This pixel protocol was designed by Newstar in China. SK6813 comes in two variants - 5V or 12V. The 12V variant (also called SK6813HV for 'high voltage') is very similar to the WS2815. SK6813HV uses 12V as its main power input for each chip, VDD, which is then dropped down to 5V inside each pixel for its logic requirements. This allows longer chains of pixels to driven in series, reducing the need for power injection. The control circuit and LEDs are integrated in a 5050 SMD package, which provides a small physical footprint for each pixel.
PixLite Support
Are you looking for SK6813 pixel drivers that work with Art-Net or sACN? All PixLite Mk2 products support SK6813 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.
Check out Advatek's new SK6813 Blaze Series of LED Fixtures here
Technical Specifications
| Clock Type | Data-Only |
| Color Resolution | 8 bits |
| Physical Package | SMD5050 with integrated LEDs |
| RGB | Yes |
| RGBW | See SK6818 |
| Output Pixel Voltage |
SK6813: 5V SK6813HV: 12V |
| Input Voltage |
SK6813: 5V SK6813HV: 12V |
| PWM Rate | 1200 Hz |
| Suitable Camera | Up to 40fps, see Refresh Rate and PWM Rate |
| Data Transfer Rate | 800kbps |
| Redundant Data Line | Yes |
Color Specifications
| Color | Brightness | Wavelength |
| Red | 300 – 500 mcd | 620 – 630 nm |
| Green | 1000 – 1500 mcd | 515 – 530 nm |
| Blue | 200 – 400 mcd | 460 – 475 nm |
SK6813 Advantages
- For SK6813HV: 12V operation allows for long cable lengths and long chains of pixels
- High PWM rate allows for filming these pixels with cameras up to 40fps
- Redundant data line reduces chance of entire strip failure
SK6813 Disadvantages
- Data-only restricts refresh rates to be limited by the speed of the protocol, which will generally be slow
- Only 8 bits of data for each color makes dimming curves less smooth
Operational Behavior
WS2815 has been known to induce defects during manufacturing which cause the pixels to display erratic behavior for a brief moment after power up. While many of the features of SK6813 are adopted from WS2815, the design of SK6813 reduces the chance of these same defects during manufacturing. This design sets it apart, making it a more reliable and stable choice.
