8x8 LED Display Board

This is a Matrix display board, you may upload the words or patterns you like. By adjusting the power supply, HIGH or LOW, the project I made could let people in fear back see the words or patterns. The making process is written below include the materials and a plastic case that you can put your board into it and protect it. With slightly changes of the code and a list, they support you to create your unique shapes.

Idea From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3ccR3xbJSQ

Step 1: Materials to Prepare

5mm LEDs x 64

220 ohm Resistance x 8

IC Pedestal x 2

74HC595 Shift Registers x 2

Prototyping Board x 1

Ribbon Cables x 8

Solder

Soldering Iron

Wires

Voltmeter

Arduino Leonardo

Step 2: 8x8 LED Matrix

Line up 64 LED lights into a 8x8 matrix. Face all the pins the same direction. Bend the cathode into 8 rows and solder them together then cut off the extra length. Bend the anode slightly higher than the cathode and perpendicular to the rows to form 8 columns. Solder the 8 LEDs that line in the columns and cut off the extra length. Do not remove the last pin of each row and column. If you accidentally connected two rows or columns, LEDs will not be able to function.

Step 3: IC and Resistances

Solder the IC pedestal where you prefer (leave a gap between the lights and IC) , one for the row and another for the column. The direction of the pedestal is important, it guides the IC position. Please check the circuit diagram. Later on, solder the resistances in the gap you left. A resistance will be placed elsewhere based on the diagram. Here I recommend connecting the columns directly with the resistance to the pedestal pin. Using less wires allows you to tidy your prototyping board. For the rows, using a wire would benefit you while soldering especially to those beginners. Pedestal's pins are closely lined up one another, you should be very careful or else the IC might break or the matrix might not be functioning.

Step 4: Extra to Connect

Follow the circuit diagram, connect pin 8 and pin 13 together on both IC pedestal. Using solder here is a better choice. Later on, use a wire and solder the ground (pin 8 & 13) and the VCC of two IC together. Last, runs the clockPin, latchPin, dataPin, VIN (VCC), and GND (pin 8 & 13) out with ribbon cables. The plugging order should be identically the same as it shown In the circuit diagram.

Step 5: Test and Finish

Plug the ribbon cables onto the corresponding pin holes on the Arduino Board. The light panel should be responding to your code. If not. use a voltmeter to test the connection of each pin. Besides, check the circuit diagram again if it is not working. For preventing the wires bends and break, find a box that fits you board perfectly may be a choice to make. Just by changing the words coded, the board is able to present the combination you like.

Step 6: Usage

Upload the code onto your Arduino Board and create a box to protect it. I fit the board into a rectangle box, it's light and easy to carry. By connecting to a power bank, it could shine anywhere. The box is made from light guide board. This will keep the light clear while displaying. The box's dimension is 12.4cm x 11cm x 8cm. You need two pieces of 12.5cm x 11cm, two pieces of 8cm x 11cm, two pieces of 8cm x 12cm. You maybe use a L type clip to fix the 90 degree and then uses hot glue gun to glue the box together.

Step 7: Code

https://create.arduino.cc/editor/titan_chen/e5acb88e-ae45-4713-a2c6-c3c3578e0d6f/preview