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The Charlieplex LED Shield Kit connects 20 red LEDs to the Digispark development board. The LEDs can be controlled through charlieplexing, using rapid changes to make it appear that many are on at one time. This will allow the LEDs to display messages, animations, and more.
This is an unassembled kit and requires basic soldering. This is designed for use with the Digispark development board, which is not included.
| Part | Quantity | Identification |
|---|---|---|
| LED Shield PCB | 1 | |
| 3mm Red LED | 20 | |
| 47 (47R) Ohm 1/4W resistor 5% | 5 | Yellow - Violet - Black |
| 1x40pin male 0.1“ pitch header | 9 pins worth |
Soldering: If you are new to soldering we recommend the following tutorials: Soldering Basics (http://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/106) and Soldering Crash Course from the folks at Sparkfun (http://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/354). How to solder from the Curious Inventor: http://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/How_to_Solder
We assume for these assembly instructions that you know the basics of thru-hole soldering. If you don't check out the links above, these boards are very easy to solder - we promise!
Empty kit bag (or if using a raw PCB, aquire parts) and verify contents. Note for Kickstarter Backers and Pre-orders: Headers are not included in each kit bag, but the entire order came with more than enough headers for all kits.
Insert a resistor. Solder the leads and clip off the excess. Repeat for remaining resistors.
Insert an LED, ensuring the longer lead goes into the hole with the + sign next to it. Solder the leads and clip off the excess. Repeat for remaining LEDs.
Cut a length of male headers 6 pins long and one 3 pins long. Insert into corresponding positions (on the bottom of the board) and solder each pin.
Tip: Inseting the headers into a breadboard and then placing the board on top can make this process easier.
Note: If you are using stackable headers, use them here instead of the standard male headers.
The concept for this kit was introduced to us by Sparr, one of our Kickstarter backers.
A basic demo sketch is included with the Digispark Arduino Addon package. We hope that Sparr or other members of the community will contribute a working library to make it easier to use.