[HN Gopher] 48x32, a 1536 LED Game Computer (2023)
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48x32, a 1536 LED Game Computer (2023)
Author : duck
Score : 66 points
Date : 2026-03-05 00:10 UTC (2 days ago)
(HTM) web link (jacquesmattheij.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (jacquesmattheij.com)
| stanko wrote:
| LED matrices are so fun to play with. The low resolution and
| chunky pixels give them the aesthetics I really enjoy.
|
| I've built a 64x64 pixel art frame [0]. With the diffuser in
| front of the matrix, it looks like animations are floating in the
| air. I got parts for v2, but I'm yet to find time to build it.
|
| I really like how electronics today are very accessible to start
| playing with. Basic stuff is mostly plug-and-play, and
| essentially it becomes a software project.
|
| https://github.com/Stanko/retro-frame
| Forgeties79 wrote:
| Classic project I want to do but know I'll never make the time
| for lol that's really cool man. Saving this on the off chance I
| one day get off my rear for it
| stanko wrote:
| Hehe I know what you mean. I mentioned I have parts for v2
| (stronger controller, rotary encoder with a big brass knob
| and completely offline - hardware real time clock), but we'll
| see if it will ever happen.
| Forgeties79 wrote:
| Projects like this are always interesting to me because it
| is fairly outside of my skill set, but I feel like I could
| get there ha. We'll see!
| dpedu wrote:
| I'm amazed at how cheap the LED matrix listed in the parts list
| is. About a third of a cent per LED, not even counting the rest
| of the hardware! Wow.
| zimpenfish wrote:
| > About a third of a cent per LED, not even counting the rest
| of the hardware!
|
| At EUR20 per 32x8 module (2000/256), that's EUR0.078 per LED
| which is considerably more expensive than a third of a
| eurocent, I think? Even if it was EUR20 for all 6 panels,
| that's still over a eurocent per LED (2000/1536).
|
| > I'm amazed at how cheap the LED matrix listed in the parts
| list is.
|
| Cheaper now - AliExpress will sell you 6 32x8 boards for
| PS59.21 (3.85p per LED or C/5.16 if you're a colonial) saving
| you ~EUR52 over the original EUR120 price.
| __jonas wrote:
| Neat project! I'd be interested in how the power supply is done.
| I've wanted to do things with LEDs like this, but not knowing
| much about electronics this always seems the most complicated
| part to me, specifically powering both the micro-controller and
| the LEDs with a single wall plug in a safe and reliable way.
| thesh4d0w wrote:
| It's not really hard at all, calculate the max power the leds
| will draw and get a psu that'll never exceed 90% of that. Your
| average usage will be waaay lower anyways since you don't
| usually show all white.
|
| 5v power supplies are easily available, Meanwell is a popular &
| reputable brand. The same psu can run your lights and
| microcontroller.
| MarkusWandel wrote:
| Fully lit, these would be blindingly bright, and would need
| tens of amps of power supply (source: I have a strip of 100
| WS2813s (I think, anyway the 12V ones) and the 3A supply I
| have would be fully loaded if they were all on full bright
| white. These suckers are bright).
|
| However, you can always just limit it in software. Total
| "brightness budget" for the display, scale everything to
| dimmer if exceeded.
| codazoda wrote:
| Cool project.
|
| I keep wanting to build a large "lite brite" style display for my
| window. I keep getting stopped even though I have a lot of the
| tools necessary, like this laser engraver.
|
| You just gave me an idea about an extremely simple way to build
| this using a Raspberry Pi Zero and my cheap laser engraver.
| Dwedit wrote:
| Exactly half the resolution of a TI83 (which is 96x64)
| vinkelhake wrote:
| I did something similar a few years ago. I put together a
| Pimoroni Interstate 75 (which is an RP Pico with an integrated
| LED matrix connector), a 32x64 matrix, a NES controller port,
| designed a simple case for it and made a Tetris. It was a fun
| project and the first time I had really done anything with
| hardware.
|
| I've been meaning to do a write up of the project, but I keep
| putting it off. I wrote the software bits in C++. To speed up
| iteration (i.e. not have to deploy to real hardware for every
| tweak to the game code), I made a small web harness that ran the
| core logic as wasm.
|
| https://imgur.com/a/tetris-HoXenDg
| krruzic wrote:
| I made something very similar recently as a gift. I borrowed code
| for a led matrix project I liked: NHL scoreboard, wrote a simple
| application framework, and then ported it to using it. Then I
| made a bunch of fun simple apps following the same thing, snake,
| screensavers, weather, stocks and crypto and a clock. Its easy to
| write new ones and I started on using a layout engine to make it
| even easier but never finished with that.
|
| https://github.com/krruzic/tfeos
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(page generated 2026-03-07 23:00 UTC)