controlling LED strips

[bumblebee3339]

Originally Posted by electrian21

We used the same LED strip from Adafruit as 2168 and attached it to our robot cart instead of the actual robot. We used an Arduino Uno board, powered by a 12V rechargeable battery provided by a mentor. Then we used the DC/DC power converter from the KOP for the LEDs, since they only take 5V.
For the programming, download the LPD8806 Arduino library. It gives a couple example sketches with which you can learn how to customize the LED sequences. One of our mentors had prior experience with Arduino, which helped a lot with more complex sequences. but basic control is pretty simple and fun to learn. There are a ton of additional resources and tutorials on Adafruit.

Is that necessary to buy the same LED strip model from Adafruit to use the LPD8806 Arduino library?
If so, what should I look for in a LED strip to be sure it works with the library?

I live in Israel and prefer buying a LED strip in Israel rather than paying more for shipment.