What's cooler than a single LED? A whole bunch of them! And even better? Doubling that number! With our 16x8 LED Matrix Backpack, we've made it a breeze to fit two 8x8 matrices on one convenient board, doubling your project's matrix capacity. These matrices are multiplexed. Normally, controlling 64 LEDs needs 16 pins, and 128 LEDs would need 24 pins - that's a lot of pins! Driver chips like the MAX7219 can help, but they involve a lot of wiring and take up loads of space. At Adafruit, we get your struggle. That's why this awesome 16x8 LED matrix backpack is here. It works great with the matrices in our Adafruit shop and makes adding a bright little display super easy. The 16x8 backpack is perfect for scrolling displays or small video displays. In our example, words flow smoothly from one matrix to the other, just like a sign at a mini car dealership. We powered the demo with a Trinket (not included), making it a compact setup. The backpack uses a HT16K33 driver chip. It has a built - in clock to multiplex the display. With constant - current drivers, it gives ultra - bright, consistent color (the photos are taken at the dimmest setting to protect our camera). It also offers 1/16 step display dimming, all through a simple I2C interface. Each matrix backpack has three address - selection jumpers, so you can connect up to 8 x 1.2 - inch 16x8's on a single I2C bus. The kit includes a fully tested and assembled 16x8 1.2 - inch LED Backpack, 2 ultra - bright round matrices, and a 4 - pin header. You'll need to do a bit of soldering to attach the matrices to the backpack, but it's easy and only takes about 10 minutes. Of course, we have a detailed tutorial on soldering, wiring, and controlling the display. We even wrote a great library for the backpacks, so you can start showing images on the matrix or numbers on the 7 - segment in under half an hour. If you've been hesitant about matrix displays because of the complexity, this is the answer you've been looking for. Just pick your color on the right. Prices start at $14.95! Backpack Dimensions: 72mm x 32mm x 2mm / 1.25 inches x 2.8 inches x.08 inches. Matrix Dimensions: 32mm x 32mm x 7mm / 1.3 inches x 1.3 inches x.3 inches. Pin Length: 13mm / 0.5 inches. This board/chip uses I2C 7 - bit addresses between 0x70 - 0x77, selectable with jumpers. Check out datasheets, Fritzing object, EagleCAD PCB files and more in the tutorial!
Using this 16x8 LED matrix with backpack is a piece of cake. First, solder the two ultra - bright round matrices onto the backpack. It only takes about 10 minutes. Once soldered, connect it to your project using the 4 - pin header. You can power it with a Trinket (you'll need to get one separately). The backpack uses a simple I2C interface to communicate, and you can select the address using the jumpers. There are three address - selection jumpers, allowing you to connect up to 8 units on a single I2C bus. For coding, we've written a great library that makes it easy to display images on the matrix or numbers on the 7 - segment in under half an hour. Just follow our detailed tutorial for soldering, wiring, and controlling the display. When it comes to maintenance, keep the display away from extreme temperatures and moisture. If you notice any issues with the brightness or color consistency, you can adjust the 1/16 step display dimming feature. Remember, the HT16K33 driver chip has a built - in clock to multiplex the display, so you don't have to worry about that part. Have fun with your new LED display!
