RGBW and HDR 8X8 Matrix options!

[wizard]

Adding to the popular 8X8 RGB Matrix using SK6812 LEDs come two more LED types to the ElectroMage store: RGBW using SK6812 and the same PCB design, and an HDR option using SK9822 with clock+data on a slightly larger panel.

Tindie blogged about the new RGBW panel, and had many nice things to say:

Mini 8×8 RGBW LED Matrix Panel!

RGBW with Natural White

These can put out a lot of white light efficiently, and the neutral white (~4200K) provides a good balance for illumination and color mixing.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) 8x8 Matrix

The HDR range is equivalent to 39-bit color (13 bits per element).

These also tile very well for larger displays and look gorgeous with nuanced fades.

[ZacharyRD]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but if we’re using RGBW LEDs (either from you directly or third party) is there anything special we have to do to reap the benefits of the truer white colors if we select the right type of LEDs in the settings of the PixelBlaze? In other words, does the settings + the LEDs correctly use the white LED within each pixel when the colors passed in the code are white?

[wizard]

Pixelblaze supports RGBW LEDs and automatically trades R+G+B values for white. Most RGBW LEDs I’ve tested balance their white element likewise so that the white element has roughly the same brightness as a R+G+B mixed white would.

[ZacharyRD]

That’s wonderful – that’s what I THOUGHT but I couldn’t tell for sure.

[jeff]

Thanks for putting these out! For a while it was impossible to find SK9822 matrices on rigid backing. I have a few of these from Electromage and a few from other manufacturers, and I appreciate that the Electromage ones are on thicker PCBs and are placed precisely by machine.