This item has been discontinued in favor of the newer version available here, featuring an improved board layout.

What is it?

8x8 RGB LED matrix made using SK9822 addressable LEDs, can be driven via SPI bus. Additional displays can be hooked up to make one large display matrix. Supports speeds up to 500,000 LED updates per second.

These are compatible with most addressable LED libraries, just use the SK9822 or APA102 mode instead of WS2812. However, since they're compatible with a standard SPI bus, it's easy to write your own driver for a leaner, faster project overall!

Available with or without JST connectors pre-soldered for easier hookup. If you choose the pre-soldered option, connectors are as follows:

• Power: 2.50mm JST-SM connector (black = ground, red = +3-5V)
• Data: 2.50mm JST-XH connector (black = clock, red = data)
• Male connectors are used for input, and female for output. If the pre-soldered option is selected, a matching female JST-SM connector will be included for easier power connection.

Note that despite the datasheet, an "end frame" is not necessary, and serves only to push data to additional LEDs if you have more than one board connected. Additional "start frames" are actually recommended for this action, as they will prevent LEDs from lighting unexpectedly.

Why did you make it?

There are currently few LED displays on the market using the newer and easier to use SK9822 standard, and the ones that are tend to be unreasonably expensive. This product aims to solve both of these issues.

What makes it special?

Unlike most 8x8 addressable boards which use the older WS2812 standard, these are made using newer SK9822 LEDs. The SK9822 boasts a higher data rate than the WS2812 (up to 16M bits per second vs. 800k bits per second), easier communications protocol (separate clock signal makes them compatible with hardware SPI, no strict timing design needed), and better image quality (3305 discrete brightness levels at 8000:1 maximum contrast ratio, vs. 256 discrete brightness levels at a 256:1 maximum contrast ratio)