WS2812B LED strip with ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1

Wiring for the WS2812B addressable LED strip on the ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 (ESP32-S3, 3.3 V logic), chosen with the same pin rules BoardPilot uses: default buses first, and no pins that are used for flash, USB, the debugger or booting.

Wiring

WS2812B LED strip pin	Role	ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 pin	Notes
5V	Power	5V	Use 5V for a few LEDs; a separate 5 V supply for more (up to 60 mA per LED)
DIN	Input to the part	4	Data in. Add a 330 Ω resistor; a 3.3 V to 5 V level shifter makes it reliable
GND	Ground	G

Check before you power it on

Supply: 5 V from the 5V pin.
Motors, servos, relays and LED strips can draw more current than the ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1’s pins or USB can give. Power them separately and connect the grounds together.

Test code (Arduino)

// Library: Adafruit NeoPixel
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>

Adafruit_NeoPixel strip(8, 4, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);  // 8 LEDs

void setup() {
  strip.begin();
  strip.setBrightness(40);  // keep it low when powered from USB
}

void loop() {
  for (int i = 0; i < strip.numPixels(); i++) {
    strip.clear();
    strip.setPixelColor(i, strip.Color(0, 80, 255));
    strip.show();
    delay(100);
  }
}

Arduino board: esp32:esp32:esp32s3. Use the port labelled UART. If uploading does not start, hold BOOT, press and release RESET, then release BOOT.

Questions

Which ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 pins do I use for the WS2812B LED strip?

5V → 5V, DIN → 4, GND → G.

Does the WS2812B LED strip work with the ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 at 3.3 V?

Yes: the WS2812B LED strip runs at 5 V and the ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 uses 3.3 V signals, so no level shifting is needed.

BoardPilot checks this wiring in 3D as you build it, and finds crossed or missing wires on the real board.

Download BoardPilot

Full ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 pinout · WS2812B addressable LED strip: all pins and data

The WS2812B LED strip on other boards

ESP32 DevKit Arduino Mega 2560 R3 Arduino Nano Arduino Uno R3 WeAct Black Pill STM32F411CE ESP32-C3-DevKitM-1 Nordic nRF52840 DK NUCLEO-F401RE Raspberry Pi Pico 2 Raspberry Pi Pico W Raspberry Pi Pico Teensy 4.1

Other parts on the ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1

BME280 BMP280 DHT22 DHT11 HC-SR04 SSD1306 OLED MPU6050 DS18B20 SG90 servo Relay module HC-SR501 PIR LCD 1602 I2C INA219 VL53L0X BH1750 MAX30102 RC522 RFID NEO-6M GPS Capacitive soil moisture sensor ADS1115 TM1637 28BYJ-48 stepper L298N Potentiometer Push button LED Joystick module SD card module AHT20