Get excited because creating your own 8x16 LED matrix display for any Feather is a breeze! This kit combines two cute miniature LED matrices with a FeatherWing driver board. These 0.8 - inch square 8x8 matrices pack all the features of a large LED matrix but in a smaller size. Combine them for a total of 128 bright red LEDs. This is the Red Adafruit 0.8 - inch 8x16 LED Matrix FeatherWing Display Combo Pack. We also offer these combo packs in White, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Yellow - Green. Normally, wiring 8x16 matrices would need 24 GPIO pins, which is too many. That's where the 16x8 LED matrix backpack PCB comes in. It has a HT16K33 I2C LED matrix driver that handles all the multiplexing work and is controlled via two I2C pins. It's easy to use and has a portable library that works on any of our Feathers to control each LED. The 16x8 backpack is perfect for scrolling or small video displays. In our example, it shows small bitmap emoticons, but you can also display moving text, like a sign at a mini car dealership. This kit includes a fully - tested and assembled 16x8 0.8 - inch LED FeatherWing, 2 ultra - bright square 8x8 red matrices, and 2 16 - pin headers. A bit of soldering is needed to attach the matrices to the FeatherWing, but it's easy and only takes about 15 minutes. Check our tutorial for assembly, pinouts, CircuitPython and Arduino library code, and schematics!
Using this product is easy. First, if you're new to soldering, take your time and be careful when attaching the two matrices to the FeatherWing. It only takes about 15 minutes. Once assembled, connect it to your Feather board. The HT16K33 I2C LED matrix driver does most of the work, so you can use the portable library to turn each LED on or off. You can display different things like small bitmap emoticons or moving text. Just follow the instructions in our tutorial for the pinouts, CircuitPython, and Arduino library code. As for maintenance, keep it in a dry place and avoid getting it wet. If you're not using it for a long time, store it in a safe box. When you're ready to use it again, make sure all the connections are still secure.
