Does the Pixelblaze support APA107 LEDs? I’ve read they work on most APA102 drivers, but it does not say it is supported in the documentation. Looks like they are a bit more efficient and are about the same cost as APA102/SK9822, so they seem ideal for battery powered projects.
Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MDD191C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Yj4nEb9ENX3YZ
Hi @Blacklynx,
I haven’t tested them. The apa107 claims compatibility, and a quick glance through the datasheet appears to use the same protocol.
I personally don’t trust the company behind the apa107 because of the way it was rolled out. They used a lot of aggressive spam, and have unsubstantiated claims. That said, it’s completely possible they have something to offer. If you give it a try, please let me know!
My Question:
Should I just get SK9822 or is there really a substantial improvement in these newer LED models?
Additional Info:
So I have gone down the rabbit hole that is LED strip products. Now I’ve learned there is a HD107s and as of Oct 2019 there is HD108! They also state they are compatible with all SK9822/APA102 controllers. They all appear to have the same connections (5v, clock, data, ground). I also realized these are all made by different companies in different countries. These all seem to be progressive clones of each other’s clones. The big pooper is, there are little to no reputable reviews on these to confirm they have the improvements claimed.
I might also be overthinking this. I want the best possible HDR LEDs for my project (a kick ass music reactive festival crown), and needs to be compatible with pixelblaze. Improvements in power efficacy would also be awesome. Brightness is not a factor as I will be dimming these to 25% or lower.
Power Supply: 5V ⎓ 6A (5V ⎓ 3A Max Per Port)
Anker PowerCore 26800 Portable Charger: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JIWQPMW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9OJoEbFCJZX1W
Fun LED specs:
HD108 RGB - PWM refresh rate >27kHz and PWM frequency is 40MHZ.
HD107S RGB - PWM refresh rate >26kHz and PWM frequency is 40MHZ.
APA107 RGB - PWM refresh rate 9kHz and PWM frequency is 30MHZ.
APA102 - PWM refresh rate 20kHz and PWM frequency is 20MHZ.
APA102C (fake APA102).
SK9822 RGB - PWM refresh rate 4.7kHz and PWM frequency 15MHZ.
Edits: rewrites to make this ramble more coherent
If you want to maximize your power efficiency, you can play some games with lowering the supply voltage (if you’re using an adjustable buck or boost converter), or sometimes driving it directly from a 3.7V LiPo cell (don’t forget over-discharge protection).
The blue LED elements (then green, then red) have the highest voltage requirements, so they’re the first to get starved… which is why a long strip of white LED’s looks red towards the end where the voltage drop is highest.
Also, as you drop the supply voltage, you’ll experience glitches and instability… so dial it down until it breaks, then back up a quarter turn 
i found apa107 from Newstar, almost same with APA102 after i tested, but pwm refresh is only 9khz.
After Newstar recommended me NS107S, the upgrade of APA107, i really like it, i used for many projects…
For hd107s, it is same with ns107s, as Newstar sold IC to Hida, Hida make the LEDs by themself, so named “hd107s”…
https://www.hd107s-led.com/the-voltage-drop-of-apa102-and-hd107s/
I tested HD107S and can confirm it works perfect!
That’s really cool!
Hey, for anyone who’s hooked up an HD107s, if you happen to have a SK9822 as well, have you noticed any difference in color rendering, speed, color accuracy when dim, or persistence of vision effects?
This is an old thread, but I want to mention…
I’ve been struggling w/ all my patterns being too blue. For me, these apa107’s are quite blue.
And this is a common quote I keep finding online when searching about them:
“As we measured: This is what we found out:
The red led is less bright, so the RGB balance is now more ( green-blue) than before.
The led heats less. !"
And from my observations, I notice that the red also fades faster… So, at full brightness the color balance is more correct. But as the white dims, it goes more blue.
Are others trying these apa107’s not seeing this blue hue?