LED Scrolling Display System:

Display accepts simple string through uart and implements scrolling of the text on LED Matrix
display. You can connect microcontrollers directly to update the string or connect to PC to send
string to scroll. It supports different scrolling speeds.
It even supports static display of text without scrolling.
Format for sending string is very simple and it can accept maximum of 255 characters of ASCII text.
We have provided sample source code for testing with microcontroller as well as details on testing
with PC terminal software.
Features

48x8(384 LEDs) 5mm dot size LEDs in Matrix format (8 LED height and 48 LED width)
Operates at 5V (800mA max current)
Can connect directly to microcontroller or PC through RS232/USB
Many Scrolling speed supported.
Static display of characters without scrolling is possible
Internal buffer for 255 characters display
Sample source code for microcontroller to quick start your application.

Pinouts
There are just three pins to use the display.

RX-IN = Receive Input :

Input serial data of 3-5V
microcontrollers/PC/RS232.

logic

level,

Usually

connected

to

TXD

pin

of

Note: Do not connect this pin to direct PC serial port without MAX232. It will damage the
display since direct PC serial port has +12V/-12V voltage level.

+5V = Power Input: Regulated 5V supply input. Current has to be capable of atleast 800mA.
GND = Ground level of power supply. Must be common ground with microcontroller.

Specification

Operating Votage: Regulated +5V supply required

Operating Current: 800mA Peak - When all LEDs are lit up the display takes 800mA, So
have a provision of that much current. If no LEDs are lit up the display take around 100mA.
Communication Baud Rate: This is the baud rate the board accepts as serial input string.
9600 8 bit data No parity 1 stop bit Handshaking NONE
Serial Input, It accepts Serial input baud rate of 3-5V voltage level. Can connect directly to
any microcontroller TXD pins.
Volatile Memory: The display has internal memory for 255 characters. When display is
powered off, the memory is cleared.
LED Dots: Width are 48 LEDs across Height has 8 LEDsAll LEDs are made on for a brief
moment(1sec) during power up so you can test the display
Board Dimensions: 362 x 72 mm

Format for setting string to be scrolled on display

If you wish to set a string for scrolling it can be maximum 255 characters. The baud rate of input to
display is 9600 bps. The string starts with ! exclamation character which is marked as start of string
idenfier. The string ends with CR (Carriage return, '\r', 0x0D, 13 in decimal) which is acting as line
feed character or End of string idenfier. In between the ! and CR are maximum 255 bytes ASCII
string to be scrolled.
Example string on screen would be strings like below,
!TEST STRING <-Enter Key(0x0D, decimal 13)

Scrolling Speed
There are many scrolling speed supported by display. You can send HEX values as below to set
scrolling speed.
0xF0 = Static Mode, No scrolling, Dispays the text buffer without scrolling.
0xF1 to 0xFF = You can send any hex values frmo 0xF1 to 0xFF, where 0xF1 is the fastest and
0xFF is the lowest scrolling speed. Default power up speed is medium at 0xFA

PC Interfacing
To connect to PC you can use either a simple MAX232 circuit to convert displays TTL level of 5V to
RS232 level or you can use a USB to TTL UART board. Either way you can get a serial port on PC
to connect to and send string.

Connecting to RS232 Serial Port

Use a MAX232 circuit like below to convert display's 5V level to RS232 level

Connecting to PC's USB Port

You can use a USB to UART adapter to connect to display. Since it takes around 800mA power, Do
not use power from USB. Our USB to Serial TTL UART adapter model 1151 will appear as virtual
serial port on PC to which you can communicate through any software which can transmit receive by
this serial port like hyperterminal or custom made software.