Enter the (LED) matrix with this all-in-one, USB-C powered controller for HUB75 panels. The Interstate 75 is an RP2040-based driver board for HUB75-style LED matrices. It’s designed to plug neatly into the back of a LED panel and provides a quick and easy way to whip up some scrolling signage or an eye-catching LED display for sensor outputs. It’s very similar to our MatrixPortal but instead of a SAMD51 + ESP32 for WiFi/BT there’s only the RP2040 chipset driver (which makes it less expensive).
Interstate 2040 is powered and programmable by USB-C. USB-C is capable of providing up to 3A of power which should be enough to power a single 64×64 (or smaller) panel, assuming you’re not planning anything too eye-bleedingly bright. If you need more power than that (so you can chain multiple panels together, perhaps?) you can inject it into the screw terminals instead. There are also two useful buttons, a reset button and an onboard RGB LED.
The folks at Pimoroni also popped a STEMMA QT connector on there, to make it super easy to plug in STEMMA QT breakouts.
Features
Powered by RP2040 (Dual Arm Cortex M0+ running at up to 133Mhz with 264kB of SRAM)
2MB of QSPI flash supporting XiP
Compatible with 32×32, 32×64, and 64×64 LED matrices.
Sturdy screw terminals for powering the LED panels.
USB-C connector for power and programming (3A max)
Qw/ST (Qwiic/STEMMA QT) connector
Reset, BOOT, and a user button (the BOOT button can also be used as a user button)
RGB LED
Fully assembled (no soldering required)
Measurements: approx 48.5 x 31 x 17mm (L x W x H, including connectors)
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 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
Python for Microcontrollers — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: CircuitPython 7.3.0 RC0 Out and Much More! #Python #CircuitPython @micropython @ThePSF
