Just noticed these on eBay…
Many here mentioned that APA102 were only available in strip form and they were hoping to get them in different packaging.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-1000Pcs-APA102-5050-RGB-Prewired-10MM-3MM-Ragid-Board-LED-Pixel-LED-Chip-5V-/381276846464?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var&hash=item58c5def980
Nice find, thanks for sharing.
I have used the same package with WS2812b before, just look at my homemade matrix used for my recently posted fireworks display.
I find them more versatile than strips as they easily allow irregular spacing between the pixels.
I find them a bit expensive in that package for now but I guess they will come down in price eventually.
JP, you built your matrix starting with that sort of package? That’s a lot of soldering to use those instead of using strips. Nicely done.
I’d be interested to see APA102’s in a “Christmas lights” sort of string.
Yes, that was indeed a lot of soldering !
To be honest, I had other ideas than a rectangular matrix when I initially ordered these WS2812b miniboards but that’s where they ended up for now !
@marmil For the Xmas light idea, I would be a bit worried with driving them high-speed devices with some lengths of wiring between them… Crosstalk, noise pickup and all !!!
True, I’ve purchased them several times, but the only way to get a deal is to buy them on auction – but don’t drive the price up bidding for no reason. I got my first 50 for $8.00.
Consider an actually “Prewired” board… 16 x 16 (256) $62.99 usd w/free shipping
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shipping-16-16-256-Pixels-WS2812B-Addressable-Ragid-LED-Screen-Board-Pixel-LED-Panel-Light/32271019696.html
I just buy the SMD chip. They are about 15-20c each.
Ok if you can wave solder them but a real pain if all you got is a simple soldering iron !
What’s wave soldering?
I just use solder paste and a $60 solder/hot air reflow gun.
Or put it in the oven when the wife’s out…
Hi @Mike_Thornbury ,
Sorry I did not use the correct terminology here… I did mean to say reflow soldering!
Wave soldering is a totally different methodology not applicable to smt.
It is a commercial PCB soldering process for older style through-hole components where boards on a conveyor belt passed just on top of a ‘wave’ of molten solder.
I am curious, do you have any pics or videos of your assembled APA102’s ?
Nope, but I’ve just developed a new board which should arrive here in the jungle in about a month -it has APA102s. I can take some pics of that.
Home reflow is easy and cheap. Some of the better toaster ovens have a reflow setting (black and decker in NA, I believe), but I just bought a PID controller and will retro-fit it to a cheap toaster oven.
Using a reflow hot-air gun is ok, but not ideal.
Yeah, I have seen a number of these home made reflow ovens over the net but have yet to really need one for myself.
I have tried to solder 28awg solid wire directly to bare ws2812b devices using an old style Weller with very poor success and gave it up.
I can’t imagine trying on the same size device that has 6 pins instead of 4 !!
Now reflow soldering them onto a PCB would definitely be much much easier but the design I had in mind was a 3D contraption (sculpture) made of old CDs (for their reflective coatings) with a few hundred ws2812b.
That simply does not lend itself to any PCB or even strips… 
Sounds like “Christmas lights” would be the right tool for the job. Make up an ‘adapter plate’ to glue to the CD and just push the led through, lie a bayonet mounting.
Or… Make a custom PCB. At under $1 per sq in, it’s not expensive. I just made ten PCBs for a lamp project for $3.30 each, including shipping. The PCB would, in your case, include the mount for the cd and the holes for the wire.
Hi @Mike_Thornbury ,
I really like your idea of a small custom PCB… never considered it…
I will have to re-examine the feasibility of my ‘CD sculpture with RGB LEDs’ using some custom PCB’s
Thanks!
@JP_Roy https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/lLsuM1tX
The two holes are 3mm - but I can make them just snug for a 1.5mm grub screw which just catches the edge of the CD, then you don’t need a nut. The CD centre is 15mm.
I’ve had circular PCBs made before and the dimensions are dead on.
Yes, it’s the only one I know. Do you want the files?