Adafruit
Adafruit 16x8 LED Matrix Driver Backpack - HT16K33 Breakout
The Adafruit 16×8 LED Matrix Driver Backpack is a breadboard-friendly breakout for the HT16K33 multiplexed LED driver. Unlike the pre-configured LED backpack...
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The Adafruit 16×8 LED Matrix Driver Backpack is a breadboard-friendly breakout for the HT16K33 multiplexed LED driver. Unlike the pre-configured LED backpacks, this version breaks out all 16 anode and 8 cathode pins, letting you wire up any LED matrix configuration you need — up to 128 individual LEDs.
Communication is over I2C using just 2 pins, with 8 selectable addresses allowing up to 8 boards on one bus for a total of 1,024 LEDs. The chip also supports reading a 3×13 keypad matrix for input applications.
Key Features
- 16×8 LED Multiplexing – Drive up to 128 individual LEDs
- HT16K33 Driver – I2C control with 8 selectable addresses
- All Pins Broken Out – 16 anodes and 8 cathodes for custom wiring
- Stackable – Up to 8 boards on one I2C bus (1,024 total LEDs)
- Keypad Support – Can read a 3×13 keypad matrix (see datasheet)
- Arduino and Python Support – Libraries available for both platforms
Ideal For
- Custom LED matrix configurations
- Driving non-standard matrix modules
- LED signage and indicator arrays
- Combined LED display and keypad input projects
Package Contents
- 1× Adafruit HT16K33 16×8 LED Matrix Driver Backpack breakout
Specifications
- Driver Chip – HT16K33
- Matrix Capacity – 16×8 (128 LEDs)
- Keypad Capacity – 3×13 matrix
- Interface – I2C (8 selectable addresses)
- Max Boards per Bus – 8 (1,024 total LEDs)
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- breakout
- A breakout board carries a small or fine-pitched component and brings its connections out to standard, breadboard- and header-friendly pins. Describing a part as a breakout means it can be wired into a project without soldering directly to the component's tiny contacts.
- 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.
- PWM
- Pulse Width Modulation is a way for a digital pin to simulate variable output power by switching on and off very quickly. It matters for controlling things like LED brightness, motor speed, or servo-style signals from a microcontroller pin.
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