LED Strip Power Calculator

Current, wattage and the power supply an addressable or analogue LED strip actually needs. Undersizing the supply is the most common reason a strip flickers or shifts colour.

LEDs per metre

Length (metres)

Current per LED (mA)

Strip voltage (V)

Total current --

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The formula

total LEDs   = LEDs per metre x length
current (A)  = total LEDs x mA per LED / 1000
power (W)    = current x voltage
supply size  = power x 1.25   (25% headroom)

How it works

A WS2812 pixel draws about 60 mA with all three channels at full white, and roughly 20 mA per channel. That is the worst case, and it is the number to size a supply against even if your animation never gets there.

A 5 metre strip at 60 LEDs per metre is 300 pixels, which is 18 A at full white — far beyond what a USB port or a dev board regulator can give. Power the strip from its own supply and only share the ground with your controller.

Inject power at both ends, and every metre or two on long runs. Copper in a strip is thin, so the far end browns out and turns orange long before the supply is actually exhausted.

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