Arduino powered LED Matrix
I have had this project sitting half complete on my desk for quite quite a few months. With the latest COVID-19 sheltering in fun we’ve been having, I finally found time to complete it. And I’m pretty happy with the results.
The project is an Arduino powered 16x16 LED Matrix using the FastLED library to drive a WS2812B LED array. This could be used to display a variety of fun light displays. I am currently using it to display a variety of classic arcade sprites.
It was a fun project to do and I’m thinking of leveraging this LED matrix concept to create some sort of interactive game in the future. And since I always appreciate it when people share the details on what was used in their projects and how it was made, I have tried to share the details as well. I hope someone finds it helpful.
Cheers!
Details
Source Code
All files and code can be found at: https://github.com/joshgerdes/arduino-led-matrix
Wiring Diagram
3D Models
All models were created in Tinkercad and exported in STL format.
Materials List
| Part | Qty | |
|---|---|---|
| Arduino Nano | 1 | https://amzn.to/369SMRI |
| WS2812B Strip Light - 60 LEDs, 5M | 1 | https://ebay.to/2X7ta3L |
| 3 PIN Solderless LED Cable Connector For WS2812B WS2811 LED Strip Lamp 15cm | 16 | https://ebay.to/2zTukYA |
| 12mm SPST NO Reset Switch Push Button | 2 | https://amzn.to/2WHkzFU |
| Breadboard Jumper Wires | 7 | https://amzn.to/36hR3d9 |
| Black Wood Shadow Box - 12" x 12" | 1 | https://www.hobbylobby.com/Home-Decor-Frames/Frames-Photo-Albums/Shadow-Boxes-Display-Cases/Black-Wood-Shadow-Box---12%22-x-12%22/p/39376 |
| Creatology poster board plastic 22" x 28" | 1 | https://www.michaels.com/pacon-plastic-poster-board-clear/10378153.html |
| Elmers Foamboard 950109 20" x 30" x 3/16" | 1 | https://www.michaels.com/elmers-foam-board-white/10110205.html |
| Command Strip Mini Hooks (17006CLR-ES) | 2 | https://amzn.to/3g5Rkoe |
| Electrical Tape | 1 | https://amzn.to/2Ti1JmR |
Software & Other Resources
- Visual Studio Code - https://code.visualstudio.com/
- Arduino IDE - https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
- Ultimaker Cura - https://ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura
- LCD Image Convertor - https://www.riuson.com/lcd-image-converter
- GIMP - https://www.gimp.org/
- Sprite Image Resources - https://www.spriters-resource.com/