strip based on your specific requirements.

5050 SMDs are mostly used for manufacturing RGB LED strips and since it’s a tri chip, every LED comprises of three small chips within it.

5050 SMDs are considered to be perfect for color-changing LED tapes with the red, green, and blue chips places inside each LED.

Different Types of SMDs

5.     What Is The Width Of A Standard 12v RGB LED Strip PCB?

If you’re buying a 3528 or 2835 12V RGB LED strip, the width of the PCB is 5/8/15mm.

On the other hand, for 5050 12V RGB LED strip, the width of the PCB will be 10/20mm.

If you’re opting for the 5630 12V RGB LED strip, the width of the PCB is 10/12/13.5mm.

Even if you go with the 3535 or 3014 12V RGB LED strip, the width of the PCB will be 8/10mm.

6.     What Is Meant By Different RGB LED Strips Like 5050, 3528, 3535, 2835, 5730?

RGB LED strip lights are usually identified with 4 digit numbers like 5050, 3528, 3535, 2835, 5730 etc.

This is used to identify the size of the SMD or Surface Mounted Device, which implies that a SMD of specific size is mounted on the strip.

The number is the dimension of the SMDs in millimeter.

For instance, the width and length of a 5050 RGB LED strip is 50×50 millimeter.
RGB LED strip lights, even if they have the same code, can have different specifications like brightness, power etc.

Suppliers or manufacturers provide RGB LED strip specifications when you place an order and when you receive the consignment.

7.     What Is The Difference Between 5050 And 3528 RGB Light Strip?

RGB light strips often come in a variety of sizes but initially they were offered in two sizes: 3528 and 5050.

3528 RGB LED strip lights is one of the oldest sizes available in the market and it comprises of a 20mA LED chip (0.06 Watts).

However, the 3528 LED strip lights contained a single color in each LED, which caused issues like color shifts and shadowing.

5050 RGB LED strip contains 3 20mA chips (0.2 Watts), which has a higher capacity as the strip has enough space to accommodate 3 different types of LED chips.

Since the 5050 RGB LED strip comprise of the chips in a single package, so the single source works wonders.

SMD LED Comparison-of-5050-2835-3528-3014

8.     What Is The Difference Between 2835 and 5050 RGB LED Strip?

5050 RGB LED strip contains 50mm × 5050mm LED chips mounted on it.

On the other hand, 2835 LED strip contains 28mm × 35mm chips mounted on it.

The 2835 SMDs are capable of producing anything between 360 and 720 lumens/meter of the light strip based on the density of LEDs.

However, 5050 RGB LED strip is capable of producing 1000 lumens/meter of the light strip depending on the density of the LEDs.

Thus, 5050 RGB LED strip are often used to light big spaces like factories, warehouses, hospitals, airports etc.

9.     If I Connect The Strip Backwards (+) to (-) And (-) to (+) Will That Ruin The 5050 RGB LED Strip?

No, there won’t be any damage to the 5050 RGB LED strip as the LEDs are nothing but diodes that allow flow of current in only one direction.

You just need to reverse the direction of the wire and your strip will work just fine.

10.      Can I Use The 5050 RGB LED Strip In High Temperature Areas?

Even though 5050 RGB LED strip can withstand high temperatures, it will shorten the lifespan of the strip.

You need to use the strip in cooler places because that would not only increase its lifespan but also enhance efficiency.

It’s advisable to use the 5050 RGB LED strips at temperatures below 80 degree Celsius.

Heat is the biggest problem for RGB LED strips and if you intend to get the rated life, it’s better to use it at places with lower temperatures.

11.      Can I Dim The 5050 RGB LED Strip?

Yes, you can easily dim the 5050 RGB LED strip by using the standard wall dimmers or the dimmers between the RGB LED strip and output section of the power supply.

However, when you’re using a standard wall dimmer, you will have to use a compatible constant voltage dimmable power supply.

12.      How Many Warranty Years For The 5050 RGB LED Strip?

Reputable companies like SDIP Light offer a minimum warranty of 1 year on the 5050 RGB LED strip.

If you encounter any quality issues with the purchased 5050 RGB LED strip, contact the manufacturer and they would provide quick replacement.

13.      How To Calculate Voltage Drop In A 5050 RGB LED Strip?

Voltage drop depends on multiple factors like power consumption of the 5050 RGB LED strip, brand, length of the wire, and thickness of the wire, and voltage of the strip (12v/24v).

