SparkFun

Qwiic Alphanumeric Display - Blue

Name: Qwiic Alphanumeric Display - Blue
Brand: SparkFun
SKU: SF-COM-16917
Price: 20.2 AUD
Availability: InStock

· MPN: COM-16917

Displays LED Matrices & Displays SparkFun Displays & User Interface Arduino Display Modules SparkFun Qwiic Ecosystem

$20.20 |

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Show numbers, letters, characters and symbols in bright blue with this compact four-character alphanumeric display. Each digit uses fourteen segments, giving...

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Show numbers, letters, characters and symbols in bright blue with this compact four-character alphanumeric display. Each digit uses fourteen segments, giving you far more flexibility than a standard seven-segment display.

It connects through the SparkFun Qwiic system, so setup is simple: plug in a Qwiic cable with no soldering, no SDA/SCL guesswork, and no voltage regulation or translation required. The board uses the VK16K33 LED driver over I2C.

The SparkFun Alphanumeric Display Arduino library lets you print strings to the display with a simple print() call. It can also light individual segments, including the decimal point or colon, and scroll text across the display. Arduino, Python, MicroPython and CircuitPython library support is listed in the supplied documentation.

Address jumpers on the back let you configure the I2C address so up to four displays can share the same bus. The slim board includes detachable stand-off holes, vertical Qwiic connectors and internal mounting holes for easier integration into projects.

Features:

Blue display
Integrated RC oscillator
13×3 matrix key scan circuit
16-step dimming circuit
2x Qwiic connectors
2x Wall Mounting Points

Specifications:

Operating Voltage: 3.3V
Maximum display segment numbers: 128 patterns
I2C Addresses: 0x70 (0x71, 0x72, 0x73)
Qwiic connector: common 1mm pitch, 4-pin JST connector

A handy display module for clocks, counters, status readouts, sensor values, menu prompts and other I2C-based maker projects.

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.
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.
I2C address: An I2C address is the number a device uses so a microcontroller can tell it apart from other devices on the same I2C bus. It matters because two devices with the same fixed address may conflict if used together.
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.
Matrix key scan: Matrix key scanning is a way to read many buttons arranged in rows and columns using fewer pins. If a display driver includes this feature, it can potentially handle a small keypad as well as the display, depending on how the board exposes it.
MicroPython: A version of the Python programming language made to run on microcontrollers. It matters because it lets beginners write readable code to control LEDs, sensors, motors and displays without needing to start with lower-level languages.
Qwiic: Qwiic is a plug-in connector system for I2C devices that uses small 4-pin cables, so you can connect compatible sensors without soldering. It matters because your controller or adapter also needs Qwiic, or you will need a cable or breakout to wire it up.
RC oscillator: An RC oscillator is a simple timing circuit made from a resistor and capacitor. In a display driver, it provides an internal clock so the chip can refresh the display without needing a separate timing signal from your microcontroller.
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.
Seven-segment display: A common numeric display made from seven LED bars arranged to form digits. It is good for numbers but limited for letters, so comparing it with a fourteen-segment display helps you judge what kind of text the product can show.
VK16K33: A chip used to drive LED segment displays and scan simple key matrices. Its presence means the microcontroller does not have to control every LED segment directly, and you communicate with the display using commands instead of many separate wires.