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SparkFun Qwiic LED Stick - APA102C
The SparkFun Qwiic LED Stick features ten addressable APA102 LEDs, making it easy to add full color LED control using I2C. Write to individual LEDs to display a count in binary, or write to the whole strip for cool lighting effects. You can even add more LEDs to the end if you need to. We’ve written an Arduino library and Python package that take care of the I2C and communication to the LEDs so all you have to do is decide what color each LED should be.
The LED Stick has a default I2C address of 0x23 but can be changed with a simple command, allowing you to control up to 100 LEDs (10 Qwiic LED Sticks) on a single bus! The address can also be changed to 0x22 by closing the solder jumper on the back of the board.
This board is one of our many Qwiic compatible boards! Simply plug and go. No soldering, no figuring out which is SDA or SCL, and no voltage regulation or translation required!
Warning: Using a lot of LEDs can draw a lot of current. Make sure to consider the power limits of your setup. If you expect your LED chain to draw more than 600mA of current, connect your external supply directly to VLED. Closing the jumper from VLED to VCC will add a 4.7uF decoupling capacitor.
The SparkFun Qwiic Connect System is an ecosystem of I2C sensors, actuators, shields and cables that make prototyping faster and less prone to error. All Qwiic-enabled boards use a common 1mm pitch, 4-pin JST connector. This reduces the amount of required PCB space, and polarized connections mean you can’t hook it up wrong.
- 10x APA102C addressable LEDs driven by an ATTiny85
- Default I2C Address: 0x23 (Adjustable to 0x22 via Jumper)
- 2x Qwiic Connectors
SparkFun Qwiic LED Stick - APA102C Product Help and Resources
Qwiic LED Stick - APA102C Hookup Guide
July 15, 2021
Add some I2C RGB to your project with the SparkFun Qwiic LED Stick - APA102C
Core Skill: Programming
If a board needs code or communicates somehow, you're going to need to know how to program or interface with it. The programming skill is all about communication and code.
Skill Level: Rookie - You will need a better fundamental understand of what code is, and how it works. You will be using beginner-level software and development tools like Arduino. You will be dealing directly with code, but numerous examples and libraries are available. Sensors or shields will communicate with serial or TTL.
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Core Skill: Electrical Prototyping
If it requires power, you need to know how much, what all the pins do, and how to hook it up. You may need to reference datasheets, schematics, and know the ins and outs of electronics.
Skill Level: Rookie - You may be required to know a bit more about the component, such as orientation, or how to hook it up, in addition to power requirements. You will need to understand polarized components.
See all skill levels
Comments
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Customer Reviews
3.5 out of 5
Based on 4 ratings:
1 of 1 found this helpful:
Works with Arduino but that's it
It works with Sparkfun's C++ library. However, since it got a StemmaQT compatible connector, I'd really like to see a CircuitPython library for it.
1 of 1 found this helpful:
Works great with Raspberry Pi
Sparkfun provides a Python module for this stick that's easy to use and works well on a Raspberry Pi. The LED colors look great, especially when you put a thin film of some type in front to diffuse the light. The pads on the back provide a lot of options.
Does not Work
I bought 3 of these thinking it would be a simple qwiic hookup. None of them worked. I tried with multiple boards and multiple cables.
Sorry to hear that your are running into issues with the product! If you would like technical support consider creating a post and we will figure out what the issue is: https://forum.sparkfun.com/viewforum.php?f=105
Great for Prototyping
Worked as expected. Quite bright at 100% power! I usually dim the power when working with them at close proximity as not damage my eyes!
Has the source of the issue with noisy bus and communication dropout been addressed? I love this form factor, but the sparkX run had that issue that holds me back.