Objective
Solve uneven brightness and occasional resets when the full LED ring is driven at higher intensity.
Issue
Voltage drop across the power traces becomes visible as dimmer LEDs farther from the supply point. Under higher current the ESP32 also browns out.
Observation
Measuring voltage at opposite ends of the ring shows a 0.4–0.6 V difference under load. Adding a second power injection point reduces the visible difference significantly.
Finding
Single-point power injection is insufficient for a dense WS2812 ring at the brightness levels needed for ambient viewing. Dual injection + thicker traces is the practical minimum.
Next Step
Design a new PCB revision with dual power pads and wider copper pours. Test with both 5 V and regulated 3.3 V logic levels.