SparkFun Qwiic Alphanumeric Display - Purple

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.

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.

PCB

A printed circuit board is a rigid board with copper tracks that connect electronic parts without loose wires. For this kit, the PCBs also form the airplane shape, so they are both the circuit base and part of the finished model.

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.

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.