cutting 144 led strips

[rhartl]

I am looking to create lettering with the White 144 LED/m - One Meter - WHITE PRODUCT ID: 2242 LED strips. I am wondering if it is possible to cut the strips into shorter lengths. All of them could be controlled by the same controller and powered from the same supply.. Is this possible?

-- Richard

[caitlinsdad]

I have sliced and diced my neopixel strips many a time. The trick is to get good at soldering the wires to connect the cut pieces. Use thin flexible wire. Tin the wire ends first and then you can touch it to the molten blob of solder on the pretinned pad. Too much heat ruins the plastic film that is the circuit board for the strip and the copper pad will just melt off.Look up the Neopixel uberguide on the Adafruit Learning System to get tips to reinforce and add strain relief for the newly soldered ends. Make sure to connect your arduino to the data IN pin of the first neopixel. That one should then have it's data OUT go to the next data IN and so on down the chain. It will act like one long continuous strip. Look for markings on the strip and follow the arrows for the flow. Good luck.