Icon64: ESP32 RGB Matrix With Speaker and GPIO Breakout
RGB matrices come in all shapes and sizes these days, but the Icon64 by ThingPulse Ltd is an all-in-one unit with several interesting features that set it apart. Most notably, it’s based on the ESP32 WROVER-B module–with a dual-core 240MHz processor and 8MB of PSRAM–giving it enough power to take on a wide range of advanced tasks, plus WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities.
The matrix itself is an 8×8 addressable LED array, which can be used for icons, lettering, or other signage tasks. The enclosure includes a grid separator and a diffuser, and it’s possible to add a custom cutout to make it into a word clock or to perform other tasks. The device also includes a speaker, which allows it to be used as a full audiovisual display unit. You can pipe songs in via Bluetooth to have it act as a wireless audio player, while displaying a spectrum analyzer to go along with the audio output.
Finally, 19 GPIO pins are broken out from the ESP32, making it easy to add additional hardware like a CO2 sensor, light meter, and more! Programming can be done via several platforms (including Arduino) and there’s even a custom app store/loading tool called AppFairy to simplify swapping out code.
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