LED Strip Code Table
| Code | Package (mm) | Personality |
|---|---|---|
| 3528 | 3.5 × 2.8 | Single color, non-addressable, very low power - the original accent chip |
| 5050 | 5 × 5 | Three dies in one package: RGB, addressable strips, higher power |
| 2835 | 3.5 × 2.8 | 3528 footprint modernized: larger emitter, thinner body, integrated heatsink, higher power |
| 5630 / 5730 | ~5.6 × 3.0 | Newer replacement for single-color 5050; slightly higher power, high efficacy |
| 3014 / 4014 / 7020 / 8020 | various | Less common niche packages, same naming logic |
The four digits printed on an LED strip are a spec sheet: they are the chip package's footprint in tenths of a millimeter, and each code carries a fixed personality. 3528 (3.5 by 2.8 mm) is the original single-color, non-addressable, very low power chip. 5050 (5 by 5 mm) packs three dies into one package - the move that made RGB and addressable strips possible - and runs at higher power. 2835 keeps 3528's surface dimensions but modernizes everything else: a larger emitter area, a thinner body and an integrated heatsink that lets it run at higher power. 5630/5730 is the newer replacement for single-color 5050s, operating at slightly higher power with high efficacy.
The code is only half the purchase decision; the other half is architecture. Strips run on 12 or 24 volt DC from a power supply (the driver), 5 volts over USB, or directly from the mains - and the voltage choice decides your run length: mains-voltage strips go much longer in a single run without the brightness drop that plagues low-voltage strips, at the cost of flexibility, weight and thick safety coatings with fewer cut points. Between the chip code, the LEDs-per-meter density and the voltage system, every strip on the market decodes to a one-line datasheet.
How to use
- Decode before you buy: the digits give the package size (3528 = 3.5 by 2.8 mm), the color count tells you the job it can do - single-die chips light, three-die 5050s can mix RGB and address per pixel.
- Budget by watts, which come from two numbers: the chip code (bigger or newer packages draw more) and the LEDs per meter - density moves brightness and power more than most shoppers expect.
- Match voltage to run length: 5 V USB for desk accents, 12 or 24 V for rooms, and mains-voltage strip where one long unbroken run matters more than cut-point freedom.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 3528 and 5050 LED strips?
Package size and die count, which together decide everything downstream. The 3528 (3.5 by 2.8 mm) carries a single die: it is single-color, non-addressable and very low power - the strip for subtle accent light where nothing needs to change color. The 5050 (5 by 5 mm) carries three dies in one package, and that trio is what allows red, green and blue channels in one chip - RGB color mixing, and on addressable strips, per-pixel control - at higher power levels than a 3528 ever draws. The practical shopping translation: if your strip never needs to change color, 3528 (or the modern 2835) is cheaper, cooler and fine; the moment the words RGB, color-changing or addressable enter the project, you are buying 5050-family hardware. Neither code is 'better' - they are different tools, and the digits on the box are the first honest spec to check.
Why does 2835 exist when 3528 is the same size?
Because the footprint stayed while everything inside improved. The 2835 keeps the same surface dimensions as the 3528 - a deliberate choice, so it drops into the same strip layouts and optics - but it uses a larger emitter area, a thinner overall design, and an integrated heatsink that lets each chip run at higher power. The result is a newer single-color chip that out-brightens the old 3528 at similar strip densities, which is why new single-color strips increasingly say 2835 on the reel. The lesson generalizes to the whole naming system: the four digits describe the package, not the performance level - two chips of identical footprint can be a generation apart. Read the code to know what fits, and read the wattage and efficacy to know what you get.
Why does my long LED strip fade toward the far end?
Voltage drop, baked into the most common strip design. Typical strips run on 12 or 24 volt DC in a constant-voltage scheme - multiple parallel circuits of LEDs with dropper resistors - and that design is rather sensitive to small variations in input voltage, including the drop that accumulates along the strip's own copper as current flows. Every meter of run adds resistance, the far end sees less voltage, and the LEDs there glow dimmer and sometimes warmer in tint. The fixes follow from the physics: inject power at both ends or in the middle of long runs, prefer 24 V over 12 V (half the current for the same power, a quarter of the loss), or switch to the mains-voltage strips that exist precisely for long single runs - they hold brightness along the length at the cost of flexibility, weight, thick safety coatings and fewer cut points. USB strips (5 V) have the least headroom of all, which is why they belong on desk-length runs, not room-length ones.
What are 5630 and 5730 chips - and which code should I buy?
The 5630/5730 is the newer replacement for single-color 5050 packages: it operates at slightly higher power levels with high efficacy, meaning more light per watt than the chips it replaces. (The two codes cover near-identical footprints from different makers; treat them as one family.) Less common codes you may meet - 3014, 4014, 7020, 8020 - follow the same package-size logic and fill narrow niches. As for what to buy: single-color accent or under-cabinet light wants 2835 or 5630 (bright, efficient, cool-running); RGB or addressable projects want the three-die 5050 family because color mixing and per-pixel control physically require multiple dies; and whichever code you land on, the second number to check is LEDs per meter, since density moves both brightness and power draw more than shoppers expect. The digits tell you the package; the density and driver tell you the result.