12V 5050 RGB LED strips experience quicker voltage drop compared to the 24V strip.

Thus, if you intend to go over 40 feet run for the strip, 24V strip is recommended.

Now, in order to calculate the voltage drop in a 15 feet 5050 RGB LED, you need to check the amps or current in the wire.

Calculating the amps is important and for that we would need to add the LED strip’s length connected to the power supply while multiplying the wattage per foot.

For instance, if you’ve a 5050 RGB LED strip that consumes 5 watt per feet then for the 15 feet strip, the total wattage would be (15 x 5) =75 watt.

Now to get the total current, we will have to divide the total wattage by 12, if you’re using a 12 V strip.

Thus, we get 75 watts divided by 12 = 6.25 amps.

However, for practical purposes it’s advisable to add 20% margin to the overall calculations.

Thus, if your overall power consumption is 100 watts, you need to put an additional 20% to the existing calculations i.e. 120 watts.

14.      How To Decrease The Voltage Drop In A 12V RGB LED Strip?

Voltage drop in a 12V RGB LED strip can be decreased by using parallel connections for the LED strips.

We can also decrease the voltage drop in a 12V RGB LED strip by powering it from both the ends.

15.      What Is CCT Shifting In RGB LED Strip Lights?

CCT or Correlated Color Temperature shifting in RGB LED strip lights is the measure of the color appearance of the light source.

The change in the cover of the LEDs will lead to color temperature shift.

Glues influence the temperature of the LED strips differently.

Lower temperature leads to lesser CCT shift, which implies the warm white color will undergo a small shift.

 

RGB CCT-LED-Strip-Light

 

16.      What is the brightest RGB LED Strip?

The brightest RGB LED strip is surface mounted diode or SMD 5730 series as it is capable of illuminating large spaces.

 

SMD 5730

17.      What is the Waterproof Grade Of RGB LED Strip Lights?

Waterproof grade of RGB LED strip lights are either covered with a gel or silicone tube to make the strips waterproof.

Thus, the chips on the strip are protected even when immersed in water or sprinkled with water.

18.      Can You Cut RGB LED Strip?

Yes, you can easily cut the RGB strips along the cut marks printed on the RGB LED strips.

Cutting at points other than the ones marked for cutting can damage the RGB LED strip.

19.      Can I Solder The RGB LED Strip Lights?

Yes, just like you can cut, you can solder the RGB LED strip lights.

However, the soldering needs to be done at the points marked for cutting and you will just need a solder wire and soldering iron to solder two strips.

20.      How Can I Bend The RGB LED Strip Lights?

RGB LED strip lights are popular for their flexibility but bending them beyond a radius smaller than 15mm will damage the circuits.

Additionally, you must never bend the strips on horizontal plane as that would damage the circuits.

21.      How To Install The Flexible RGB LED Strip Lights?

Flexible RGB LED lights can be easily installed by taking off the protective adhesive covering from the back of the strip and sticking it in the desired place.

Some RGB LED strip lights come with mounting clips or aluminum profiles for safely mounting them at desired locations.

22.      Can I Use A 24V Source To Power 12V RGB LED Strip?

Directly using a 24V source to power 12 V RGB LED strip will lead to burning of the copper pads.

However, you can avoid the burnout by adding a resistor in series to drop the voltage to 12V.

23.      Why The Rated Watts Different To Actual Watts In A 12v RGB LED Strip?

The rated watts are different to actual watts in a 12V RGB LED strip because the rated watts are calculations under the ideal testing circumstances.

However, during practical applications, the resistances from different components come into play, which lead to a voltage drop.

Thus, the actual watts are always different from the rated watts.

24.      Can I Power 12V RGB LED Strip With USB?

USB ports cannot directly power a 12V RGB LED strips as they offer only 5V power supply.

However, if you use a step-up transformer (DC to DC), boosting the 5V supply to 12V is possible.

 

Powering a 12V RGB LED strip with USB

25.      Why Do RGB Rope Lights Fail?

RGB rope lights fail primarily because of two reasons:

Poor Pin Connection – You must check the pin connections to find out whether they’re properly connected or not.

Faulty pins can also result in the RGB rope lights failing.

Check for backward connection as well because that can lead to reversed polarity and prevent the RGB rope lights from turning on.

Improper Power Source – You must use appropriate power source for the RGB rope lights.

If you power a 12V strip with a 5V power source, chances are higher that it won’t turn on at all.

