SparkFun
Qwiic Alphanumeric Display - Red
· MPN: COM-16916
Add letters, numbers and symbols to your project with red fourteen-segment digits that are much more flexible than a basic seven-segment display. This Qwiic ...
Add letters, numbers and symbols to your project with red fourteen-segment digits that are much more flexible than a basic seven-segment display. This Qwiic display connects over I2C, so you can plug it in without soldering, without working out SDA and SCL by hand, and without adding separate voltage regulation or level translation.
The onboard VK16K33 LED driver is controlled with I2C commands and can light individual segments, including the decimal point or colon. The SparkFun Alphanumeric Display Arduino library makes printing strings as easy as calling the print() function, and it also supports scrolling text across the display.
I2C address jumpers on the back let you configure the display address, allowing up to four displays on the same bus. The slim board design includes detachable stand off holes, vertical Qwiic connectors and internal mounting holes for easier installation in panels, enclosures and prototypes.
It fits into the SparkFun Qwiic Connect ecosystem, which uses a common 1mm pitch, 4-pin JST connector for I2C sensors, actuators, shields and cables. Documentation and libraries are available for Arduino, Python, MicroPython and CircuitPython workflows.
Features:
- Red display
- Integrated RC oscillator
- 13×3 matrix key scan circuit
- 16-step dimming circuit
- 2x Qwiic connectors
- 2x Wall Mounting Points
- Qwiic connection: Plug-and-go I2C connection with polarised 1mm pitch, 4-pin JST connectors
- Text support: Display numbers, characters and symbols
- Arduino library: Print strings using the print() function
- Scrolling: Scroll your string across the display
- Address configuration: Communicate with up to four displays on the same bus
Specifications:
- Display: Red display
- Operating Voltage: 3.3V
- Integrated RC oscillator: Integrated RC oscillator
- Maximum display segment numbers: 128 patterns
- Matrix key scan circuit: 13×3
- Dimming circuit: 16-step
- I2C Addresses: 0x70 (0x71, 0x72, 0x73)
- Qwiic connectors: 2x
- Wall Mounting Points: 2x
A handy display module for status messages, counters, clocks, test fixtures and other compact I2C projects using Qwiic-compatible boards.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Find this product in
Qwiic Alphanumeric Display Schematic
Schematic · 146.4 KB · Click any page to view full size
VK16K33 Datasheet
Datasheet · 1.2 MB · Click any page to view full size
Supplier page — sparkfun.com
Supplier Description · 630.0 KB · Click any page to view full size
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