The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

The New Hotness

  • Cheap WS2812 LEDs: Another Failure

    A few days after epoxying a replacement WS2812 RGB LED into the base of the 21HB5A and, en passant, soldering a 3.5 mm plug-and-jack into the plate lead for EZ removal, the top LED failed.

    21HB5A - Audio plug cable
    21HB5A – Audio plug cable

    In this case, it also failed the Josh Sharpie test with bad encapsulation sealing:

    WS2812 LED failure - ink test patterns
    WS2812 LED failure – ink test patterns

    Here’s a view from another angle, with a warm-white desk lamp for a bit of color:

    WS2812 LED failure - ink test patterns - 2
    WS2812 LED failure – ink test patterns – 2

    Those patterns took a few days to appear and also showed up in some, but not all, of the previous failing LEDs.

    Although I have no idea what’s going on, it’s certainly distinctive!

    An envelope of RGBW LEDs, allegedly with SK2812 controllers, has arrived from a different eBay supplier, so it’s time for an upgrade.