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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-rgb-leds-work.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
How do RGB LEDs work?<\/h2>\n
An RGB LED<\/a> is a combination of 3 LEDs in just one package:<\/p>\n You can produce almost any color by combining those three colors. An RGB LED is shown in the following figure:<\/p>\n With an RGB LED you can, of course, produce red, green, and blue light, and by configuring the intensity of each LED, you can produce other colors as well.<\/p>\n For example, to produce purely blue light, you\u2019d set the blue LED to the highest intensity and the green and red LEDs to the lowest intensity. For a white light, you\u2019d set all three LEDs to the highest intensity.<\/p>\n To produce other colors, you can combine the three colors in different intensities. To adjust the intensity of each LED you can use a PWM signal.<\/p>\n Because the LEDs are very close to each other, our eyes see the result of the combination of colors, rather than the three colors individually.<\/p>\n To have an idea on how to combine the colors, take a look at the following chart. This is the simplest color mixing chart, but gives you an idea how it works and how to produce different colors.<\/p>\n There are two kinds of RGB LEDs: common anode<\/em> LED and common cathode<\/em> LED. The figure below illustrates a common anode and a common cathode LED.<\/p>\n In a common cathode RGB LED, all three LEDs share a negative connection (cathode). In a common anode RGB LED, the three LEDs share a positive connection (anode).<\/p>\n This results in an LED that has 4 pins, one for each LED, and one common cathode or one common anode.<\/p>\n RGB LEDs have four leads\u2014one for each LED and another for the common anode or cathode. You can identify each lead by its length, as shown in the following figure.<\/p>\n With the LED facing you so the anode or cathode (the longest lead) is second from the left, the leads should be in the following order: red, anode or cathode, green, and blue.<\/p>\n The best way to distinguish between a common cathode and common anode RGB LEDs is using a multimeter.<\/p>\n Put you multimeter is in continuity mode.<\/p>\n Place the red multimeter tip on the longest LED lead. Then, place the black tip on one of the other leads.<\/p>\n If the LED lights up, this means you have a common anode LED.<\/p>\n On the other hand,\u00a0 if you have a common cathode RGB LED, you need to placed the black tip on the longest lead, and the red tip on one of the other leads (see figure below).<\/p>\n So, to distinguish between common cathode and common anode RGB LEDs:<\/p>\n In this example, we show you how to control the color of an RGB LED using an Arduino.<\/p>\n The project we’ll build uses three potentiometers to control the light intensity of each pin (LED) of the RGB LED to produce any color you want.<\/p>\n For this example you need the following parts:<\/p>\n Note: <\/strong> we\u2019ll be using a common anode LED for this project, but if you already have a common cathode LED it\u2019s fine to use that; just watch out for the differences noted in the circuit wiring and code.<\/span><\/p>\n You can use the preceding links or go directly to MakerAdvisor.com\/tools<\/a> to find all the parts for your projects at the best price!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/rgb-led.png?resize=264%2C239&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nHow to create different colors?<\/h2>\n
Mixing colors<\/h3>\n
![\"color](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/color-mixing.png?resize=276%2C276&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nCommon Anode and Common Cathode RGB LEDs<\/h2>\n
![\"rgb](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/rgb-led.png?resize=1200%2C482&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nRGB LED Pins<\/h3>\n
![\"rgb](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/rgb-led-pin.png?resize=463%2C341&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nDistinguish between RGB LED common anode and common cathode<\/h2>\n
![\"identify](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/common-anode.jpg?resize=750%2C503&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"identify](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/common-cathode.jpg?resize=750%2C500&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n\n
Control an RGB LED with the Arduino<\/h2>\n
![\"DSC08404\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/DSC08404.jpg?resize=601%2C338&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nParts required<\/h3>\n
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![\"DSC08413\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/DSC08413.jpg?resize=626%2C377&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/header-200.png?w=1200&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"rgb](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/rgb-led_potentiometer.png?resize=1200%2C1259&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
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