Add an LED Strip¶
Your CAST-1 has three exposed pins, 5V, GND and IO1, that can drive an addressable LED strip. Once it's wired up, the strip shows up in Home Assistant as a light with effects, and it can switch on by itself whenever music is playing.
Firmware 26.10.13.1 or newer
LED strip support arrived in firmware 26.10.13.1. If your CAST-1 is on an older version, update it from the Firmware Update entity on its device page. Until this release reaches the Stable channel, switch to the Beta channel first.
What You'll Need¶
- An addressable RGB strip that uses a single data wire. WS2812B is the most common. WS2812, SK6812 (RGB), WS2811, APA106 and SM16703 also work.
- Three wires to connect the strip to the CAST-1.
Strips with separate data and clock wires (APA102, SK9822), RGBW strips, and plain 12V RGB strips with no data wire won't work.
Power¶
Every LED draws current. A WS2812B LED pulls up to about 60 mA at full white, so a strip adds up fast: 30 LEDs can draw about 1.8 A, and a 5 m roll of 150 LEDs about 9 A.
- Short strips can run from the CAST-1's 5V pin. Keep LED Strip Max Brightness at its default of 50% or lower.
- Long strips need their own 5V power supply sized for the strip. Connect the supply to the strip's 5V and GND, connect the CAST-1's GND to the strip's GND as well, and run only the data wire from IO1. Don't connect the CAST-1's 5V pin to a strip that has its own supply.
Too much load reboots the CAST-1
If the CAST-1 restarts or the audio cuts out when the strip gets bright, the strip is drawing more than the 5V pin can supply. Lower LED Strip Max Brightness or give the strip its own power supply.
Wiring¶
1. Unplug your CAST-1 from power.
2. Find the input end of the strip. Its pads are labelled DIN or DI, and the arrows printed on the strip point away from it. (1)
- Data only travels one way along the strip. Wired to the DOUT end, the strip stays dark.
3. Connect the wires:
| CAST-1 | LED strip |
|---|---|
| 5V | 5V (or +5V) |
| GND | GND |
| IO1 | DIN |
4. Plug your CAST-1 back into power.
Turn On the LED Strip Controls¶
The LED strip controls are hidden until you turn them on, so CAST-1s without a strip don't show extra controls.
1. In Home Assistant, go to Settings > Devices & services > ESPHome and open your CAST-1.
2. Under Controls, Configuration and Diagnostic, select +N entities not shown and turn on each entity whose name starts with LED Strip. Home Assistant adds them after about 30 seconds.
3. Set LED Strip Count to the number of LEDs on your strip. (1)
- Multiply the strip's length by its LEDs per meter. A 5 m roll of a 30 LEDs/m strip has 150 LEDs. LEDs past the count stay off.
4. Press LED Strip Test. The strip shows red, green, blue and white, then a rainbow, and turns off.
If the colors come out in the wrong order (for example, green when the test shows red), change LED Strip Color Order until they match. GRB is right for most WS2812B strips.
LED Strip Controls¶
| Entity | What it does |
|---|---|
| LED Strip | The strip itself. Turn it on and off, pick a color and brightness, or choose an effect: Rainbow, Color Wipe, Scan, Twinkle, Random Twinkle, Fireworks, Flicker, Pulse or Strobe. |
| LED Strip Count | How many LEDs to drive, up to 300. |
| LED Strip Max Brightness | Caps the brightness of every LED to keep the current draw down. Defaults to 50%. |
| LED Strip Color Order | The order your strip expects its colors in. |
| LED Strip Chipset | The type of LED on your strip. Leave it on WS2812 unless the strip flickers or shows random colors. |
| LED Strip Music Mode | Turns the strip on with the Music Effect whenever music is playing, and off about 3 seconds after it stops. |
| LED Strip Music Effect | The effect Music Mode uses. |
| LED Strip Test | Runs the color test from the steps above. |
Music Mode follows playback, not the beat
Music Mode turns the strip on and off with playback. The effects run at their own pace and don't react to the music itself.
Troubleshooting¶
Nothing lights up
- Check the data wire goes to the DIN end of the strip.
- Make sure the strip's GND is connected to the CAST-1's GND, even when the strip has its own power supply.
- Check the LED Strip light is turned on.
Random colors or flickering
- Try a different LED Strip Chipset.
- Keep the data wire short. The CAST-1 sends a 3.3V data signal, which most strips accept over a short wire.
Only part of the strip lights up
- Set LED Strip Count to the number of LEDs on your strip.