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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : 8 x 8 LED Matrix Editor

Posted: 06:03pm 22 Aug 2026 Copy link to clipboard	Nimue Guru

I'm using an 8 x 8 WS2182b square of LEDs in my robot project along with the LCD panel.

I wanted an "easy" way to code images on the LEDs - so I used P5.JS as I'm familar with it and there are lots of resources on the web, and honestly AI is greate at javascript code.

The editor is here: https://editor.p5js.org/gpg342/sketches/mVEqP2wxR

It looks like this. Click on the "RUN" icon (top left) to activate it.

If you click on Save MMbasic - it will save out the image as 8x8 as data statements - ready to use in an MMBasic program.

This produces an 8 x 8 image ready for me to use on the LED panel.

It could of course be used to scale onto the LCD panel...

Posted: 10:22pm 22 Aug 2026 Copy link to clipboard	Bill.b Senior Member

is this what you require?

Option autorun on
OPTION DEFAULT NONE
OPTION EXPLICIT

DIM integer loop1
diM integer LEDcolour1(64)
SetPin GP5, DOUT

do
for loop1 = 0 to 63
read LEDcolour1(loop1)
next loop1
senddata
restore
loop

sub senddata
Bitbang WS2812 B, GP5, 64, LEDcolour1()
end sub

Data &h000000,&h000000,&h000000,&h303000,&h303000,&h000000,&h000000,&h000000
Data &h000000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h000000
Data &h000000,&h303000,&h000000,&h303000,&h303000,&h000000,&h303000,&h000000
Data &h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000
Data &h303000,&h303000,&h000000,&h303000,&h303000,&h000000,&h303000,&h303000 '
Data &h000000,&h303000,&h000000,&h000000,&h000000,&h000000,&h303000,&h000000
Data &h000000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h000000
Data &h000000,&h000000,&h000000,&h303000,&h303000,&h000000,&h000000,&h000000

.

Bill
Edited 2026-08-23 08:30 by Bill.b

Posted: 07:28am 23 Aug 2026 Copy link to clipboard	Nimue Guru

Bill.b said is this what you require?

Jinx (Do people still stay that or is it a 1970/80 thing??)

Exactly that - pretty spot on the same as mine. I'm now tweaking to make them fade in / out and scroll across the screen.

Cheers
G

Bill

Posted: 09:01am 24 Aug 2026 Copy link to clipboard	Bill.b Senior Member

Left scroll

'
Option autorun on
OPTION DEFAULT NONE
OPTION EXPLICIT

DIM integer loop1,loop3,count2,loop2
diM integer LEDcolour1(80)
diM integer Tempbuff(10)
SetPin GP5, DOUT
for loop1 = 0 to 191

next loop1
do
for loop1 = 0 to 63
read LEDcolour1(loop1)
next loop1

senddata
restore
Leftscoll1
loop

sub Leftscoll1
for count2 = 0 to 23
senddata

'copy first row of leds into tempory buffer
for loop3 = 0 to 8
tempbuff(loop3) = LEDcolour1(loop3)
next loop3
for loop1 = 8 to 56 step 8
for loop2 = loop1 to loop1 + 8
LEDcolour1(loop2-8) = LEDcolour1(loop2)
next loop2
PAUSE 10
next loop1
'load temproy buffer into last row of leds
for loop3 = 0 to 8
LEDcolour1(loop3 + 56)= tempbuff(loop3)

next loop3
pause 200
next count2

end sub

sub senddata
Bitbang WS2812 B, GP5, 64, LEDcolour1()
end sub

Data &h000000,&h000000,&h000000,&h303000,&h303000,&h000000,&h000000,&h000000
Data &h000000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h000000
Data &h000000,&h303000,&h000000,&h000000,&h303000,&h000000,&h303000,&h000000
Data &h303000,&h303000,&h000000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000
Data &h303000,&h303000,&h000000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000
Data &h000000,&h303000,&h000000,&h000000,&h303000,&h000000,&h303000,&h000000
Data &h000000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h303000,&h000000
Data &h000000,&h000000,&h000000,&h303000,&h303000,&h000000,&h000000,&h000000

Bill

Posted: 10:40pm 24 Aug 2026 Copy link to clipboard	JanVolk Guru

I tried the example on an 8x8 matrix panel (type WS2812B-64). The first 14 RGB LEDs on the board light up.
Apparently, there are two types, each with its own layout: one with a standard layout and one with a serpentine layout.
With a standard layout:
If we hold the 8x8 matrix in front of us with the connections (GND, +5V, DIN) at the bottom left:
Then, in the standard version, LED 1 is at the bottom left and LED 8 is at the top left; LED 9 is at the bottom of the second column and LED 16 is at the top of the second column, and so on.
With a serpentine layout:
If we hold the 8x8 matrix in front of us with the connections (GND, +5V, DIN) at the bottom left:
Then, in the serpentine layout, LED 1 is at the bottom left and LED 8 is at the top left; LED 9 is at the top of the second column and LED 16 is at the bottom of the second column, and so on.

Or is there a third version?
My connection pins at the bottom left are GND, DIN, and +3.3V to 5V, just like in the photo. The pattern matches the standard layout. Is it possible there is something wrong with my PCB? The colors on the first 14 LEDs work normally.

Has anyone else had the same experience?

Jan.

Posted: 11:23pm 24 Aug 2026 Copy link to clipboard	Bill.b Senior Member

I have had faulty 8 x 8 units supplied. if one LED is faulty the following LEDs will not function.

Also I have used the alternate matrix this makes it difficult to do a shift right or left as you would need to invert each Columb of LEDs for each move.

Bill

Posted: 04:28am 25 Aug 2026 Copy link to clipboard	AlbertR Senior Member

@Jan
We already have a thread where we discuss the WS2812 matrix.
WS2812B LED with picoMite questions
At the beginning, there are also very simple examples for testing all the LEDs. It doesn’t matter what layout you have. As Bill already pointed out, if one LED is defective, the ones that follow won’t work either. You could try replacing it or bypassing it.
As far as I know, there are only two variants (column and serpentine layouts). Anything else wouldn’t make sense, in my opinion.

@Nimue
There's also an example where a BMP file is loaded. You can use any graphics program as the editor.

Albert

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