Introduction: Make Your Own LED Matrix !

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About: Hi, I'm Nemeen, Electronics Enthusiast! I have seen a huge decline in electronics hobbyist in past few years. I started this channel in order to inspire you to create. Hopefully, you will find something that …

I had dozens of led lying around and didn’t know what to do with them, so I decided to build a Led matrix that can display anything you can think of,

So let's get started!


Refrence - https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-24X6-LED-m...

Step 1: Watch the Video !

If you don't want to read all the stuff you can watch my video.

Step 2: Everything We Need

1) LEDs

https://www.gearbest.com/led-accessories/pp_149375...

2) PCB

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/C18-Free-Shipping-...

3) Arduino Uno

https://www.gearbest.com/development-boards/pp_477...

4) Headers

https://www.gearbest.com/diy-parts-components/pp_1...

5) ICs

  1. 74HC595
  2. CD4017

6) Transistor- 2N3904 or equivalent

Step 3: Matrix Theory !

If you don’t know what a LED matrix is here is a very simple explanation for it,

If we connect the cathode of a LED to –ve of supply and anode to +ve of supply this will be a 1X1 matrix. Which consist of 1 Row and 1 Column.

Similarly now if I take 2 LEDs and short their cathodes this will make 1X2 Matrix and If I add another row to it it will make 2X2 matrix but this time we will short all the cathodes of the LED row-wise and anode column-wise.

Using the same concept we are going to make a matrix which consist of 6 rows and 24 columns

Step 4: ​Schematic and Gerber Files

If you want to edit my pcb you can do it here

https://easyeda.com/nematic.business/246_LED_Matri...

Attachments

Step 5: Soldering the Matrix !

Place 24 LEDs in a row with Anode on the top side and then flip it and solder anode and cathodes to the points then trim all leads,now short all cathodes of LEDs you can also make a track but I prefer using silver copper wire. Now repeat this process for next 5 rows

Now its time to short all the anodes column-wise. If you don’t have a silver copper wire you can bend the legs of LEDs and solder them

Step 6: Soldering PCB !

Already looking at the complexity of this project which includes 3 shift registers,a 4017 counter, 6 transistors, an Arduino Uno and dozens of resistor I decided to make a PCB which I designed in EasyEDA and Ordered through JLCPCB.

Once PCB arrived first I did some continuity test to make sure everything is proper and according to the circuit and then finished the soldering process.

Step 7: Connections and Programming

In the end, I used male-female headers for the connections and connected everything using wires.

Program for the matrix was originally made by Instructable user Syst3mx,

Update 06/12/18: I have made the modification to make it work for 24 Characters

And it is very simple just use excel file and make all the words or numbers you want, copy it to the code in #define line and edit a line below and you are done!

Attachments

Step 8: Thank You

If you like my work

Feel free to check out my YouTube channel for more awesome stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/c/Nematics_lab

You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter etc for upcoming projects

https://www.facebook.com/NematicsLab/

https://www.instagram.com/nematic_yt/

https://twitter.com/Nematic_YT

Check out JLCPCB
$2 PCB Prototype (10pcs,10*10cm): https://jlcpcb.com