GLEDOPTO ESP32 WLED LED Controller with Mic Microphone UART Download DIY Music Sound Dynamic Lighting Modes for WS2811 WS2812 SK6812 WS2813 WS2815 Addressable FCOB LED Strip Lights

To date I have custom built my own hardware to control addressable led strips using ESP32 boards. This products makes it simpler to setup new strips and while the case may be less visually appealing than my custom solutions, it is indeed much easier to get to a working led strip.While I am not a fan of the WLED UI, I am confident it will get better of time given it is now part of the Home Assistant family (Open Home Foundation).In case it is not clear to some, "UART" refers to the fact that there is a micro USB port inside the case to make it easier to flash the ESP32 with WLED, ESPHome, or other.I have not traced the pin holes but I am guessing those can be used to extend functionality as they will likely head back to the GPIOs on the ESP32.One thing I noticed is that the ESP32 is only held up by flexible pins on the left. There are 3 non isolated caps under the board so if you push down it can easily make contact. I can't see if there is any risk of shorts in the event this is installed somewhere with lots of vibration but it is easy to put a small piece of double sided sticky tape to prevent the risk entirely.

The media could not be loaded. Simple, compact, and easy to deploy. I'm using these controllers throughout my shop for different aesthetic implementations. Most recently, I wrapped an ugly support column with addressable lights, some acrylic panels, and then used these controllers in a mirrored setup to create a cool diffused effect. I don't really care for any of the sound-reactive effects, but there are plenty of stock WLED patterns and pallets to choose from to keep things interesting.

Our pool has overhead 12v WS2811 lights that area each about 1ft of wiring apart. When I first tried connecting these controllers to them, I only got the first 4-8 LEDs to light up, and no controls would work to turn them on/off or to change the color, despite my settings being correct. I hooked one up to an oscilloscope and afterwards took it apart and found the issue. It does not appear to be a production defect, it is a design defect, so any of these you order will have the same problem. Oh, and to make things worse, one of mine stopped working completely after being connected to power for a couple minutes.The ESP32 outputs 3.3v logic signals, but the 12v WS2811s need 5v signals. So you need a logic level shifter circuit. These implement such a circuit using an N-channel mosfet, which would be fine, except you need a 5v reference. There are two voltage regulators on the board, however the one that should be 5v has the wrong configuration resistors, and only outputs 3.5v, meaning the logic level shift circuit cannot "boost" the signal to 5v.Hopefully this helps anyone looking to buy these, as well as the manufacturer so this issue can be fixed. These might be able to work with 12v WS2811s if the wiring distances are extremely short, otherwise the 3v logic output will not be enough to drive those chips, so you may want to look elsewhere.

First item was defective; in fact, the guts of it was a cheaper version of the controller. When you get yours, make sure it is what you purchased. Once I got the ESP32 version I order, it worked exactly as I expected.

I really like the Esp32 however it is nearly impossible to get the wires in and have a secure connection. 18ga wire is nearly impossible to get into place (even tinning them) and getting them pushed in, then you barely move the box and the wires pop out. Definitely NOT getting 2 wires into it. So if your led has a data and a backup data wire, you better have wago clips to go with it.

The media could not be loaded. I have it successfully working with the following setups.12V StripBTF-LIGHTING WS2811 IC RGB Side Emitting Neon Light 9.8FT DC24V 54IC 108LED/m T0615 IP67Power SupplyBTF-LIGHTING DC12V10A24V StripBTF-LIGHTING FCOB WS2811 IC RGB COB LED Strip Flexible High Density Uniform Chasing Color Light DC12V 720LED/m 9.8FT 20IC/m 12mm Width

Easy to setup and integration with Home Assistant and Alexa

Would work great if it didn’t crash all the time. I’ve had many other WLED controllers that work great but this one drops the WIFI every 5-10 minutes