# Incompatible strip or user error? **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions\ **Created:** [July 5, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://wled.discourse.group/t/incompatible-strip-or-user-error/8681 "2023-07-05T18:56:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snakebyte](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/wled.discourse.group/snakebyte/32/5338_2.png) [@Snakebyte](https://wled.discourse.group/u/Snakebyte)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://wled.discourse.group/t/incompatible-strip-or-user-error/8681/1 "2023-07-05T18:56:21Z")
Heya folks! I’ve been trying to get some led strips working with wled with limited success. I purchased these addressable led strips before I learned about wled: > **[Amazon.com: GIDERWEL 32.8ft WiFi RGB Dreamcolor LED Strip Light Kit Work with...](https://www.amazon.com/GIDERWEL-DreamColor-Controller-Assistant-Controlled/dp/B07B7CQ2ZB)** > > Amazon.com: GIDERWEL 32.8ft WiFi RGB Dreamcolor LED Strip Light Kit Work with Alexa/Google Assistant,Smart APP/Voice Control 300LEDs Addressable RGB Alexa LED Lights Color Change,Segment Control,Music Sync : Tools & Home Improvement In the “About” section it claims the strips are: “5050 WS2811sb 1903 WiFi LED StripLight” I have WLED 0.14.0-b3 (build 2306210) installed on one of these: > **[Amazon.com: ESP-WROOM-32 ESP32 ESP-32S Development Board 2.4GHz Dual-Mode WiFi +...](https://www.amazon.com/ESP-WROOM-32-Development-Microcontroller-Integrated-Compatible/dp/B08D5ZD528)** > > ESP-WROOM-32 ESP32 ESP-32S Development Board 2.4GHz Dual-Mode WiFi + Bluetooth Dual Cores Microcontroller The ESP32 integrated with Antenna switches, RF Balun, power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, filters, and management modules, and the entire... Under the pulldown in hardware setup for the wled, I chose “WS281X” and set the gpio and led count appropriately. What happens however is that the leds will only slightly light up and show red as I move the color picker around while in “solid” mode. I’ve got an external power supply that feeds 5V/30A and the strip I have connected is only 50 pixels. I have some other identical esp32 devices with an identical power supply but with sk6812 strips and those work fine, and I even tested this setup with one of those strips without issue. Any idea what I’ve done wrong? Or is this strip just not compatible? I’ve included a pic showing a section of the strip. ![led-strip](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/wled/original/2X/0/0a5766ddaa1f30fa5d00ae7100a0a4b6a246718e.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Snakebyte](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/wled.discourse.group/snakebyte/32/5338_2.png) [@Snakebyte](https://wled.discourse.group/u/Snakebyte)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2023, 6:57pm UTC](https://wled.discourse.group/t/incompatible-strip-or-user-error/8681/2 "2023-07-05T18:57:43Z")
Additional close up pic of the chip (I tried to include this in the original post, but for whatever reason there’s a restriction for new users that limits uploads to a single pic?) WS16703 ![closeup-chip](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/wled/original/2X/6/6dcb13933804b4440147f4dae03f93a10f116015.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![SteveMann](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/wled.discourse.group/stevemann/32/4080_2.png) [@SteveMann](https://wled.discourse.group/u/SteveMann)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 8:53pm UTC](https://wled.discourse.group/t/incompatible-strip-or-user-error/8681/3 "2023-07-06T20:53:09Z")
" I’ve got an external power supply that feeds 5V/30A" I am pretty sure that you have a 12V LED strip. ---
**Author:** ![Snakebyte](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/wled.discourse.group/snakebyte/32/5338_2.png) [@Snakebyte](https://wled.discourse.group/u/Snakebyte)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 10:09pm UTC](https://wled.discourse.group/t/incompatible-strip-or-user-error/8681/4 "2023-07-06T22:09:53Z")
Oh man, good catch! I just checked the power transformer that came with the leds and indeed it is 12v out. I’ll look for some kinda step up for this, ty! ---
**Author:** ![divsys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@divsys](https://wled.discourse.group/u/divsys)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 11:51pm UTC](https://wled.discourse.group/t/incompatible-strip-or-user-error/8681/5 "2023-07-06T23:51:07Z")
I’d suggest you just find an appropriate 12V supply and a separate 5V supply for the MCU. ---
**Author:** ![dherkes](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/wled.discourse.group/dherkes/32/797_2.png) [@dherkes](https://wled.discourse.group/u/dherkes)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 12:37am UTC](https://wled.discourse.group/t/incompatible-strip-or-user-error/8681/6 "2023-07-07T00:37:58Z")
You could inexpensively power the MCU with a 5V wall wart power supply, and the lights with a 12V, after you tie the grounds together ---
**Author:** ![Snakebyte](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/wled.discourse.group/snakebyte/32/5338_2.png) [@Snakebyte](https://wled.discourse.group/u/Snakebyte)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 4:06am UTC](https://wled.discourse.group/t/incompatible-strip-or-user-error/8681/7 "2023-07-07T04:06:11Z")
Thanks y’all! I ended up re-using the 12v power supply that came with the led strips, and yes, I needed to tie the grounds to let the esp32/wled device control em properly. So I’ve got three segments now – 2 of those 50 pixel strips that run on 12v and one of those sk6812 5v strips as the third using that different power supply.