Beginner
10 min

Creates dynamic red visual outputs with MAX7129 and PIC32MZ1024EFH064

Serial 8x8 red LED matrix display

8x8 R Click with PIC32MZ clicker

Published Mar 09, 2025

Click board™

8x8 R Click

Dev. board

PIC32MZ clicker

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC32MZ1024EFH064

Create dynamic red LED matrix display perfect for indicators, animations, and real-time visual feedback

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

8x8 R Click is a compact 64 red LED matrix display Click board™, featuring a MAX7129 LED driver for precise control. It enables independent LED control, 16-step digital brightness adjustment, and glitch-free startup by blanking the display on power-up. With a fast SPI interface, 8x8 R Click ensures smooth data transmission and quick

response. The MAX7129 IC integrates 8x8 RAM storage, a 16-bit data shifter, a constant current source, and a PWM intensity control register, allowing efficient LED matrix operation. Designed for easy integration, the board requires only one external resistor for current control, simplifying the design. The 800Hz refresh rate ensures flicker-free

performance, while daisy-chaining support allows expansion with multiple modules. Ideal for LED matrix displays, bar graphs, and panel meters, 8x8 R Click provides a reliable solution for visual output in embedded applications.

8x8 R Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

PIC32MZ Clicker is a compact starter development board that brings the flexibility of add-on Click boards™ to your favorite microcontroller, making it a perfect starter kit for implementing your ideas. It comes with an onboard 32-bit PIC32MZ microcontroller with FPU from Microchip, a USB connector, LED indicators, buttons, a mikroProg connector, and a header for interfacing with external electronics. Thanks to its compact design with clear and easy-recognizable silkscreen markings, it provides a fluid and immersive working experience, allowing access anywhere and under

any circumstances. Each part of the PIC32MZ Clicker development kit contains the components necessary for the most efficient operation of the same board. In addition to the possibility of choosing the PIC32MZ Clicker programming method, using USB HID mikroBootloader, or through an external mikroProg connector for PIC, dsPIC, or PIC32 programmer, the Clicker board also includes a clean and regulated power supply module for the development kit. The USB Micro-B connection can provide up to 500mA of current, which is more than enough to operate all onboard

and additional modules. All communication methods that mikroBUS™ itself supports are on this board, including the well-established mikroBUS™ socket, reset button, and several buttons and LED indicators. PIC32MZ Clicker is an integral part of the Mikroe ecosystem, allowing you to create a new application in minutes. Natively supported by Mikroe software tools, it covers many aspects of prototyping thanks to a considerable number of different Click boards™ (over a thousand boards), the number of which is growing every day.

PIC32MZ clicker double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

PIC32

MCU Memory (KB)

1024

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

64

RAM (Bytes)

524288

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
NC
NC
RST
SPI Chip Select
RG9
CS
SPI Clock
RG6
SCK
SPI Data OUT
RG7
MISO
SPI Data IN
RG8
MOSI
NC
NC
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
PWM
NC
NC
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
NC
NC
SCL
NC
NC
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

8x8 R Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

PIC32MZ clicker front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the PIC32MZ clicker as your development board.

PIC32MZ clicker front image hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Micro B Connector Clicker Access - upright/background hardware assembly
Necto image step 2 hardware assembly
Necto image step 3 hardware assembly
Necto image step 4 hardware assembly
Necto image step 5 hardware assembly
Necto image step 6 hardware assembly
Flip&Click PIC32MZ MCU step hardware assembly
Necto No Display image step 8 hardware assembly
Necto image step 9 hardware assembly
Necto image step 10 hardware assembly
Debug Image Necto Step hardware assembly

Track your results in real time

Application Output

1. Application Output - In Debug mode, the 'Application Output' window enables real-time data monitoring, offering direct insight into execution results. Ensure proper data display by configuring the environment correctly using the provided tutorial.

2. UART Terminal - Use the UART Terminal to monitor data transmission via a USB to UART converter, allowing direct communication between the Click board™ and your development system. Configure the baud rate and other serial settings according to your project's requirements to ensure proper functionality. For step-by-step setup instructions, refer to the provided tutorial.

