NEW PRODUCT – Adafruit 12-Channel 16-bit PWM LED Driver – SPI Interface – TLC59711
NEW PRODUCT – Adafruit 12-Channel 16-bit PWM LED Driver – SPI Interface – TLC59711 – For all of you out there who want to control 12 channels of PWM, we salute you! We also would like you to check out this breakout board for the TLC59711 PWM driver chip. This chip can control 12 separate channels of 16-bit PWM output. This is the highest-resolution PWM board we’ve seen! Designed (and ideal) for precision LED control, this board is not good for driving servos. If you need to drive servos, we have a controller for that over here.
Only two “SPI” pins are required to send data (our Arduino library shows how to to use any digital microcontroller pins). Best of all, the design is completely chainable. As long as there’s enough power for all the boards you can chain as many as you’d like, like a little trail of blue PCBs stretching out into the sunset. Each of the 12 outputs are constant-current and open drain. You can drive multiple LEDs in series, with a V+ anode supply of up to 17V. If you want to drive something that requires a digital input, you must use a pullup resistor from the drive pin to your logic level to create the full waveform.
One resistor is used to set the current for each of the outputs, the constant current means that the LED brightness doesn’t vary if the power supply dips. We use a 3.3K resistor for about 15mA but you can solder a thru-hole resistor over it if you’d like to change that value. Check the TLC59711 datasheet for details on resistor-to-current values. There’s also a handy on-chip 3.3V regulator which you can use if you need a logic level regulator.
We include a few extras to make this board easy to use: a green power-good LED, four mounting holes and a current-set resistor. A bit of 0.1″ header is also included so you can solder it on and plug into a breadboard.
To use: Power V+ with 5-17VDC, and connect ground to the common ground. Then send 3-5V logic SPI data on DIN (data in) and CLK (clock). Our Arduino library will get you started with blinking LEDs, install it and run the example code with the noted pin configuration.
Technical Details:
Dimensions: 22.75mm / 0.89″ x 28.38mm / 1.1″ x 3mm / 0.1″
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!