What's cooler than a single LED? A whole bunch of them! A super - fun way to create a small display is by using an 8x8 matrix or a 4 - digit 7 - segment display. These matrices are multiplexed, which means you'd usually need 14 pins to control all the seven - segment LEDs. That's a lot of pins! There are driver chips like the MAX7219, but they require a lot of wiring and take up a ton of space. At Adafruit, we get your pain! Imagine controlling a matrix without all that messy wiring - that's where our cute LED matrix backpacks come in. We offer two types: a mini 8x8 and a 4 - digit 0.56 - inch 7 - segment. They work great with the matrices in our Adafruit shop, making it a breeze to add a bright little display. The matrices are powered by a driver chip that does all the hard work. They have a built - in clock for multiplexing the display, use constant - current drivers for ultra - bright and consistent blue color (the images are taken at the dimmest setting to avoid overloading the camera), and offer 1/16 step display dimming, all through a simple I2C interface. The backpacks come with address - selection jumpers, allowing you to connect up to four mini 8x8s or eight 7 - segments (or a mix) on a single I2C bus. The product kit includes a fully tested and assembled LED backpack, an ultra - bright 4 - digit 0.56 - inch tall blue seven - segment display, and a 4 - pin header. You'll need to do a bit of soldering to attach the matrix to the backpack, but it's easy and only takes about 5 minutes. And as always with Adafruit, we have a detailed tutorial on soldering, wiring, and controlling the display. We've also written a great library for the backpacks, so you can start displaying images or numbers in under half an hour. If you've been wanting a matrix display but were put off by the complexity, this is the perfect solution!
Using this product is a piece of cake. First, you'll need to do a bit of soldering to attach the 4 - digit 0.56 - inch tall blue seven - segment display to the fully tested and assembled LED backpack. It's easy and should only take about 5 minutes. Once soldered, you can connect it via the 4 - pin header. Thanks to the address - selection jumpers on the backpack, you can connect multiple displays on a single I2C bus. For wiring and controlling the display, refer to our detailed tutorial. We've also written a great library for the backpacks, which can help you get up and running in under half an hour to start showing images on the matrix or numbers on the 7 - segment. When it comes to maintenance, keep the display away from excessive moisture and direct sunlight. If you notice any issues, check the soldering joints first to make sure they're secure. Also, make sure the I2C connections are properly made. And remember, the display uses constant - current drivers for that ultra - bright blue color, so don't try to modify the power supply settings without proper knowledge.
