Verified 2026-10

pimoroni WS2812B NeoPixel Breakout with JST SH Connectors

Single WS2812B 5050 pixel on a 12.3 x 11.3 mm board with 1 mm JST SH in and out connectors, 47 ohm VDD resistor and 1 uF decoupling fitted, running from 3.3 V or 5 V at the same level as the logic driving it - $3.00 USD as measured at Pimoroni (1.58 GBP on the UK storefront).

Place this board on a carrier in the editor →

Logic level3.3 V

Part & documents

Headline part	WS2812B
Data sheet	WS2812B data sheet →
Source	shop.pimoroni.com/products/adafruit-neopixel-breakout-with-jst-sh-connectors →

Specs

MCU	Worldsemi WS2812B 5050 RGB LED with integrated driver

Pinout

6 pads, as the vendor numbers them.

#	Name	Function	Signals
1	IN	Input connector X1 pad 1: data input to the pixel, through R3 (22 ohm) to the WS2812B's DIN.	data in
2	VDD	Input connector X1 pad 2: 3.3 V or 5 V pixel supply, through R1 (47 ohm).	power in
3	GND	Input connector X1 pad 3: common ground for power and data.	ground
4	OUT	Output connector X2 pad 1: data output from the pixel's DOUT through R2 (22 ohm), for daisy-chaining the next pixel.	data out
5	VDD	Output connector X2 pad 2: same VDD net as pad 2, so either connector can supply the pixel.	power in
6	GND	Output connector X2 pad 3: same ground net as pad 3.	ground

Power

Input	3.3 V or 5 V on VIN, supplied at the same level as the driving logic

The pixel's VDD arrives through R1 (47 ohm) with C1 (1 uF) across the pixel; at full white a 5050 WS2812B draws tens of mA, so a chain of them loads the same VIN.

Notes

Pimoroni is the reseller: the board is Adafruit 5975. `part` is WS2812B because that is the silicon the board exists to carry, taken from the fab file's own part value (LED2 = WS2812B_5050N, package WS2812B-NARROW) - Adafruit's product title says only 'NeoPixel', which is its brand name for the part. `datasheet_url` is Adafruit's own copy of the Worldsemi WS2812B data sheet (verified application/pdf). Pads are the fab file's own numbers on elements X1 and X2 (package JST_SH3, pad 1-3 each, with the output connector offset to 4-6 so the two connectors' numbering cannot collide); the silk words sit on the board as PLABEL stroke artwork with no text nodes, so the labels come from the net each pad carries plus the learn guide's own list of the three connections (GND, VIN, In). The learn guide lists those three connections in a different order than the fab file's pad numbers (it names GND first, VIN second, the data line third); this entry follows the fab file, which is the copper, and records no invented order for the cable's wire colours.

AI context

Dense context for pasting into a model prompt — addresses, pinout, voltages, tolerances and the vendor's reference circuit.

BOARD: Adafruit 5975, a 12.3 x 11.3 x 6.2 mm (0.7 g) single-pixel breakout carrying one 5050 (5 mm square) WS2812B RGB LED on the back, two 3-pin 1 mm JST SH connectors for input and output on the front, and two M2 mounting holes with clearance for the screw head. Resold by Pimoroni; the maker is Adafruit. Cables are not included.
ADDRESSES: none. A WS2812B is not addressable over a bus - each pixel has a fixed data-in and data-out, so there is nothing to scan for and no address to set.
PINOUT: 6 pads across two identical JST SH connectors, each numbered 1-3 by the vendor, so the output connector is offset by three. Input connector X1 (silk label In, left side): 1 = IN (data in), 2 = VDD, 3 = GND. Output connector X2 (silk label Out, right side): 4 = OUT (data out), 5 = VDD, 6 = GND. Both connectors carry the same VDD and GND nets, so the pixel is powered from whichever cable is plugged in.
SUPPLY: VIN accepts 3.3 V or 5 V - give it the same voltage as the microcontroller's logic level, which is what the vendor states for both 3.3 V boards and 5 V Arduino boards. The pixel's own VDD is fed through R1, a 47 ohm series resistor, with C1 (1 uF) across the pixel's VDD and GND.
LOGIC LEVEL: the data thresholds track VDD, not a fixed 3.3 V, which is why the vendor says to power it at the logic level of the driving micro: 3.3 V logic into a pixel powered at 5 V is the case the instruction exists to avoid. Data in and data out each carry their own 22 ohm series resistor (R3 on IN, R2 on OUT).
REFERENCE CIRCUIT: R3 22 ohm from the input connector's data pad to the pixel's DIN; R2 22 ohm from the pixel's DOUT to the output connector's data pad; R1 47 ohm from VDD to the pixel's VDD pin; C1 1 uF from the pixel's VDD to GND. Everything the vendor asks for is already fitted - the user adds only the 3-pin JST SH cables.
TRAPS: the two connectors are not interchangeable by position alone - the left one is data in and the right one is data out, and each has its own silk word above it - but both provide VDD and GND, so a cable plugged into the wrong side powers the board and shows nothing. The JST SH pitch is 1 mm, which is not the 2 mm JST PH used on some other LED products; the vendor sells 1 mm 3-pin cables separately and none ships in the box. The mounting holes are M2 with head clearance, or they can be sewn through. One pixel only: chaining more means using the Out connector, and each further pixel adds its own load to the same VIN.

Provenance

Every figure on this page was read from the 4 sources below and last checked on Oct 28, 2026.