The IS31FL3731 brings back the classic LED matrix look with a great upgrade. This I2C LED driver chip can perform PWM on each individual LED in a 16x9 grid. You can create beautiful LED lighting effects without complex pin - handling. Just tell the chip which LED on the grid you want to light up and at what brightness, and it'll do the rest. The IS31FL3731 is a versatile chip. It can operate with 2.7 - 5.5V power and logic, making it compatible with any microcontroller. You can set its address so that up to 4 matrices can share an I2C bus. It has enough RAM for 8 separate frames of display memory, allowing you to set up multiple frames of an animation and switch them with a single command. This chip is ideal for small LED displays. We've designed the breakout to match our ready - to - use LED grids in red, yellow, green, blue, and white. You can sandwich the driver and matrix breakout and solder them for a compact setup. Or you can create your own setup by following the LED grid schematic in the IS31FL3731 datasheet. Note that this product doesn't come with any LEDs. You can buy a matching LED matrix from us or make your own. Pick up a driver board and your favorite color LEDs. You'll need to do some basic soldering to attach the driver backpack and matrix and connect wires to your microcontroller, but it's not difficult. Install our Arduino or CircuitPython libraries to make the LEDs blink right away. Our library is Adafruit_GFX compatible, enabling you to draw lines, circles, text, and small bitmaps for more graphic control. Check out our detailed tutorial for Arduino and CircuitPython support, pinouts, assembly, wiring, and more!
Using this IS31FL3731 LED matrix driver is quite straightforward. First, pick up a driver board and LEDs of your favorite color. Since the product doesn't come with LEDs, you can either buy a matching LED matrix from us or make your own. Then, do some basic soldering to attach the driver backpack and the LED matrix together. After that, run wires to your microcontroller. It's not a difficult task, even if you're new to soldering. Once the hardware is set up, install our Arduino or CircuitPython libraries. This will allow you to get the LEDs blinking immediately. Our library is Adafruit_GFX compatible, so if you want more control over graphics, you can draw lines, circles, text, and small bitmaps. When it comes to setting up animations, take advantage of the 8 separate frames of display memory inside the chip. You can set up multiple frames and switch between them with a single command. You can also set the address of the chip so that up to 4 matrices can share an I2C bus, which is very useful if you're planning a larger project. Just be careful with the power supply. The chip can use 2.7 - 5.5V power and logic, so make sure your microcontroller provides the right voltage. For maintenance, keep the soldered connections clean and check for any loose wires from time to time. If you run into any issues, refer to our detailed tutorial for Arduino and CircuitPython support, pinouts, assembly, and wiring.
