Adafruit Matrix portal power compatibility

EL Wire/Tape/Panels, LEDs, pixels and strips, LCDs and TFTs, etc products from Adafruit

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JeremiahDuane
 
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Joined: Sun May 15, 2022 1:49 am

Adafruit Matrix portal power compatibility

Post by JeremiahDuane »

In your guide, you suggest that the 32x64 matrix may use up 8 amps of power. Why then do you use USB-C to power the Matrix Portal, since it caps at 3 amps? Is 3 amps truly sufficient to run the panel and the portal?

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neradoc
 
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Re: Adafruit Matrix portal power compatibility

Post by neradoc »

Hi, the max power use is if you set all pixels to full brightness white. Scrolling or static text for example would use much less and probably doesn't need more than 2A in general (for a single panel), so powering the panel from the USB plug is likely not an issue for that kind of use. Your mileage will vary depending on what your code does.
For example I can run the Moon Clock on a self-powered USB3 hub.

If you need more power, the Matrix Portal and the LED panels sold by Adafruit are designed to be used by providing power to the panel(s) separately if needed. Even power each panel independently. The 64x32 panel product page links to an example of a power supply and connector.
These panels require 13 digital pins (6-bit data, 7-bit control) and a good 5V supply, up to 4A per panel. We suggest our 4A regulated 5V adapter and then connecting a 2.1mm jack. Please check out our tutorial for more details!

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