LED Driver Board for XIAO – Supports 5V and 12V LED Strips

The LED Driver Board for XIAO by Seeed Studio is a versatile and compact solution designed for driving 5V and 12V LED strips, including popular addressable RGB LEDs like NeoPixel WS2812, WS2813, and WS2815.

This LED driver board seamlessly integrates with all XIAO boards, providing smart lighting control and automation when paired with XIAO ESP32 Series using WLED and Home Assistant.

It offers flexible power supply options, making it ideal for a wide range of lighting projects.

Additionally, the board comes with comprehensive protection features, ensuring safe and reliable operation in home automation and creative lighting setups.

Related Boards & RGB LED Strips

• Seeed Studio XIAO Boards Collection
• RGB LED Strips Collection

Features:

Wide LED Compatibility:

The driver is versatile and can support both 5V/3A and 12V/2A LED strips. It also has integrated power regulation.

Compatible with single-color and addressable RGB LEDs, including NeoPixel WS2811, WS2812(B), WS2813, WS2815, SK6812, and other 1-wire protocol LEDs, giving a wide range of lighting options.

XIAO Compatibility for Smart Control:

Designed to fit all Seeed Studio XIAO boards. When linked with the XIAO ESP32 Series (ESP32-C3/S3/C6), unlock smart features via

1. WLED app support – Control colors, effects, brightness, and create creative animations (XIAO ESP32C3 comes strongly recommended).
2. Home Assistant connection with ESP Home enables remote control, automation, and smart home scenarios.

Grove Ecosystem Compatibility:

The onboard Grove interface is compatible with over 400 Seeed Studio modules, such as infrared sensors, temperature sensors, accelerometers, and others, allowing you to easily improve lighting interactivity with the surroundings and motion for smarter, more personalized effects.

Flexible Power Input:

Supports 12V/2A power via a normal DC adapter (EU/US plugs) or direct DC wiring, with a universal 5.5mm x 2.1mm DC Barrel Jack connector. Suitable for temporary and permanent installations.

Compact form factor:

The space-efficient design enables for inconspicuous installation alongside LED strips or in tight places, making it appropriate for a variety of lighting applications while preserving full functioning.

Comprehensive Protection:

Overcurrent, overvoltage, overtemperature, and short-circuit protection are integrated to ensure reliable operation and component longevity.

Hardware Overview:

• For 5 V LED strips: each LED can draw up to ~50 mA at full brightness.
• This means 30 LEDs may draw ~1.5 A at full brightness.
• For 12 V LED strips driven via the driver board: ensure the external 12 V power supply can provide at least 2 A (or more depending on strip length) as per driver spec.
• Always ensure common ground between the XIAO board and the LED power supply to avoid signal issues.
• For long LED runs, consider splitting power injection (powering from multiple points) to avoid voltage drop and uneven brightness.

Mini-Project: Make Your Own Reactive Light Strip

This is a simple project to build an interactive, reactive light strip for music lighting, ambient mood lighting, or interactive desk lighting.

1. Mount your XIAO board on the LED Driver Board for XIAO.
2. Connect a 5 V or 12 V addressable RGB strip (like WS2812 / WS2812B / WS2813 / WS2815), matching the voltage to strip specs. 
3. Provide a suitable external power supply (5 V or 12 V) with enough current for example, for a strip of 30 LEDs at full brightness, expect ~1.5 A draw if using 5 V. 
4. Ensure a shared ground between the strip’s power supply and the XIAO board to maintain a common reference for data signals.
5. Upload a control sketch (Arduino + libraries like FastLED or Adafruit NeoPixel) to your XIAO to drive dynamic animations like fades, color cycles, reactive patterns, etc. 
6. Optionally add sensors (sound, motion, light) to make the strip reactive for e.g. pulse with music, change color when motion detected, or adjust brightness based on ambient light. Use XIAO’s GPIO or Grove interface as supported by the driver board. 
7. Test and tune brightness and animation speed for best results while ensuring power draw stays within safe supply limits.

Tiny board, huge potential – start building today!

Applications:

• Home Lighting & Decoration: RGB strip lights, wall lights, and holiday decorations
• Educational and Science Experiments: Coding and Microcontroller Education, LED Light Design, Physical Data Visualization
• Gaming and interactive installations: PC case illumination, around-screen LED effects, interactive LED floor or wall.
• DIY Projects and Fun Uses: LED name boards, LED clocks, DJ disco lights, RGB mood lighting.