This miniature LED matrix has everything a big LED matrix has, but bite sized! 64 bright Red LEDs are contained inside the plastic body, in an 8x8 matrix. There are 16 pins in total, 8 on each side with a 0.1" spacing so users can easily plug it into a breadboard with plenty of space to wire it up.
Since the display is in a grid, you’ll need to 1:8 multiplex control it. This can be achieved using a 74HC595 (Z8924) to drive the 8 LED anode connections, and a 2nd 74HC595 with a ULN2803 (Z3010), to increase the current handling, to drive the cathode connections. Arduino’s ShiftOut function makes driving shift registers like the 74HC595 a breeze. There also exists single-chip solutions such as the MAX7219 which include the anode and cathode driving circuits, alongside communication decoding to allow control via an SPI compatible interface.
Type: Common anode
Dot Size: 3.0mm
Lens Colour: Black facia and clear LEDs (while OFF)
Pulse Forward Current: 60mW
Forward Current: 20mA
Peak Forward Current: 80mA
Reverse Voltage: 5V
Reverse Current: 100µA max.
Forward Voltage (typical): 2.0V
Forward Voltage (max): 2.5V
Luminous Intensity (typical): 85mcd
Luminous Intensity (min): 70mcd
Operating Temperature: -40°C to +105°C
Pin Row Pitch: 24mm
Dimensions: 32W x 32D x 7Hmm