3. Plot Output - The Plot feature offers a powerful way to visualize real-time sensor data, enabling trend analysis, debugging, and comparison of multiple data points. To set it up correctly, follow the provided tutorial, which includes a step-by-step example of using the Plot feature to display Click board™ readings. To use the Plot feature in your code, use the function: plot(*insert_graph_name*, variable_name);. This is a general format, and it is up to the user to replace 'insert_graph_name' with the actual graph name and 'variable_name' with the parameter to be displayed.

Software Support

Library Description

8x8 R Click demo application is developed using the NECTO Studio, ensuring compatibility with mikroSDK's open-source libraries and tools. Designed for plug-and-play implementation and testing, the demo is fully compatible with all development, starter, and mikromedia boards featuring a mikroBUS™ socket.

Example Description
This demo example shows a drawing of Image, new create string and character on the screen.

Key functions:

  • c8x8r_cfg_setup - Config Object Initialization function.

  • c8x8r_init - Initialization function.

  • c8x8r_default_cfg - Click Default Configuration function.

  • c8x8r_write_cmd - This function writes a desired number of data bytes starting from the selected register by using SPI serial interface.

  • c8x8r_display_refresh - The function switches off all LEDs.

  • c8x8r_display_byte - This function displayes one character to the display.

Application Init
Configuring Clicks and log objects. Settings the Click in the default configuration.

Application Task
Shows one byte, then scrolls the string and image, every 1 sec.

Open Source

Code example

The complete application code and a ready-to-use project are available through the NECTO Studio Package Manager for direct installation in the NECTO Studio. The application code can also be found on the MIKROE GitHub account.

/*!
 * @file main.c
 * @brief 8x8 R Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This demo example shows a drawing of Image, new create string and character on the screen.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 * 
 * ## Application Init 
 * Configuring Clicks and log objects.
 * Settings the Click in the default configuration.
 * 
 * ## Application Task  
 * Shows one byte, then scrolls the string and image, every 1 sec.
 *
 * @author Stefan Ilic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "c8x8r.h"

static c8x8r_t c8x8r;
static log_t logger;

uint8_t demo_string[ 11 ] = { ' ', '-', 'M', 'i', 'k', 'r', 'o', 'E', '-', ' ', 0 };
uint8_t demo_img_on[ 8 ] = { 0x08, 0x1c, 0x36, 0x22, 0x08, 0x1c, 0x36, 0x22 };
uint8_t demo_img_off[ 8 ] = { 0xf7, 0xe3, 0xc9, 0xdd, 0xf7, 0xe3, 0xc9, 0xdd };
char demo_char = 'A';

void application_init ( void ) {
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    c8x8r_cfg_t c8x8r_cfg;  /**< Click config object. */

    /** 
     * Logger initialization.
     * Default baud rate: 115200
     * Default log level: LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
     * @note If USB_UART_RX and USB_UART_TX 
     * are defined as HAL_PIN_NC, you will 
     * need to define them manually for log to work. 
     * See @b LOG_MAP_USB_UART macro definition for detailed explanation.
     */
    LOG_MAP_USB_UART( log_cfg );
    log_init( &logger, &log_cfg );
    log_info( &logger, " Application Init " );

    // Click initialization.

    c8x8r_cfg_setup( &c8x8r_cfg );
    C8X8R_MAP_MIKROBUS( c8x8r_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    err_t init_flag  = c8x8r_init( &c8x8r, &c8x8r_cfg );
    if ( init_flag == SPI_MASTER_ERROR ) {
        log_info( &logger, " Application Init Error. " );
        log_info( &logger, " Please, run program again... " );

        for ( ; ; );
    }

    c8x8r_default_cfg ( &c8x8r );
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
}

void application_task ( void ) {
    c8x8r_display_byte( &c8x8r, demo_char );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    
    c8x8r_display_string( &c8x8r, &demo_string[ 0 ] );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );

    c8x8r_display_image( &c8x8r, &demo_img_on[ 0 ] );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );

    c8x8r_display_image( &c8x8r, &demo_img_off[ 0 ] );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
}

int main ( void ) 
{
    /* Do not remove this line or clock might not be set correctly. */
    #ifdef PREINIT_SUPPORTED
    preinit();
    #endif
    
    application_init( );
    
    for ( ; ; ) 
    {
        application_task( );
    }

    return 0;
}

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END

Additional Support

Resources

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