# Easiest way to wire the Photon to Neopixels

**URL:** https://community.particle.io/t/easiest-way-to-wire-the-photon-to-neopixels/13150
**Category:** Hardware
**Created:** [July 11, 2015, 12:59am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/easiest-way-to-wire-the-photon-to-neopixels/13150 "2015-07-11T00:59:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 10

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![ScruffR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/scruffr/32/6952_2.png) [@ScruffR](https://community.particle.io/u/ScruffR)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2018, 8:05am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/easiest-way-to-wire-the-photon-to-neopixels/13150/10 "2018-01-28T08:05:17Z")

</div>

While using a logic level shifter (of any kind - see bellow) is advisable, well manufactured NeoPixels can usually cope with the 3.3V data as the LOW/HIGH threshold sits somewhere round about 3V.  
But lesser quality LEDs tend to have higher thresholds an hence won't reliably recognise 3.3V as HIGH.

> [@osprey](#):
>
> can I safely drive a Neopixel device directly from a Photon's pin 6 when powering both with 5V or will I end up frying something?

As long the LEDs' power rails are connected to Vin and GND (or external 5V supply with common ground) you won't fry the GPIO on the Photon as the current draw of the NeoPixel data pin is neglible and no voltage is coming _from_ there either. But you might see erronous colours on your LEDs when they are not happy with the level.  
But you'll also not need a fancy level shifter chip to do the job. A simple transistor controlled via the GPIO switching 5V to the data pin will do.

---

_[View the full topic](https://community.particle.io/t/easiest-way-to-wire-the-photon-to-neopixels/13150)._