Technical verification request: Are these LEDs true NeoPixels / addressable RGB?

[camarosource]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for technical verification from engineers or LED experts regarding whether the LEDs used in an aftermarket automotive taillight kit are true NeoPixels (addressable RGB LEDs) or non-addressable RGB LEDs.

The product was advertised as “RGB (NeoPixel)”, but after disassembly and inspection, I’m seeing conflicting evidence.

Observed hardware details:

    LEDs are 5050-style RGB packages (visible RGB dies inside).

    No visible controller IC inside the LED packages.

    No DATA IN / DATA OUT traces on the LED PCB.

    LED boards are labeled IN+ / IN- / OUT+ / OUT- only (power).

    Each LED board includes a DC-DC buck converter for local power regulation.

    LEDs change color together via presets (red, green, blue, white, purple, amber, etc.).

    Total LED count: 344 LEDs (172 per side).

Questions for verification:

    Can LEDs with the above characteristics be considered true NeoPixels / addressable RGB LEDs (e.g., WS2812/SK6812)?

    Is it technically correct to classify these as non-addressable RGB LEDs driven by an external controller?

    Are buck converters and power-only labeling consistent with NeoPixel implementations?

I’ve shared some close-up photos of the LED circuit board top and bottom, what appears to be (what i'm told) DC-DC Buck Converter Module, and a close up of the LED's themselves.

Thanks in advance for any authoritative input—looking for facts, not debate.

[uer166]

These are 100% addressable LEDs. The controller IC die is visible inside the LEDs. Their DIN/DOUT is connected, if you want to actually control them individually, you need to do that externally since this is just an LED+PSU board, no integrated controller.

[camarosource]

The full kit

[camarosource]

Is it SAFE to say that these LED *ARE* ADDRESSABLE but the CONTROLLER may not be or that that BUCK control PCB is not SETUP for using the ADDRESSABLE feature of the LED's?

The business owner had custom programming but said they had to go thru 1000's of lines of code to program and would take 10's of hours to do at a cost of $100/hr or more.

If these are ADDRESSABLE, could we not just use an ADDRESSABLE CONTROLLER for example, Blueghozt controller to take advantage of the ADDESSABLE LED's if these are in fact ADDRESSABLE?. ADAFRUIT told me they are https://www.adafruit.com/product/2659

[robzy]

The wires going to the PCB are labelled GND, DATA, and something else likely V+.

These appear to be addressable LEDs. It’s likely that the BlueGhozt will work with them.

You might need to experiment to determine which protocol the addressable LEDs expect.

[stj]

you could use an arduino compatable board with the "fast led" library to do tests.
https://fastled.io/

i have seen stuff like this at car events doing all kinds of scrolling patterns and even "spectrum" displays responding to the car audio system!