Tools for LED strip jobs
Calculators built on the same formulas and spec tables as our guides. Each one says what it counts, what it leaves out and what to change when a run fails the check.
Check the run before you order the driver
Feed-wire voltage drop calculator
Volts lost between the driver and the strip for any load, wire gauge and home-run length, with the smallest gauge that passes your limit. Power supplyPower supply sizing calculator
Connected load and driver rating for any strip model, run length and loading rule, with the Class 2 outputs the job needs and the drivers from our table that fit. Cut lengthCut length and reel calculator
Each run rounded to the model's cut point, the reels to order, feed points, connectors, channel sticks and end caps as one list to paste into a quote request. AddressablePixel and DMX universe calculator
Pixels, channels, SPI frame rate per chain or DMX universes, controller outputs, feed points and data jump checks for any addressable model. ReferenceLED strip lighting glossary
130 spec-sheet, submittal and inspection terms in one or two sentences each, with the guide that goes deeper, plus a unit converter for metric datasheets.What each calculator settles before the order
Every tool answers one question from the run schedule. Use the result to fix the feed points, the driver schedule or the reel count, then read the guide it is built on when the job does not fit the defaults.
Voltage drop calculator: the wire between the driver and the strip
Enter the strip load, the wire gauge and the home-run length and the calculator returns the volts lost in the feed wire, the voltage left at the strip and the smallest gauge that keeps the drop inside your limit. Use it when the driver cannot sit next to the run: a remote closet, a soffit void or a cove fed from the far end of a corridor.
It covers the drop in the feed wire, not the drop along the strip itself; the strip's own run limit comes from its spec table and is checked by the power supply and cut length tools.
Power supply calculator: how many drivers and how big
Pick the strip model, enter the run lengths and the loading rule, and the calculator returns the connected watts, the driver rating with headroom, how the load splits into Class 2 outputs and which drivers from our table fit. Use it before the driver schedule goes on the drawing and again whenever a strip model is swapped.
Constant-current strip and neon flex are flagged separately, since they run on constant-current drivers and cannot share a constant-voltage supply.
Cut length and reel calculator: runs to reels to a parts list
Enter each run and the calculator rounds it to the model's cut point, adds up the reels to order, places the feed points within the rated run, and counts the connectors, channel sticks and end caps as one list you can paste into a quote request. Use it when the take-off is done and the reel count has to be right the first time.
It works from the cut increment printed in each spec table, so a 48V or constant-current model with a longer increment is rounded correctly.
Pixel and DMX universe calculator: data before power
Choose the addressable model and enter the chain lengths, and the calculator returns the pixel count, the channels, the SPI frame rate per chain or the DMX universes, the controller outputs needed, the feed points and a data-jump check for each run. Use it when a color-changing or pixel job is being laid out and the controller has not been chosen yet.
The result tells you whether SPI or DMX fits the chain lengths and refresh you need; the guide below explains the trade-off.
Calculator questions
How do I calculate LED strip voltage drop?
Voltage drop in the feed wire is current times the round-trip resistance of the wire: take the strip's watts per foot times the run length, divide by the strip voltage to get amps, then multiply by the resistance of the gauge over twice the home-run length. The voltage drop calculator does this for any load, gauge and length and names the smallest gauge that stays inside your limit; the drop along the strip itself is set by the model's rated run.
What size power supply do I need for LED strip?
Add up the connected load (watts per foot times total feet), add headroom, usually 20 percent, and split the result into outputs the strip and the code allow: our 24V Class 2 drivers are rated at 60 W each, so a longer run is divided across several drivers or a high-power supply with Class 2 outputs. The power supply calculator returns the rating, the split and the models from our table that fit.
How far can I run 24V LED strip?
Most 24V strip runs 16 ft (5 m) from one feed before the far end dims visibly; high-efficacy and low-density models go further, and 48V or constant-current models hold a single run of 32 to 98 ft depending on the model. The limit is printed in each spec table as the rated run, and the cut length calculator places the feed points so no run exceeds it.
Do the calculators use real product data?
Yes. The run limits, cut increments, watts per foot and driver ratings come from the same spec tables printed on our product pages, and the formulas are the ones in our guides. The results are a planning check, not a submittal: the models, run lengths and wet location markings are confirmed per quote, and an engineer reviews the layout when you send the drawings.
Send the layout and we size the feed
Reflected ceiling plan, run lengths and driver locations are enough. An engineer replies with the feed points, cable sizes and driver schedule, in writing.
- 1 reel minimum
- Drawings welcome
- US-based support