The BlueHat hardware is simple. It features a 3 Amp. buck converter to supply the LED chain from voltages of 6 -12 Volts.

And it has LED 0 of the chain on board, which serves two purposes:

- you can test the module and module configuration without connecting any additional LED's to the module

- if you plan on using 12V LED's, the first LED brings the 3.3V signal from the IoTT Stick to a 5V level which is understood by 12V pixels

A small number of LED's can be driven without external power connection, just from the IoTT Stick. On the other hand, if you connect an external power supply, it will power the IoTT Stick at the same time.