What's cooler than a single LED? A whole bunch of them! And even better, two times as many LEDs! With our 16x8 LED Matrix Backpack, we've made it a breeze to double your project's matrix capacity. It's super easy to fit two separate 8x8 matrices on one convenient board. These matrices are multiplexed. Normally, controlling 64 LEDs needs 16 pins, and 128 LEDs 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 a lot of space. We at Adafruit get your pain. What if you could control two matrices without all that wiring? That's where this great 16x8 LED matrix backpack comes in. It works perfectly with the matrices in our Adafruit shop and makes adding a bright little display a piece of cake. This 16x8 backpack is also perfect for creating scrolling displays or small video displays. In our example, words flow from one matrix to the other, just like a sign in front of a mini car dealership. We powered the demo with a Trinket (not included), so it comes in a nice, compact package. The backpack uses a HT16K33 driver chip that does all the hard work for you. It has a built - in clock for multiplexing the display. It uses constant - current drivers for ultra - bright, consistent color (the images are taken at the dimmest setting to avoid overloading our camera). It also has 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' 16x8's on a single I2C bus. This kit includes a fully tested and assembled 16x8 1.2' LED Backpack, 2 ultra - bright round 8x8 white matrices, and a 4 - pin header. You'll need to do a bit of soldering to attach the two matrices to the backpack, but it's very easy and only takes about 10 minutes. We also have a detailed tutorial on how to solder, wire, and control the display. We've even written a great library for the backpacks, so you can start displaying images on the matrix or numbers on the 7 - segment in under half an hour. If you've been eyeing matrix displays but were put off by the complexity, this is the solution you've been waiting for!
Using this 16x8 LED Matrix with Backpack is a fun and easy process. First, you'll need to solder the two ultra - bright round 8x8 white matrices onto the fully tested and assembled 16x8 1.2' LED Backpack. It's a simple task that takes about 10 minutes. Once soldered, you can connect the backpack to your project. The backpack uses a simple I2C interface, which makes it easy to wire up. If you want to connect multiple 1.2' 16x8 units, you can use the three address - selection jumpers to connect up to 8 of them on a single I2C bus. For powering the display, you can use a Trinket (not included), which will give you a nice, compact setup. We've also provided a detailed tutorial on how to solder, wire, and control the display. And there's a great library for the backpacks that will help you start displaying images on the matrix or numbers on the 7 - segment in under half an hour. When it comes to maintenance, make sure to keep the display clean. You can use a soft, dry cloth to wipe it gently. Avoid exposing it to extreme temperatures or humidity as this may affect the performance of the LEDs. If you have any issues, refer to our detailed tutorial or reach out to our support team.
