GS8208 VS WS2815

From web, you can find we do not have any WS2815 series led products. Indeed, what our 12V addressable series led products are GS8208 series.

Many customers asked us why we don’t choose WS2815 with its famous.  So today we write something here.

Integrated 12V RGB SMD, normally there are three version, WS2815 from Worldsemi, GS8208 from Genesis and SK6813 from Opsco.(The features of SK6813 are very similar to GS8208)

Clarify the differences between WS2815 and GS8208. 

Firstly we should note the functions they both share:

• They are 3-channel LED chips integrated 5050 with dual SPI data transfer.
  
• Individually address to control by 12V driver with 8bits data.
  
• Their most notable features is named breakpoint-continues transmission with double data signal that could avoid RGB LEDs color influenced by the failure of one light in serial connection, at least reduces chance of entire strip failure.  

WS2815 LED is the evolutionary product from WS2813. It came out earlier than the GS8208 actually.

Observed under the microscope we can see, the WS2815 RGB led is adopt the built-in design of resistance and capacitor.

There no resistance and capacitor inside GS8208 RGB LED.  

As we known, the led strips are consist of strands of LEDs connected in parallel. Each strand of LEDs has one or more LEDs connected in series. A resistor or constant-current driver IC is connected in series with each LED or LED strand to regulate the voltage and prevent short spikes in current from damaging the LED.

Based on this principle, when design the PCB circuits, should design capacitors and resistors copper corresponding.

So, if chose WS2815 LED, there no need to add resistors and capacitors. But if chose the GS8208 LED, we should design these two components externally on PCB.

From a visual perspective, WS2815 LED series PCB have a better looks than the GS8208 LED series PCB.

The differences in technical characteristics between GS8208 and WS2815:

1. GS8208 have higher PWM rate,8KHZ PWM rate allows for filming pixels with around 260fps that WS2815 is 2KHZ PWM rate allows for filming pixels with around 60fps.
2. GS8208 RGB LED have 12-bit built-in gamma scaling makes dimming curves more smooth that WS2815 do not have. So, GS8208 is better at mixing lower brightness colors.
3. Previous GS8208 LED version have test pattern inside when power on. The latest GS8208 RGB led version is no test demo inside.
4. GS8208 is constant current that chips inside are wired internally in series. WS2815 is wired internally in parallel inside.
5. When we make electrostatic interference test, they have different performance, WS2815 have a strong phenomenon of being disturbed when we put mobile near to the ws2815 led strips that makes led strips flashing. GS8208 work regularly when we put mobile near to it.

Summarize:

The integrated RGB leds have been known to induce defects during manufacturing, but compared to the WS2815 and GS8208, the WS2815 due to integrated the resistor and capacitor, increases the chance of induce defects during assemble. However, this induce defects also proved to be the case.

Above info, that’s why we choose the GS8208 LED to make 12V individually addressable RGB led strips from 30 to 144 pixels.

If you have more info for these LEDs, tell us freely.

Best regards from Art LED Team