RoboTechROBOTECH

Troubleshooting

LEDs Not Lighting Up

  1. Check wiring — Ensure 5V, GND, and DIN are connected correctly
  2. Check data pin — Verify your code uses the same pin as your wiring (default: pin 7)
  3. Check power — Make sure your power supply can deliver enough current
  4. Check USB — Try a different USB cable or port. Some cables are charge-only

Flickering or Incorrect Colors

  1. Power supply — Insufficient power causes flickering. Try reducing MAX_BRIGHTNESS or using a higher-rated supply
  2. Long wires — Keep data wires short. For runs longer than ~50cm, add a 300–500Ω resistor on the DIN line
  3. Grounding — Ensure all boards share a common ground with the MCU

Only Some LEDs Work

  1. Daisy-chain break — If LEDs stop at a certain point, check the connection between boards at that position
  2. NUM_BOARDS setting — Ensure NUM_BOARDS matches your actual board count
  3. Damaged LED — A single dead LED can break the chain. The signal passes through each LED in series

USB Power Issues

SymptomLikely CauseSolution
Board resets when LEDs turn onInsufficient USB currentUse USB-C 1.5A+ or external 5V PSU
Colors look wrong at full brightnessVoltage dropReduce brightness or upgrade power supply
Works at low brightness but not highCurrent limitingExternal 5V supply rated for full current

Library Not Found

  1. Ensure RobotechPixel is installed via Library Manager
  2. Check that Adafruit NeoPixel is also installed (dependency)
  3. Restart Arduino IDE after installing

Serial Monitor Not Working

  1. Set baud rate to 115200
  2. Set line ending to "No line ending" or "Newline"
  3. Make sure your sketch includes Serial.begin(115200) in setup()

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