Adafruit
Adafruit 14-segment LED Alphanumeric Backpack
The Adafruit 14-Segment LED Alphanumeric Backpack is a standalone I2C LED driver board that makes it easy to add a 4-character alphanumeric display to any pr...
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The Adafruit 14-Segment LED Alphanumeric Backpack is a standalone I2C LED driver board that makes it easy to add a 4-character alphanumeric display to any project. Powered by the HT16K33 chip, it handles all LED multiplexing over I2C — just send commands and it lights up the right segments for you.
Backpacks are end-to-end stackable, and by soldering the address jumpers on the back you can have up to 8 units sharing the same two I2C wires for a total of 32 characters.
Key Features
- HT16K33 I2C Driver – Handles all LED multiplexing and segment control
- Stackable Design – Up to 8 backpacks on one I2C bus (address jumpers on back)
- I2C Interface – Only 2 wires required for communication
- Arduino and CircuitPython Support – Ready-to-use library available
Also Available
- 14-Segment Alphanumeric LED FeatherWing – FeatherWing format with display
Ideal For
- Custom alphanumeric text displays
- Scrolling message boards and counters
- Instrument readouts and status panels
- Multi-digit display chains using I2C addressing
Package Contents
- 1× Adafruit 14-Segment LED Alphanumeric Backpack (assembled and tested)
- 1× 4-pin header
Specifications
- Driver – HT16K33
- Interface – I2C
- Max Stackable – 8 units per I2C bus
- Compatible Display – 2-digit 0.54" 14-segment alphanumeric (×2)
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- Address jumpers
- Address jumpers are small solder pads, links or switches used to change a device's address on a shared bus such as I2C. They matter when you want to connect several identical devices to the same controller, since each one needs a unique address to avoid conflicts.
- CircuitPython
- A beginner-friendly version of Python designed to run directly on microcontroller boards. If a product supports CircuitPython, you can often program it by copying code files onto the board rather than setting up a more complex toolchain.
- FeatherWing
- A FeatherWing is an add-on board made to plug into the Feather microcontroller board layout. Knowing a product is a FeatherWing helps you check whether it will physically and electrically fit your Feather-style mainboard.
- 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 (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.
- LED driver
- An LED driver is a control chip or circuit that supplies and switches power to LEDs. For a display board, it reduces the number of microcontroller pins needed and handles tasks like lighting the right segments and adjusting brightness.
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