user8742: my project involves 9 Neopixel LEDs. I have tested my code with my Arduino Uno board successfully. I'm using a mix of breadboard, jumper wires, and solder to connect everything. Powering the strip of 9 LEDs with 4 AA NiMh rechargable batteries, showing 5.2v on the meter. I've put a capacitor (1000mF 25v) in the circuit, right at the power source.
But when I upload the same code to my Mini (5v/16MHz) and swap it in in place of the Uno, I get nothing. No matter how much I jiggle wires or provide a good ground (which helped me get good results from my Uno). Every now and then by messing with wires, or as a few minutes go by, the first few lights might light up, but not in the right colors and no animation.
Just to test the Mini board I uploaded the sample program "blink" and the mini runs that one properly. So I'm certain my code is getting on there. My program is definitely bigger and involves some quick changes (I'm making an "ebbing" glow of supernatural eyes). Connecting the Mini to the Neopixel strip I soldered a wire with a female jumper onto the board, and my strip of lights has a wire soldered on with a male jumper. As a side note, it takes a little physical handling to get the project to work with the Uno (like pressing a little bit on the data wire in it's plug on the Uno or using a jumper wire in the breadboard clamped in a metal measuring tool and my hand to ground out the circuit). So maybe I'm just experiencing some of the shortcomings of the Mini, but I was under the impression that it would do just about anything the Uno could do. Especially in terms of just providing a data line for the LEDs.
I'm new to Neopixel. This is my first project in fact. So it is entirely possible I'm doing something wrong or there's something I just missed completely, or maybe my luck just sucks and I have some piece of faulty hardware... No idea.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated!

user8742: As I was playing around today I found a solution. Powering the board through the FTDI adapter, which in turn was being powered by a USB juicepack charger, wasn't supplying enough juice and/or ground. It was enough for the Uno to work, so that's what was confusing me. I soldered in a 9V battery and clamped down on the pins with a wrench to ground it out. That made the board happy and it kicked into gear and lit my project up perfectly. It's pretty ghetto but it works! Yeah! :D

8742: <p>my project involves 9 Neopixel LEDs. I have tested my code with my Arduino Uno board successfully. I'm using a mix of breadboard, jumper wires, and solder to connect everything. Powering the strip of 9 LEDs with 4 AA NiMh rechargable batteries, showing 5.2v on the meter. I've put a capacitor (1000mF 25v) in the circuit, right at the power source.</p>

<p>But when I upload the same code to my Mini (5v/16MHz) and swap it in in place of the Uno, I get nothing. No matter how much I jiggle wires or provide a good ground (which helped me get good results from my Uno). Every now and then by messing with wires, or as a few minutes go by, the first few lights <em>might</em> light up, but not in the right colors and no animation.</p>

<p>Just to test the Mini board I uploaded the sample program "blink" and the mini runs that one properly. So I'm certain my code is getting on there. My program is definitely bigger and involves some quick changes (I'm making an "ebbing" glow of supernatural eyes). Connecting the Mini to the Neopixel strip I soldered a wire with a female jumper onto the board, and my strip of lights has a wire soldered on with a male jumper. As a side note, it takes a little physical handling to get the project to work with the Uno (like pressing a little bit on the data wire in it's plug on the Uno or using a jumper wire in the breadboard clamped in a metal measuring tool and my hand to ground out the circuit). So maybe I'm just experiencing some of the shortcomings of the Mini, but I was under the impression that it would do just about anything the Uno could do. Especially in terms of just providing a data line for the LEDs.</p>

<p>I'm new to Neopixel. This is my first project in fact. So it is entirely possible I'm doing something wrong or there's something I just missed completely, or maybe my luck just sucks and I have some piece of faulty hardware... No idea.</p>

<p>Any suggestions would be most appreciated!</p>
 8742: <p>As I was playing around today I found a solution. Powering the board through the FTDI adapter, which in turn was being powered by a USB juicepack charger, wasn't supplying enough juice and/or ground. It was enough for the Uno to work, so that's what was confusing me. I soldered in a 9V battery and clamped down on the pins with a wrench to ground it out. That made the board happy and it kicked into gear and lit my project up perfectly. It's pretty ghetto but it works! Yeah! :D<img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/6oxPo.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>
