This pixel protocol was designed by APA102. APA102C is one clone of APA102, APA company buy the same IC with SK9822 from China, then produce the LED chip and named APA102C. The control circuit and LEDs are integrated in a 5050 SMD package, which provides a small physical footprint for each pixel. Very similar to its previous version, APA102, but APA102C provides a larger metallic area for better heat dissipation.
PixLite Support
Are you looking for APA102C pixel drivers that work with Art-Net or sACN? All PixLite Mk1 and Mk2 products support APA102C as an available Pixel IC type, so get in touch with us to find out how the lighting specialists at Advatek can support you in your pixel lighting project.
Note: when you control APA102C pixel LEDs, select 'APA102' as your Pixel IC Type. This is the equivalent protocol that will allow you to use APA102C pixels.
Technical Specifications
| Clock Type | Clocked |
| Color Resolution | 8 bits |
| Physical Package | SMD5050 with integrated LEDs |
| RGB | Yes |
| RGBW | See APA109 |
| Output Pixel Voltage | 5V |
| PWM Rate | 19.2KHz |
| Suitable Camera | Up to 64fps, see Refresh Rate and PWM Rate |
| Redundant Data Line | No |
Color Specifications
| Color | Brightness | Wavelength |
| Red | 300 – 330 mcd | 620 – 625 nm |
| Green | 420 – 460 mcd | 522 – 525 nm |
| Blue | 160 – 180 mcd | 465 – 467 nm |
APA102C Advantages
- Presence of a clock allows for faster refresh rates
- High PWM rate allows for filming these pixels with cameras up to 64fps
- Dissipates heat more efficiently than APA102
APA102C Disadvantages
- Only 8 bits of data for each color makes dimming curves less smooth
- Limited to 5V, causing short cable lengths
- No redundancy in data
