RP2040 + NeoPixel setup keeps crashing when I connect my full LED prop (198 LEDs)
Hi everyone,
I'm working on a cosplay prop using an Adafruit RP2040 board with a NeoPixel strip (198 LEDs total). I'm currently testing with smaller sections to debug.
I have a very strange and frustrating issue:
What works:
* A small test strip (6 LEDs) works perfectly
* My code runs fine (simple comet effect)
* The board is detected normally by my PC
* CircuitPython 10.0.3 is installed and working
The problem:
As soon as I connect my full 198-LED prop, my computer no longer detects the board at all. It doesn’t show up at all when plugged in. I need to re-flash CircuitPython (flash_nuke) to recover it. After recovery, everything works again with the small 6-LED strip
Things I have already tried:
* Multiple re-flashes using flash_nuke.uf2
* Reinstalling CircuitPython 10.0.3
* Using the correct 10.x Adafruit library bundle
* Ensuring correct libraries are installed (neopixel.mpy, adafruit_pixelbuf, adafruit_led_animation)
* Closing Mu Editor completely before copying files
* Testing with fresh, minimal code files
* Recreating code.py from scratch each time
* Carefully re-copying everything step by step
The issue only happens when I connect the full 198-LED prop.
What could be the issue ? A power draw ? A voltage drop ? Short circuit in the LED strip or wiring ? Damaged LED strip section
Or is there something I might be missing in the way large NeoPixel strips interact with RP2040 boards?
Any help would be greatly appreciated — I’m completely stuck at this point.
Thank you!