Steveshoyer: Created page with "As shown in the diagram below, a single PD-8x8 board can control an 8x8 lamp matrix, providing individual control of 64 lamps (or LEDs). Image:Power-Driver-Matrix-8x8_examp..."

2016-02-08T06:06:39Z

Created page with "As shown in the diagram below, a single PD-8x8 board can control an 8x8 lamp matrix, providing individual control of 64 lamps (or LEDs). Image:Power-Driver-Matrix-8x8_examp..."

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As shown in the diagram below, a single PD-8x8 board can control an 8x8 lamp matrix, providing individual control of 64 lamps (or LEDs).

[[Image:Power-Driver-Matrix-8x8_example_use.jpg]]

The [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/driver-boards/power-driver-matrix-8x8 PD-8x8's] source outputs (Bank A - J7) switch on/off your lamp voltage to the columns, and the PD-8x8's sink outputs (Bank B - J11) switch on/off ground to the rows. To turn a lamp on, both the voltage (source) and ground (sink) need to be on. When using a [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/p-roc P-ROC] as your main controller, the [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/p-roc P-ROC] tells the [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/driver-boards/power-driver-matrix-8x8 PD-8x8] to turn on each source output, one at a time. Each time a source output is on, the [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/p-roc P-ROC] tells the [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/driver-boards/power-driver-matrix-8x8 PD-8x8] to turn on ground for the active lamps in the corresponding rows. By cycling through each column fairly quickly, your eyes don't realize each lamp is only on for a maximum of 1/8th the cycle time.

Notice in the illustration that no power output connector is used on the [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/driver-boards/power-driver-matrix-8x8 PD-8x8] board. Power is sourced to each lamp column through J7.

=== Lamp Voltage ===

[http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/driver-boards/power-driver-matrix-8x8 PD-8x8] boards can source between 5V and 20V DC. The voltage on your matrix is determined by what you connect to the [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/driver-boards/power-driver-matrix-8x8 PD-8x8] power input connectors (J2 and J6).

Note [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/driver-boards/power-driver-matrix-8x8 PD-8x8's] will only work with DC voltage, not AC.

=== Matrix Sizes ===

A single [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/driver-boards/power-driver-matrix-8x8 PD-8x8] board can control an 8x8 lamp matrix.

To control a smaller matrix, don't use all of the outputs. For example, if you want a 2x2 matrix, you would connect only 2 columns (source) and 2 rows (sink) as shown in the following image:

[[Image:Lamp_2x2_wiring.jpg|300px]]

To control a larger matrix, you can use additional 'sink' banks, either by using a Bank B from another [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/driver-boards/power-driver-matrix-8x8 PD-8x8] or by using either bank from a [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/driver-boards/power-driver-16 PD-16]. Theoretically, you could add as many additional sink banks as you need, though the [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/p-roc P-ROC] can only automatically control 224 matrix elements (assuming no other features, like coils, are under the [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/p-roc P-ROC's] control). To control more than 224 matrix elements, you'll have to issue the matrix column and row commands in software.

Another way to control a larger matrix is to use multiple PD-8x8 source banks, though the [http://www.pinballcontrollers.com/index.php/products/p-roc P-ROC] can automatically control only 2 lamp matrix source banks automatically. To control more than 2 lamp matrix source banks, you'll have to issue the matrix column and row commands in software.

=== Diodes ===

Due to the wiring configuration in a matrix, it's theoretically possible for current flowing through one 'on' lamp to leak through an 'off' lamp in the same row. This is typically avoided with the use of a diode. If a diode is wired in series with each lamp, as shown in the 2x2 matrix image above, current flowing through another lamp can't leak back through.

LED's ARE diodes; so it's generally not necessary to use a separate diode for each LED in an LED matrix. However, some LED bulbs are designed to be bi-directional, allowing the bulb to be plugged in in either orientation. Since current can flow through these bi-directional LED bulbs in either direction, a separate diode is necessary to avoid having current leak through 'off' LEDs, which would result in ghosting.

Controlling A Lamp Matrix - Revision history

Steveshoyer: Created page with "As shown in the diagram below, a single PD-8x8 board can control an 8x8 lamp matrix, providing individual control of 64 lamps (or LEDs). Image:Power-Driver-Matrix-8x8_examp..."