Led Matrix Display Panel

Photo of Cris

Made by Cris / Displays

About the project

This is a light panel made of 5x8 type LED matrices, which can be used together with an Arduino platform for example to display text, data from sensors or other messages we want. LED matrices are recovered from broken electronic boards.

Project info

Difficulty: Moderate

Platforms: ArduinoElegooEspressif

Estimated time: 1 hour

License: GNU General Public License, version 3 or later (GPL3+)

Items used in this project

Hardware components

5x8 LED Matrix 5x8 LED Matrix x 4
MAX7219 MAX7219 x 4
10uF/35V Polarized Capacitor 10uF/35V Polarized Capacitor x 4
100nF Unpolarized Capacitor 100nF Unpolarized Capacitor SMD0805 x 4
27k Resistor 27k Resistor SMD0805 x 4
Pins header Pins header x 5
20 Pins DIP Socket 20 Pins DIP Socket x 4
Arduino Board Arduino Board Optional. Other platform can be used. x 1

View all

Software apps and online services

Arduino IDE Arduino IDE Optional. Other platform can be used.
KiCAD KiCAD Optional. Other platform can be used.

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Soldering Iron Soldering Iron x 1
Solder Wire Solder Wire x 1

Story

Hello!

My name is Cristian, and I am from Romania. I am a hobbyist worker with electronics. I build homemade PCBs and I like to work with Arduino platforms with microcontrollers.

Built according to the models already on the market, by using this circuit, plus a platform with a microcontroller (such as Arduino, ESP32) programmed according to our wishes, we can create a light panel that displays a text. Through the software, you can create a custom text, effects for the text, and you can also display special characters, such as the Celsius temperature sign. What is interesting about this project is the fact that the LED matrices used are of the 5x8 type, a little unusual, unlike the widespread 8x8 matrices that we find on the market, and another thing that should be mentioned is that the 5x8 matrices are recovered from other electronic boards that were broken. So, I don't think you can find another electronic circuit with 5x8 LED matrices like this one. The challenge of this circuit is on the one hand related to the design, hardware development, the correct positioning, and also the software that must be specially created and tested when the electronic board is fully assembled. Each matrix has as a driver a MAX7219, widely used in circuits with LEDs and other displays.

This panel with LED matrices can be used together with an Arduino platform, to which you can add a Bluetooth shield, for example HC05, thus, you can insert the desired text to be displayed directly from a mobile phone, for example. Or, you can use a platform from Expressif, which already incorporates Bluetooth or Wi-Fi technology. Besides these, we can add other modules to the circuit, such as a Real Time Clock, or various sensors, and the measured values can be displayed as we wish on the LED panel.

Bill of Materials

"Component Count:" "21"

"Ref" "Value"

"C1" "10uF"

"C2" "100nF"

"C3" "10uF"

"C4" "100nF"

"C5" "10uF"

"C6" "100nF"

"C7" "10uF"

"C8" "100nF"

"J1" "Pins"

"R1" "27k"

"R2" "27k"

"R3" "27k"

"R4" "27k"

"U1" "MAX7219"

"U2" "Matrix_5x8"

"U3" "MAX7219"

"U4" "Matrix_5x8"

"U5" "MAX7219"

"U6" "Matrix_5x8"

"U7" "MAX7219"

"U8" "Matrix_5x8"

Circuit Diagram


Schematics, diagrams and documents

Circuit

Code

Test code

Credits

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