Adafruit
Adafruit 16x9 Charlieplexed PWM LED Matrix Driver - IS31FL3731
The Adafruit IS31FL3731 breakout is a charlieplexed PWM LED matrix driver that controls a 16×9 grid of individually dimmable LEDs over I2C. Each of the 144 L...
The Adafruit IS31FL3731 breakout is a charlieplexed PWM LED matrix driver that controls a 16×9 grid of individually dimmable LEDs over I2C. Each of the 144 LEDs can be set to any brightness level with 8-bit (256-level) PWM — no complex wiring or constant signal sending required.
The IS31FL3731 operates at 2.7–5.5V, making it compatible with any microcontroller. Up to 4 boards can share an I2C bus using address selection. The chip includes onboard RAM for 8 separate frames of display memory, enabling smooth animations with a single frame-switch command.
Key Features
- 16×9 LED Matrix – Drive up to 144 charlieplexed LEDs
- IS31FL3731 Driver – I2C control with individual 8-bit PWM dimming
- 8 Animation Frames – Onboard RAM for storing and switching display frames
- 2.7–5.5V Operation – Compatible with any 3.3V or 5V microcontroller
- Up to 4 Boards – Selectable I2C addresses for multiple displays
- Adafruit_GFX Compatible – Draw lines, circles, text, and bitmaps
Ideal For
- Custom LED matrix displays
- LED animations and lighting effects
- Compact indicator arrays and signage
- Pairing with Adafruit LED grid modules
Package Contents
- 1× Adafruit IS31FL3731 16×9 charlieplex LED matrix driver breakout
Specifications
- Driver Chip – IS31FL3731
- Matrix Capacity – 16×9 (144 LEDs)
- PWM Resolution – 8-bit (256 levels) per LED
- Animation Frames – 8
- Operating Voltage – 2.7–5.5V
- Interface – I2C (4 selectable addresses)
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- breakout
- A breakout is a small circuit board that makes a tiny or hard-to-solder component easier to connect to with standard pins. It matters because this OLED module can be wired into a microcontroller project without needing to solder directly to the display’s fine 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 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.
- 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.
- RAM
- RAM is temporary memory used while a device is running, and its contents are lost when power is removed. A “Run in RAM” mode is useful for testing settings without permanently programming the module, but it may not support every feature.
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