Create dynamic yellow LED matrix display perfect for indicators, animations, and real-time visual feedback
A
A
Hardware Overview
How does it work?
8x8 Y Click is a compact 64 yellow 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 Y 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 Y Click provides a reliable solution for visual output in embedded applications.
Features overview
Development board
PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity Nano evaluation kit is a cutting-edge hardware platform designed to evaluate microcontrollers within the PIC18-Q43 family. Central to its design is the inclusion of the powerful PIC18F57Q43 microcontroller (MCU), offering advanced functionalities and robust performance. Key features of this evaluation kit include a yellow user LED and a responsive
mechanical user switch, providing seamless interaction and testing. The provision for a 32.768kHz crystal footprint ensures precision timing capabilities. With an onboard debugger boasting a green power and status LED, programming and debugging become intuitive and efficient. Further enhancing its utility is the Virtual serial port (CDC) and a debug GPIO channel (DGI
GPIO), offering extensive connectivity options. Powered via USB, this kit boasts an adjustable target voltage feature facilitated by the MIC5353 LDO regulator, ensuring stable operation with an output voltage ranging from 1.8V to 5.1V, with a maximum output current of 500mA, subject to ambient temperature and voltage constraints.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU

Architecture
PIC
MCU Memory (KB)
128
Silicon Vendor
Microchip
Pin count
48
RAM (Bytes)
8196
You complete me!
Accessories
Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards is a versatile hardware extension platform created to streamline the integration between Curiosity Nano kits and extension boards, tailored explicitly for the mikroBUS™-standardized Click boards and Xplained Pro extension boards. This innovative base board (shield) offers seamless connectivity and expansion possibilities, simplifying experimentation and development. Key features include USB power compatibility from the Curiosity Nano kit, alongside an alternative external power input option for enhanced flexibility. The onboard Li-Ion/LiPo charger and management circuit ensure smooth operation for battery-powered applications, simplifying usage and management. Moreover, the base incorporates a fixed 3.3V PSU dedicated to target and mikroBUS™ power rails, alongside a fixed 5.0V boost converter catering to 5V power rails of mikroBUS™ sockets, providing stable power delivery for various connected devices.
Used MCU Pins
mikroBUS™ mapper
Take a closer look
Click board™ Schematic

Step by step
Project 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 Y 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:
c8x8y_cfg_setup
- Config Object Initialization function.c8x8y_init
- Initialization function.c8x8y_default_cfg
- Click Default Configuration function.c8x8y_write_cmd
- This function writes a desired number of data bytes starting from the selected register by using SPI serial interface.c8x8y_display_refresh
- The function switches off all LEDs.c8x8y_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 Y 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 "c8x8y.h"
static c8x8y_t c8x8y;
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. */
c8x8y_cfg_t c8x8y_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.
c8x8y_cfg_setup( &c8x8y_cfg );
C8X8Y_MAP_MIKROBUS( c8x8y_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
err_t init_flag = c8x8y_init( &c8x8y, &c8x8y_cfg );
if ( init_flag == SPI_MASTER_ERROR ) {
log_info( &logger, " Application Init Error. " );
log_info( &logger, " Please, run program again... " );
for ( ; ; );
}
c8x8y_default_cfg ( &c8x8y );
log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
}
void application_task ( void ) {
c8x8y_display_byte( &c8x8y, demo_char );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
c8x8y_display_string( &c8x8y, &demo_string[ 0 ] );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
c8x8y_display_image( &c8x8y, &demo_img_on[ 0 ] );
Delay_ms ( 1000 );
c8x8y_display_image( &c8x8y, &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
Category:LED Matrix