FPP and WS2812b not work, but work with python script

[irumi]

Hello, I purchased a WS2812b LED strip. I connected it directly to a Raspberry Pi 3, on GPIO18. 
I'm trying to make it work with Falcon Pi Player (FPP). FPP is installed on my Raspberry Pi, and I can access the FPP interface via my browser. I configured my strip in the OUTPUT tab, as "spixels", port 1 (GPIO18, P1-12) with the protocol WS8101.



On the Display Testing page, I check Enable Test Mode, select the configured LED strip, but it doesn't work.

I tested it with a Python script found on the internet, I run the script via FPP and it works perfectly fine. The major difference I see is the protocol used: WS2811X via Python and WS8101 via FPP. I searched online if I could install the WS2811X protocol, but I couldn't find how to do it.
Do you think my error comes from there? If yes, can we install the WS2811X protocol?


My Python script:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# NeoPixel library strandtest example
# Author: Tony DiCola (tony@tonydicola.com)
#
# Direct port of the Arduino NeoPixel library strandtest example.  Showcases
# various animations on a strip of NeoPixels.

import time
from rpi_ws281x import PixelStrip, Color
import argparse

# LED strip configuration:
LED_COUNT = 50        # Number of LED pixels.
LED_PIN = 18          # GPIO pin connected to the pixels (18 uses PWM!).
# LED_PIN = 10        # GPIO pin connected to the pixels (10 uses SPI /dev/spidev0.0).
LED_FREQ_HZ = 800000  # LED signal frequency in hertz (usually 800khz)
LED_DMA = 10          # DMA channel to use for generating signal (try 10)
LED_BRIGHTNESS = 255  # Set to 0 for darkest and 255 for brightest
LED_INVERT = False    # True to invert the signal (when using NPN transistor level shift)
LED_CHANNEL = 0       # set to '1' for GPIOs 13, 19, 41, 45 or 53


# Define functions which animate LEDs in various ways.
def colorWipe(strip, color, wait_ms=50):
    """Wipe color across display a pixel at a time."""
    for i in range(strip.numPixels()):
        strip.setPixelColor(i, color)
        strip.show()
        time.sleep(wait_ms / 1000.0)


def theaterChase(strip, color, wait_ms=50, iterations=10):
    """Movie theater light style chaser animation."""
    for j in range(iterations):
        for q in range(3):
            for i in range(0, strip.numPixels(), 3):
                strip.setPixelColor(i + q, color)
            strip.show()
            time.sleep(wait_ms / 1000.0)
            for i in range(0, strip.numPixels(), 3):
                strip.setPixelColor(i + q, 0)


def wheel(pos):
    """Generate rainbow colors across 0-255 positions."""
    if pos < 85:
        return Color(pos * 3, 255 - pos * 3, 0)
    elif pos < 170:
        pos -= 85
        return Color(255 - pos * 3, 0, pos * 3)
    else:
        pos -= 170
        return Color(0, pos * 3, 255 - pos * 3)


def rainbow(strip, wait_ms=20, iterations=1):
    """Draw rainbow that fades across all pixels at once."""
    for j in range(256 * iterations):
        for i in range(strip.numPixels()):
            strip.setPixelColor(i, wheel((i + j) & 255))
        strip.show()
        time.sleep(wait_ms / 1000.0)


def rainbowCycle(strip, wait_ms=20, iterations=5):
    """Draw rainbow that uniformly distributes itself across all pixels."""
    for j in range(256 * iterations):
        for i in range(strip.numPixels()):
            strip.setPixelColor(i, wheel(
                (int(i * 256 / strip.numPixels()) + j) & 255))
        strip.show()
        time.sleep(wait_ms / 1000.0)


def theaterChaseRainbow(strip, wait_ms=50):
    """Rainbow movie theater light style chaser animation."""
    for j in range(256):
        for q in range(3):
            for i in range(0, strip.numPixels(), 3):
                strip.setPixelColor(i + q, wheel((i + j) % 255))
            strip.show()
            time.sleep(wait_ms / 1000.0)
            for i in range(0, strip.numPixels(), 3):
                strip.setPixelColor(i + q, 0)


# Main program logic follows:
if __name__ == '__main__':
    # Process arguments
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
    parser.add_argument('-c', '--clear', action='store_true', help='clear the display on exit')
    args = parser.parse_args()

    # Create NeoPixel object with appropriate configuration.
    strip = PixelStrip(LED_COUNT, LED_PIN, LED_FREQ_HZ, LED_DMA, LED_INVERT, LED_BRIGHTNESS, LED_CHANNEL)
    # Intialize the library (must be called once before other functions).
    strip.begin()

    print('Press Ctrl-C to quit.')
    if not args.clear:
        print('Use "-c" argument to clear LEDs on exit')

    try:

        while True:
            print('Color wipe animations.')
            colorWipe(strip, Color(255, 0, 0))  # Red wipe
            colorWipe(strip, Color(0, 255, 0))  # Green wipe
            colorWipe(strip, Color(0, 0, 255))  # Blue wipe
            print('Theater chase animations.')
            theaterChase(strip, Color(127, 127, 127))  # White theater chase
            theaterChase(strip, Color(127, 0, 0))  # Red theater chase
            theaterChase(strip, Color(0, 0, 127))  # Blue theater chase
            print('Rainbow animations.')
            rainbow(strip)
            rainbowCycle(strip)
            theaterChaseRainbow(strip)

    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        if args.clear:
            colorWipe(strip, Color(0, 0, 0), 10)

[CaptainMurdoch]

You want to configure it as a "PiHat" which is a dual-output Channel Output for WS281x pixels.  Install the PiHat virtual EEPROM and configure the PiHat output and your pixels should work.

[irumi]

Thank you for the response. I'll test it this weekend. I didn't think of trying that because I don't have a PiHat on my Raspberry Pi.

[CaptainMurdoch]

The "PiHat" output and Virtual EEPROM is the one used to drive 2 outputs of WS281x pixels using the rpiws281x library.  You don't need a hat installed to use the output.  The pins used match what you are looking for.

If you want to drive up to 24 outputs of WS281x pixels on a Pi, you can use the DPIPixels virtual EEPROM.