Learn more about RGB rope light failure issues from the following link:

 

26.      Why Are My RGB LED Strip Lights Turning The Wrong Color?

Your RGB LED strip lights are turning the wrong colors can be because of the following reasons:

Wrongly plugged wires – You must check wiring and find out where +ve and –ve ends are connected.

Wrong setting on the controller – At times the controller settings are done wrongly; hence, resetting the controller to the default setting can resolve the issue.

Faulty strip or controller – A faulty strip or controller can also result in the wrong color, so if all the above tricks fail, you should go ahead and replace the faulty strip.

27.      Why Won’t My 5050 RGB LED Strip Lights Turn Red?

The Red LED on the 5050 RGB LED strip lights need the lowest voltage, so you have to ensure whether your power supply is adequate for the Red or not.

The problem can also be caused by a voltage drop, which means you need to use additional power resources or add power from both side of the strip.

28.      Can RGB Rope Lights Start A Fire?

Well, RGB rope lights usually can’t start a fire but overheating can certainly lead to a fire.

RGB rope lights emit light at a much lower temperature compared to other light sources; hence, the chances of a fire are slim.

29.      Can You Program RGB LED Strip Lights?

Yes, you can program RGB LED light strips but you would need addressable RGB strips that can be controlled using controllers like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or Adafruit.

30.      What Is An Addressable RGB LED Strip?

Individually addressable RGB LED strip comprises of tiny microcontrollers on each of the LEDs, which allows each of the Red, Green, and Blue LEDs to light up with a unique brightness and color.

The addressable RGB LED strips have a ground, positive voltage, and data wire.

Individually addressable RGB LEDs are available in 5Vand 12V variants.

31.      How Addressable RGB LED Strips Work?

As mentioned above, each LED can be controlled by sending unique instruction through the data wire.

Every time data reaches a particular LED, it’s passed down to the next one after increasing the counter by 1.

For instance, if the first LED receives an instruction LED 0, the next one receives it as LED1.

Now, this continues until the time the data signal reaches to the last LED on the strip.

The most important feature is that each LED on the strip has to be provided specific instructions at their specific address.

 

Addressable RGB LED Strip

32.      Can I use RGB LED Strip without controller?

Yes, you can use the 3 channel RGB LED strips without controllers by applying appropriate DC current and voltage to the 3 pins on the strip.

However, you won’t be able to exercise any control on the whiteness because of the spectral emission property of LEDs.

33.      Can You Cut Addressable RGB LED Strips?

Yes, addressable RGB LED strips are extremely flexible and they can be cut to be a desired length.

The strips are usually divided into segments that comprise of a single RGB LED.

You can cut the strips to a size of your choice but you need to use scissors and cut along the cut mark on the strip.

Cutting at places other than the designated point will damage the RGB LED strips.

34.      What Is The Difference Between Addressable RGB LED Strip And RGB LED Strip?

RGB LED strips are available in a variety of sizes, configurations, and shapes.

However, they are segmented under two broad categories: Individually addressable RGB LED strips and 3-channel RGB LED strips.

As the name suggests individually addressable RGB LED strips comprise of tiny microcontrollers on each of the LEDs, which allows individual LEDs to light up with a unique brightness and color.

The addressable RGB LED strips have a ground, positive voltage, and data wire.

Individually addressable RGB LEDs are available in 5Vand 12V variants.

On the other hand, 3-channel RGB LED strip comprise of three ground circuits and a common voltage.

Each of the three ground channels respectively control the Red, Blue, and Green LED color.

By changing the resistance on the three channels, brightness of each LED can be controlled to produce a wide range of hues.

The biggest disadvantage is that you can never pick individual LEDs and light them as the entire RGB LED strip is switched on or off.

All the LEDs will produce the same color, so you can’t really create too many effects on these strips.

35.      What Kind Of LED Tape Connectors Can I Use For RGB Rope Light?

RGB rope lights use a variety of tape connectors depending on the type of lighting project.

Some of the most common ones include the following:

• The RGB rope light strip jumper connector with wire
• The L shaped RGB rope light connector
• The T shape RGB rope light connector
• Two way RGB rope light splitter cable
• The gapless RGB rope light strip connector
• 4-Pin female connector
• 4-Pin male connector

Learn how to connect RGB rope light to simple wire connectors:

36.      How Do I Control The Brightness Of RGB Rope Light strips?

Controlling the brightness of RGB Rope light strips is easily done with the help of a LED strip light controllers.

