Get excited because creating your own 8x16 LED matrix display for any Feather is a breeze! This kit pairs two cute miniature LED matrices with a FeatherWing driver board. Measuring 0.8 inches square, these 8x8 matrices pack all the features of a large LED matrix but in a smaller size. Combine them for a total of 128 bright blue LEDs. This is the Blue Adafruit 0.8-Inch 8x16 LED Matrix FeatherWing Display Combo Pack. We also offer these combo packs in White, Green, Red, Yellow, and Yellow-Green. Normally, wiring 8x16 matrices would need 24 GPIO pins, which is too many. That's where this great 16x8 LED matrix backpack PCB comes in. It has a HT16K33 I2C LED matrix driver that handles all the multiplexing, and it's controlled via two I2C pins. It's easy to use and has a portable library that works on any of our Feathers to turn each LED on or off. 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. The kit includes a fully tested and assembled 16x8 0.8-Inch LED FeatherWing, 2 ultra-bright square 8x8 blue 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, schematics, and more!
Using this Adafruit LED matrix display kit is simple. First, you'll need to do a bit of soldering to attach the two blue 8x8 matrices to the FeatherWing. It only takes about 15 minutes, and you can find detailed assembly instructions in our tutorial. Once assembled, you can use the HT16K33 I2C LED matrix driver to control the LEDs. It's controlled over the two I2C pins, and there's a portable library that runs on any of our Feathers to turn each LED on or off. You can display small bitmap emoticons or moving text. When it comes to maintenance, keep the display in a dry and clean environment. Avoid exposing it to extreme temperatures or physical damage. If you run into any issues, refer to the schematics and code in our tutorial for troubleshooting.
