inoLED micro – ESP32-C3 Addressable RGB LED Driver (5–24V)

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inoLED micro

ESP32-C3 Addressable RGB LED Controller

ESP32-C35–24V DC10A fusedUSB-CWS2812BAPA102WLED readyESPHomeHome AssistantESD protected

Compact and powerful LED driver for addressable RGB strips and matrices. Supports chipsets like WS2812B, SK6812, WS2815 and APA102. Flash with WLED, ESPHome or custom firmware over USB-C. Integrates natively with Home Assistant.

ControllerESP32-C3

Input voltage5–24V DC

Max current10A (fused)

ProtocolsSingle-wire + SPI

ProgrammingUSB-C

ProtectionESD + 1000µF cap

🛒Where to Buy⚡Install WLED

OverviewSpecificationsSupported LEDsWLEDESPHomeHome Assistant

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Overview

inoLED micro is built around the ESP32-C3 microcontroller and optimized for:

• Addressable LED strips and matrices
• Interactive and music-reactive LED installations
• Home automation lighting (WLED, ESPHome, MQTT)
• Architectural and ambient lighting
• IoT-connected lighting systems

It provides:

• High-current LED output (10A fused)
• Wide input voltage range (5–24V DC)
• ESD protection on all I/O lines
• Integrated stabilization capacitor (1000µF)
• USB-C programming interface
• Dedicated boot and reset buttons

The board supports both:

• Single-wire timing protocols (WS2812 type)
• SPI-based LEDs (APA102, WS2801, etc.)

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Specifications

Parameter	Value
Controller	ESP32-C3
Input voltage	5–24V DC
Max current	10A (fused)
Programming	USB-C
Capacitor	1000µF built-in
ESD protection	Yes (all I/O)
Protection class	IP20
Operating temperature	-15°C to +45°C

GPIO Mapping

Function	GPIO
RESET button	GPIO_EN
FLASH button	GPIO_9
LED DATA (OUT A)	GPIO_2
LED CLK (OUT B)	GPIO_5
Button / Switch input	GPIO_0

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Supported LED Chipsets

Chipset	Protocol	Voltage	Notes
WS2812B	Single-wire	5V	Most popular, RGB
WS2811	Single-wire	5–12V	External driver chip
WS2813	Single-wire	5V	Dual data line (backup)
WS2815	Single-wire	12V	12V, backup data line
SK6812	Single-wire	5V	RGBW support
TM1814	Single-wire	12V	RGBW, 12V
APA102	SPI	5V	High refresh, precise timing
WS2801	SPI	5V	Legacy SPI chipset
LDP8806	SPI	5V	7-bit PWM per channel
GS8208	Single-wire	12V	12V RGB

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Power & Consumption

Power Supply Requirements

Strip type	Voltage	Typical current (full white)
WS2812B 60 LED/m	5V	~3.6 A/m
WS2812B 144 LED/m	5V	~8.6 A/m
WS2815 60 LED/m	12V	~1.5 A/m
SK6812 RGBW 60 LED/m	5V	~4.8 A/m

Built-in Protection

• 10A polyfuse – protects against overcurrent
• 1000µF electrolytic capacitor – absorbs inrush current on power-up
• ESD protection on all data and control lines

Recommendations for Large Installations

• Inject power at both ends of the strip for runs longer than 2m
• Use 16–18 AWG wire for power distribution
• Use a dedicated PSU rated at 125% of calculated load
• Keep the data wire short between board and first LED

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Install WLED

WLED is the recommended firmware for inoLED micro. It provides over 100 built-in effects, a web UI, real-time control and deep Home Assistant integration — all without writing a single line of code.

Flash via Browser (Recommended)

1. Disconnect external power supply
2. Connect inoLED micro via USB-C
3. Open install.wled.me in Chrome or Edge
4. Select the latest WLED version → click Install
5. Select the COM port → Connect → Install WLED → confirm
6. Wait ~30 seconds for flashing to complete
7. Disconnect USB, connect external power

COM port not showing?

Hold RESET + FLASH for 3 seconds → release RESET → release FLASH after 1 second. Device enters bootloader mode and the COM port will appear.

First-Time Wi-Fi Setup

After flashing, inoLED micro broadcasts a hotspot named WLED-AP (password: wled1234).

1. Connect your phone or laptop to WLED-AP
2. Open 4.3.2.1 in browser → WLED setup UI loads
3. Enter your home Wi-Fi SSID and password
4. Set LED type, GPIO pin (default: GPIO 2), and LED count
5. Save and reboot – device joins your network

WLED GPIO Configuration

Setting	Value
Data pin	GPIO 2 (OUT A)
Clock pin (SPI only)	GPIO 5 (OUT B)
Button pin	GPIO 0
Max current limit	Match your PSU (e.g. 5000 mA)

Notable WLED Effects

Effect	Description
Solid	Static color fill
Breathe	Smooth brightness pulse
Rainbow	Full spectrum color rotation
Fire 2012	Realistic flame simulation
Sinelon	Bouncing dot with fading trail
Twinkle	Random pixel sparkle
Noise	Organic Perlin noise patterns
Theater Chase	Marching pixel segments
Ripple	Expanding concentric rings
Reactive	Audio-reactive (with mic add-on)

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ESPHome

ESPHome gives you full control with YAML-defined automations and direct Home Assistant entity integration — no cloud, no WLED required.

