Adafruit
16x8 1.2 LED Matrix + Backpack - Ultra Bright Square Amber LEDs
A 16×8 LED matrix backpack kit featuring two ultra-bright 1.2" amber 8×8 square LED matrices on a single I2C-controlled driver board. The square pixel shape ...
A 16×8 LED matrix backpack kit featuring two ultra-bright 1.2" amber 8×8 square LED matrices on a single I2C-controlled driver board. The square pixel shape creates a seamless, uniform look compared to round LEDs. The HT16K33 chip handles all the multiplexing, so you only need two I2C pins to control 128 LEDs.
The backpack features constant-current drivers for consistent brightness, 1/16-step dimming control, and three address-selection jumpers allowing up to 8 backpacks on a single I2C bus. A small amount of soldering is required to attach the two matrices to the backpack board.
Key Features
- 16×8 Amber LED Matrix – Two ultra-bright 1.2" square 8×8 amber matrices on one backpack
- Square Pixel LEDs – Seamless appearance for text and graphics
- HT16K33 Driver – Built-in clock and constant-current drivers for consistent brightness
- I2C Interface – Only 2 pins needed for full matrix control
- 16-Step Dimming – Adjustable brightness from very dim to full intensity
- Chainable – Up to 8 backpacks on one I2C bus (addresses 0x70–0x77)
Ideal For
- Scrolling text displays and small signage
- Compact notification and status indicators
- Arduino and microcontroller display projects
- Multi-backpack chainable display setups
Package Contents
- 1× 16×8 1.2" LED Backpack (fully assembled and tested)
- 2× Ultra-bright 8×8 square amber LED matrices
- 1× 4-pin header
Resources
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode is a small electronic component that lights up when current flows through it in the correct direction. In this kit, LEDs create the flashing effect, so polarity and correct soldering matter for the project to work.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.
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Displays & Screens
Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au
