Connecting to the Board: The 2x10-pin header has a very small pitch (1.27mm I believe) that isn’t compatible with standard breadboard cables. What breakout board or cable adapter do I need to purchase to access these GPIO pins?
LED Recommendation: Is using an addressable LED strip (like a WS2812B strip) the best approach here? If so, can I cut the strip into four 3-LED segments and wire them to a single GPIO pin? How would I wire them together to be controlled from a single GPIO pin (e.g., daisy-chaining the data line from one segment to the next)?
I appreciate any guidance or product recommendations you can provide. Thanks!
(P.S. I know I should have bought the touch version from this site, and I plan on it for my next purchase!)*
Do you want the 3 LEDs to be different each time the turn on or the exact same on state.
e..g. Red Green Yellow
The reason I ask is if the LEDs are the same every time, then using normal LEDs is much easier, just turn them on/off (and they tend to use less power).
BUT, if you want to control each led independent of each other, then yes, the WS2812B should be OK, just keep in mind the power they will need.
WS2812B are a 3 pin LED, +5V, GND and Data, so you can clock out the Data on one pin. note the 5V not the 3.3V so power needs to come from somewhere.
Depending you your needs you can run many more leds off the one pin.
I don’t think you will find an adapter ready to use. Here is an example of a connecting piece that you could cut in half and add suitable termination to the ribbon cable. For instance, Dupont pins, or soldering direct to a piece of prototyping PCB
Regarding the JST SH1.0 cable you found on eBay:
Since the JST SH1.0 connector has a 1.0 mm pitch, it’s smaller than the 1.27 mm pitch on your board and likely won’t be compatible. It’s best to use cables or adapters specifically designed for 1.27 mm pitch connectors.
Jeff has shared some great options that will work well for your project.
About the LEDs:
The WS2812B strip is an excellent choice based on what you want to achieve. To control all four 3-LED segments from a single GPIO pin using daisy-chaining, simply:
Connect the ESP32 GPIO pin to the DIN of the first 3-LED segment.
Then connect the DOUT of the first segment to the DIN of the second segment, and continue this pattern for the remaining segments.
As Michael mentioned, it’s important to consider the power requirements of the LEDs:
Use a stable 5 V power supply:
WS2812B LEDs run on 5 volts and can draw up to about 60 mA per LED at full brightness.
Calculate current needs:
For 12 LEDs total, that’s approximately:
12 × 60 mA = 720 mA max (absolutely worst case).
It’s a good idea to choose a power supply rated for at least 1 A at 5 V to provide some margin. Something like this 5V, 1A Buck-Boost converter can take input voltages from 2.8V-22V and provide a stable 5V output.
