Addressable LED. An LED that can be told to show its own color and brightness, separate from its neighbors. This is what makes patterns and chases possible.
Channel (or track). The slim rail fastened along the fascia that holds the lights in a straight line and hides the wiring.
Chase. An effect where light appears to move along the roofline.
Color temperature. How warm or cool a white light looks, measured in kelvins (K). Lower numbers look warmer and more yellow; higher numbers look cooler and bluer.
Controller. The small box that stores your colors, patterns and schedules and sends signals to the lights.
Dormer. A small roofed window structure that sticks out from a sloped roof. It adds extra corners to light.
Eave. The lower edge of a roof that overhangs the wall.
Fascia. The flat board along the edge of the roof, under the eave, where gutters and lighting channels usually mount.
Gable. The triangle-shaped wall section under a pitched roof's peak.
Hip roof. A roof that slopes down on all four sides, with no gable ends.
Jumper (or connector cable). A short cable that carries power and signal across a gap between two roof sections.
Lumen. A measure of how much visible light a source gives off.
Node. Another word for a single addressable light.
Pixel. The same as a node: one addressable light that can show its own color.
Pixel spacing. The distance from the center of one light to the center of the next.
Power supply. The unit that converts household power to the low voltage the lights run on.
Preset (or scene). A saved color and pattern you can recall with one tap, such as a Christmas look or everyday white.
Rake. The sloped edge of a roof running up a gable from eave to peak.
RGB. Red, green and blue LEDs combined to make colors.
RGBW. RGB plus a dedicated white LED, which gives a cleaner white than mixing the three colors.
Schedule. A rule that turns lights on, off or to a preset at set times, such as at sunset.
Soffit. The underside of the eave, between the fascia and the wall.
Wattage. How much electrical power the lights draw at a given moment.
Zone. A section of the roofline that can be controlled separately, such as front and back.
For a closer look at color, spacing, controllers and power use, see our companion guide, Permanent LED Lighting Explained.