Creating the APA102 circuit

In this section, we will create our APA102 circuit, as shown in the following diagram. We will do this on our breadboard in two parts:

Figure 8.4 – APA102 LED strip circuit schematic

Let's get started on the first part, which will be to place the components and wire up the low-voltage side of a logic level converter:

Figure 8.5 – APA102 LED circuit (part 1 of 2)

Here are the steps to follow. The step numbers match the numbered black circles in Figure 8.5:

1. Place the logic level converter (logic level shifter) into the breadboard, positioning the low-voltage side toward your Raspberry Pi. Different logic level converters may have different labeling, however, it should be clear which is the low-voltage side. In our illustration, one side has an LV (Low Voltage) terminal while the other has an HV (High Voltage) terminal, which distinguishes the sides.
2. Connect the negative rails on the left-hand side and right-hand...