Right from RF controllers to Wi-Fi controllers, you’ve a wide range of choices when it comes to controlling RGB rope light strips.

The basic controller help you to control the brightness of the RGB rope light strip; however, the advanced ones gives you the option of changing the colors as well.

37.      How Do I Calculate The Power Supply Needed For My RGB Rope Light Strips?

Calculating the power supply needed for your RGB rope light strips is crucial for choosing an appropriate power source.

The good news is that you can easily calculate the required power supply by multiplying the total wattage per meter of the RGB rope light strip with the strip’s length.

38.      How Can I Connect My RGB Rope Light To The Power Supply?

You can use two different ways to connect the RGB rope light to the power supply.

• You can directly connect it to the power socket
• Hardwire the RGB rope light to the directly to the primary power source

39.      What Should Be The Minimum Distance Between Smart RGB LED Strip and Power Supply?

Smart RGB LED strips can suffer from voltage drop if additional power supply isn’t provided after a certain run.

Single density strips or the ones that contain 9 or less LEDs every feet would have to be provided with additional power supply after every 10 meters.

On the other hand, high-density strips or the strips with 18 or more LEDs every feet would need additional power supply every 5 meters.

You must refer to the “max run” in the product specification to find out how long the strip can run without additional power supply.

40.      What Is The Maximum Length Of 12v RGB LED Strip That Can Be Powered?

The maximum length of 12V RGB LED strip that can be powered is 32 feet.

Anything beyond that would require additional parallel power source.

41.      Is Smart RGB LED Strip Safe?

Well, smart RGB LED strip lights are considered to be the safest for use in commercial as well as residential buildings.

Users usually can’t be harmed by short exposure to light emitted by smart RGB LED strips.

However, certain scientific studies have found blue light emitted by these lights harmful to the eyes; hence, it’s better to avoid long exposures.

42.      Does Smart RGB LED Strip Need Drivers?

Yes, smart RGB LED strip need drivers; however, you can choose to buy them separately depending on your budget and requirements.

43.      Is Smart RGB LED Strip Waterproof?

Yes, smart RGB LED strips are waterproof and these don’t get damaged even if you dip them in water.

44.      What Is A Wi-Fi Enabled Smart RGB LED Strip?

A Wi-Fi enabled smart RGB LED strip can be controlled with the help of a Wi-Fi Controller.

You can not only change the brightness of the RGB LED strip but also create different color effects without writing a single line of code.

Majority of the Wi-Fi enabled smart RGB LED strips come loaded with fascinating features.

45.      How Do I Order Smart RGB LED Strip Lights?

Placing an order for smart RGB LED strip lights is easy.

You can log in to the manufacturer’s website and fill up an easy online form mentioning your requirements, quantity, model, etc.

You also have the option of ordering directly from the product page and you don’t have to navigate to other pages for placing an order.

Reliable and reputed companies like  SDIP Light contact the customers within 24hrs of receiving an order.

46.      What Factors Should I Consider Before Buying RGB Rope Lights?

Multiple factors that you should consider before buying RGB Rope Lights include:

• The details the lighting project, which includes the size of the place or area you intend to light
• The type and size of the RGB rope lights you require for a certain space
• The brightness and color of the RGB rope light
• The required energy source and power draw for the RGB rope light
• Installation and mounting requirements

47.      Is There A Minimum Quantity Of Smart RGB LED Strip I Have To Order?

Yes, there’s a minimum quantity of smart RGB LED strip.

You’ll have to place an order of at least 100 meters of smart RGB LED strip.

However, you need to understand that bulk orders take time to fulfill so you’re expected to be patient.

48.      Can I Customize My Own Smart RGB LED Strips?

Obviously! Reputed smart RGB LED strips manufacturers usually customize all orders and you can not only order customized branding but also get strips that match your technical specifications.

You can even get the manufacturers create customized SMDs, which include color, brightness, luminance of the LED tapes, and color temperature.

49.      Can I Print My Logo On The PCB Of A 12v RGB LED Strip?

Yes, Chinese companies like  SDIP Light create customized 12v RGB LED strips to match exact requirements of customers, which also includes printing logos.

You can also ask for customized SMDs, which include color, brightness, luminance of the LED tapes, and color temperature.

Customers have the option of choosing the layout, size, and even logos or labels on the RGB LED strips.