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Adafruit RGB Matrix HAT Raspberry Review

8

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Average

Revainrating 4 out of 5  
Rating 
3.9
🖥️. Single Board Computers, 💻 Computer Components

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img 1 attached to Adafruit RGB Matrix HAT Raspberry

Description of Adafruit RGB Matrix HAT Raspberry

Simple design - plug in power, plug in IDC cable, and run Adafruit's Python code. Onboard level shifters to convert the RasPi's 3.3V to 5.0V logic for clean matrix driving. Works with Adafruit 16x32, 32x32 or 32x64 RGB LED Matrices with HUB75 connections. You can even chain multiple matrices together for a longer display. Included: RGB Matrix HAT controller. NOT Included: RGB LED Matrix (sold separately), Raspberry Pi, 5V power supply, or coin cell battery for Real Time Clock. (Real Time Clock not needed for unit to function)

Reviews

Global ratings 8
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    5
  • 4
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  • 3
    1
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    1

Type of review

Revainrating 2 out of 5

The HUB75 connector was very poorly made. two of .

The HUB75 connector is very poorly made. Two pins were inserted so that they protruded an inch from the back of the connector, meaning that any cable that plugged into that connector could not connect to those pins.

Pros
  • Confident
Cons
  • Cable is shorter than other picks

Revainrating 5 out of 5

The easiest way to use the HUB75 panel

Using this Pi Hat is much easier than connecting it manually. There are several other boards, but this one is the easiest in my opinion. If you use this hat, make sure your panel is a HUB75 panel and not one of the other panel types floating around.

Pros
  • Very good value for money
Cons
  • There are disadvantages

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Ideal for prototyping projects.

Ideal for prototyping projects. It's much easier to quickly wire up [compatible] panels that follow a direct GPIO connection. Completed all Pi demo projects as expected. Although my C programming sucks and I've had limited success compiling and running my own programs.

Pros
  • Absolutely amazing!
Cons
  • unreliable

Revainrating 3 out of 5

So far one R-Pi has died and the other shows "low voltage "

Pi3 power should work through this hat, but I'm only getting about 4.8V consistently to power the Pi and hence there is a flash to indicate low voltage. Turning on the old Pi3b caused the burnout - just booting up the Pi, no LEDs - even though they were connected. The result was magic smoke, and now it's DOA.

Pros
  • price
Cons
  • The list will be long.

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Great hat! It is necessary to solder the GPIO connector to the cap.

The hat makes it easier to interact with your Pi. Many people use their Pi to control lights for the holidays. This hat is plug and play. The only problem is that it comes with an unsoldered connector. You need to solder the GPIO to the board. Very easy. Great hat! No over or under current. Lots of security features to protect your Pi.

Pros
  • Ideal for a small home
Cons
  • Weight

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Best RGB Matrix Hat

Adafruit kicks the ball out of the park with this RGB Matrix hat. I am creating a 16 x 164 RGB matrix to display local bus times and schedules for my wife. Easy to assemble and connect to Raspberry PI. You can see the build hat in the photos I've included. Screws and gaskets are not included. I added those. As a plus, they included a real-time clock. Great work Adafrut!

Pros
  • Certified
Cons
  • Almost Never

Revainrating 1 out of 5

Doesn't work with Adafruit's own LED panels

It works with panels I bought from Revain, but not identical Adafruit panels, and my queries to Adafruit support went unanswered. The Adafruit panels have a huge amount of static while all other panels I've tried have a sharp image. While the Matrix Hat works with some panels, the design is poor and soldering is a pain. Parts are often missing from packages and stands are needed as it had a Hub75 connector in the middle but doesn't include it. The Hub75 connector to be soldered is made of cheap

Pros
  • A few competitors
Cons
  • Some minor issues

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Great board with RTC addon

Works great for me! I bought a 128x64 LED dot matrix display here. I used my raspberry pi and drove it directly. It worked fine. But the Raspberry Pi IO is at 3.3V and the matrix display is usually at 5V, there are glitches on the display, especially when the brightness is reduced. With this cap, it converts 3.3V logic to 5V, and no more glitches! Please note that you have to solder the pins. The pads are placed close together to match the pins on the Raspberry Pi. It's good to turn the Pi over

Pros
  • Decent performance
Cons
  • Miscellaneous Miscellaneous