Adafruit
Small 1.2 8x8 Bright Square LED Matrix + Backpack - Blue
The Small 1.2" (30 mm) 8x8 Bright Square LED Matrix + Backpack combines a vivid blue LED matrix with an I2C backpack driver board, making it simple to add a ...
The Small 1.2" (30 mm) 8x8 Bright Square LED Matrix + Backpack combines a vivid blue LED matrix with an I2C backpack driver board, making it simple to add a compact display to any microcontroller project without complex wiring.
The HT16K33 driver chip handles all multiplexing, constant-current drive for consistent colour, and 1/16-step dimming — all controlled over a two-wire I2C bus. Three address-selection jumpers allow up to eight backpacks on a single bus, so you can build larger or mixed displays with ease.
Key Features
- I2C Interface – Only two data pins required (SDA + SCL)
- HT16K33 Driver – Built-in oscillator and constant-current LED drivers
- Adjustable Brightness – 1/16-step display dimming via software
- Chainable – Three address jumpers allow up to 8 devices on one I2C bus
- Compact Size – 1.2" (30 mm) square pixel matrix
- LED Colour – Blue
Ideal For
- Status indicators and simple animations
- Scrolling text displays
- Sensor data visualisation
- Multi-display arrays using I2C addressing
Package Contents
- 1× Assembled and tested 1.2" LED backpack (HT16K33)
- 1× 1.2" 8x8 square pixel blue LED matrix
- 1× 4-pin header
Resources
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- Address jumpers
- Address jumpers are small solder pads or links used to change a device’s bus address. They matter when you want to connect multiple identical displays to the same controller without their addresses conflicting.
- 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.
Find this product in
Displays & Screens
Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au
