Question: Has anyone attempted to read the output of a WS2801/WS2811/WS2812 signal at the end of a strip? I am thinking that this would be a way to elminate the distance limitation of these shift registers and to maintain fps. Certainly there would be a slight delay as you read the data and then pass it on, but theoretically it should be possible right?
The 2811/12 don’t have that issue, courtesy of really low data rates and the fact that each chip regenerates the signal and passes it on. Also, the really low data rate caps the frame rate of the 2811/12s.
The ws2801 has a low spi data rate, and my understanding is that it also suffers from signal degradation, but I’ve never done more than a 5 meter chain of them.
I think having multiple output lines would be better than trying to catch/regenerate signals.