Adafruit
Adafruit CharliePlex LED Matrix Bonnet - 8x16 Blue LEDs
The Adafruit CharliePlex LED Matrix Bonnet features a 16×8 grid of blue LEDs driven by the IS31FL3731 charlieplex driver over I2C. Simply plug it onto any Ra...
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The Adafruit CharliePlex LED Matrix Bonnet features a 16×8 grid of blue LEDs driven by the IS31FL3731 charlieplex driver over I2C. Simply plug it onto any Raspberry Pi with a 2×20 header for a bright, programmable 128-LED display — no soldering required.
Each of the 128 LEDs supports individual 8-bit (256-level) PWM dimming, letting you create smooth animations and lighting effects with minimal code. The IS31FL3731 also includes RAM for 8 separate animation frames that can be switched with a single command.
Key Features
- 16×8 Blue LED Matrix – 128 individually controllable charlieplexed LEDs
- IS31FL3731 Driver – I2C charlieplex controller with 8-bit PWM per LED
- 8 Animation Frames – Built-in frame buffer for storing and flipping between animation states
- I2C Interface – Uses only SDA/SCL, sharable with other I2C devices
- 3.3V Operation – Powered directly from the Raspberry Pi header
- Fully Assembled – Plug-and-play, no soldering required
Also Available
- CharliePlex LED Matrix Bonnet – Green
- CharliePlex LED Matrix Bonnet – Warm White
- CharliePlex LED Matrix Bonnet – Cool White
Compatibility
- Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+, Pi 2, Pi 3, Pi 4, Pi 5, and Pi Zero
Ideal For
- Scrolling text displays and status indicators
- LED animations and light art projects
- Compact visual feedback on headless Pi setups
Package Contents
- 1× Adafruit CharliePlex LED Matrix Bonnet (8×16 Blue LEDs)
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- frame buffer
- A frame buffer is memory that stores a complete image before it is shown on a display. Displays without their own frame buffer need the controller to continuously send pixel data, which affects the choice of microcontroller and software library.
- 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.
- 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 (random-access memory) is fast, temporary memory a device uses for working data while it is running; in its common volatile form, its contents are lost when power is removed. Some devices offer a mode that applies settings to RAM only, which is handy for testing changes temporarily because they are not stored permanently and disappear at power-off.
- SDA/SCL
- SDA and SCL are the two signal lines used by an I2C bus: data and clock. Seeing these names helps you identify the correct connections when wiring I2C devices, even though Qwiic cables usually hide that wiring for you.
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