Minimal Configuration

esphome:
  name: inoled-micro
  friendly_name: inoLED micro

esp32:
  board: esp32-c3-devkitm-1
  framework:
    type: arduino

wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password
  ap:
    ssid: "inoLED Fallback"
    password: "12345678"

logger:
api:
ota:

light:
  - platform: neopixelbus
    type: GRB
    variant: WS2812
    pin: GPIO2
    num_leds: 60
    name: "inoLED Strip"
    id: led_strip
    effects:
      - pulse:
          name: "Slow Pulse"
          transition_length: 2s
          update_interval: 2s
      - random:
          name: "Random Colors"
      - addressable_rainbow:
          name: "Rainbow"
          speed: 10
          width: 50
      - addressable_fireworks:
          name: "Fireworks"
          use_random_color: true

SPI Strip (APA102 / WS2801)

light:
  - platform: neopixelbus
    type: BGR
    variant: APA102
    data_pin: GPIO2
    clock_pin: GPIO5
    num_leds: 60
    name: "inoLED APA102"

Button Automation

binary_sensor:
  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: GPIO0
      mode: INPUT_PULLUP
      inverted: true
    name: "inoLED Button"
    on_press:
      then:
        - light.toggle: led_strip

info

ESPHome entities are auto-discovered in Home Assistant when both devices are on the same network and the ESPHome integration is installed.

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Home Assistant

inoLED micro integrates with Home Assistant in three ways:

💡

WLED Integration

Recommended

recommended

• ✓Auto-discovered via mDNS
• ✓Full light entity with effects
• ✓Segment & palette control
• ✓Real-time sync

Zero config after WLED setup

🔧

ESPHome

Best for automations

stable

• ✓Native HA light entity
• ✓YAML automations
• ✓Button / sensor support
• ✓OTA firmware updates

Requires ESPHome add-on in HA

📡

MQTT

Advanced / custom

beta

• ✓Works with any MQTT broker
• ✓JSON payload control
• ✓Raw topic publish/subscribe
• ✓Fully scriptable

Requires Mosquitto or similar

Option 1 – WLED Integration (Recommended)

After flashing WLED and connecting to Wi-Fi:

1. Go to Settings → Devices & Services → Add Integration
2. Search for WLED — your device will be auto-discovered
3. A light entity appears with full effect, brightness, color and segment control

Example automation:

automation:
  - alias: "LED strip – sunset scene"
    trigger:
      - platform: sun
        event: sunset
    action:
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.inoled_micro
        data:
          brightness_pct: 60
          color_temp: 3000
          effect: "Breathe"

Option 2 – ESPHome

After flashing ESPHome firmware and installing the ESPHome add-on:

1. inoLED micro is auto-discovered as a new HA device
2. Click Configure to add the light entity
3. Use the light in automations, dashboards and scenes

The entity supports on/off, brightness, RGB color, custom effects, and button input as a binary sensor — all manageable from the HA UI or YAML.

Option 3 – MQTT

Configure MQTT in WLED under Config → Sync Interfaces → MQTT:

Setting	Example
MQTT broker	192.168.1.10
Port	1883
Topic	wled/inoled

Control topics:

# Turn on at brightness 200
wled/inoled/api  →  {"on":true,"bri":200}

# Set RGB color
wled/inoled/api  →  {"seg":[{"col":[[255,100,0]]}]}

# Set effect by ID
wled/inoled/api  →  {"seg":[{"fx":66}]}

# Read current state
wled/inoled       ← publishes JSON state on every change

configuration.yaml light definition:

mqtt:
  light:
    - name: "inoLED micro"
      command_topic: "wled/inoled/api"
      state_topic: "wled/inoled"
      schema: json
      brightness: true
      rgb: true
      effect: true
      effect_list:
        - "Solid"
        - "Breathe"
        - "Rainbow"
        - "Fire 2012"
        - "Twinkle"
        - "Sinelon"

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Comparison

Parameter	inoLED micro	QuinLED-Dig-Uno	WLED Wemos Shield	Athom LED Controller
MCU	ESP32-C3	ESP32	ESP8266	ESP8266
Input voltage	5–24V	5–24V	5V only	5–12V
Max current	10A (fused)	10A	3A	5A
SPI support	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
USB-C	Yes	Micro-USB	Micro-USB	No USB
ESD protection	Yes	Partial	No	No
Built-in capacitor	1000µF	Yes	No	No
WLED ready	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ESPHome	Yes	Yes	Limited	Limited
Home Assistant	Native	Native	Native	Native
Button input	GPIO0	Yes	No	No
Form factor	Compact PCB	Medium PCB	Wemos Shield	Enclosure

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Use Cases

🏠 Smart Home Lighting

Home Assistant + WLED

• →Under-cabinet RGB accent strips
• →Ambient TV bias lighting
• →Staircase lighting with motion trigger
• →Sunrise alarm wake-up effects

🎵 Audio Reactive

WLED SR fork

• →Music-synced LED walls
• →Beat-reactive light effects
• →DJ / stage lighting rigs
• →Bar and lounge ambience

🏗️ Architectural

Long runs, 12/24V strips

• →Cove and cornice lighting
• →Facade and exterior accents
• →Shop window display lighting
• →Exhibition installations

🔬 Maker & DIY

Custom firmware

• →LED matrix and panel displays
• →Cosplay and wearable projects
• →3D printer enclosure lighting
• →Notification / status indicators

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Downloads

• Datasheet PDF (coming soon)
• 3D model STEP file (coming soon)
• Pinout diagram
• ESPHome YAML template
• WLED presets export

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Support

GitHub Issues

Report bugs or request features

github.com/inovaea →

WLED Flash Tool

Browser-based firmware installer

install.wled.me →

ESPHome Docs

Full YAML reference and guides

esphome.io →