Skip to main content
Serial (SPI) Tri-Color LED Driver. Use the NLSF595 shift register to connect power-hungry RGB LEDs to your microcontroller. A single unit can control two RGB LEDs, and a chain of two units can control up to five RGB LEDs.

Pins

SI
input
Serial input
SCK
clock
Serial clock
RCK
control
Storage (latch) pin
OE
control
Output enable, active low. Connect to GND if not used.
QA…QH
output
Parallel output
SQH
output
Serial output - Use to chain multiple NLSF595 units together. Connect SQH to the SI pin of the next NLSF595 chip in chain.
SCLR
control
Reset (clear), active low. Connect to VCC if not used
GND
ground
Ground
VCC
power
Supply voltage

Using the NLSF595

You will need to connect at least 3 pins to your microcontroller: SI, SCK, and RCK. The OE pin can be used to disable the output of the shift register. If you need that functionality, connect it to your microcontroller. Otherwise, connect it to the ground to permanently enable the output. The output pins of the shift register, QA through QH, are usually connected to the input pins of common-anode RGB LEDs.

Simulator examples

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love