LED NeoPixel Matrix Controller with Raspberry Pi Pico W2

This project allows you to control a 16x16 LED NeoPixel matrix using a Raspberry Pi Pico W2.

Features:

• Control LED matrix displays through a web interface
• Pixel art editor to create static and animated images
• Interact with GPIO buttons on the Raspberry Pi to control the matrix
• Backend API to communicate with the NeoPixel matrix
• Fully containerized using Docker for seamless deployment

Components

• Raspberry Pi Pico W2
• Micro SD Card
• 16x16 LED Matrix ( build with BTF-LIGHTING WS2812BECO )
• I2C Logic Level Converter 3.3V to 5V
• 2 Push Buttons
• DC Power Jack 5,5mm x 2,1mm ( build with )
• Power Supply 5V 15A ( build with ALITOVE Netzteil 5V 15A Universal Adapter 5 Volt Netzteil 75W )

Build Guide

Print the Case

The STEP files for the case are provided here

Wiring

Wire up all the components according to the following diagram:

Some LED matrices have a dedicated power input — if available, use it.

Make sure the wires are routed through the case before connecting the DC power jack.

Tape the matrix to the case with double-sided tape and secure the buttons in place

Note About Matrix Choice

The LED matrix used in this example functions like a light strip, so the LEDs need to be addressed as an array according to the following scheme:

2 1 0 
3 4 5
8 7 6

If you want to use a different matrix, you might need to adapt the get_index function in LEDMatrix

Installation Guide

Installing Ubuntu Server 22.04.3 LTS (64-bit) on Raspberry Pi

Download and install the official Raspberry Pi Imager from (https://www.raspberrypi.com/software). Choose the following parameters:

• Operating System: Other general-purpose OS/Ubuntu/Ubuntu Server 22.04.3 LTS (32-bit).

in the Advanced Options Menu

• Set hostname: LED_Matrix
• Enable SSH with pasword authentication
• Username: led
• Password:
• Configure a wireles LAN

Connect Over SSH

In your command line, type:

ssh led@<your-ip-adress>

Then enter your password.

Install Docker

Install dependencies:

sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common

Add Docker’s official GPG key:

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

Add Docker repository:

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

Update:

sudo apt update

Install Docker:

sudo apt install docker-ce
sudo apt install docker-compose-plugin

Varify instalation:

docker --version
docker-compose --version

Enable Docker to start on boot:

sudo systemctl enable docker

Add the User to the Docker Group

sudo usermod -aG docker led  
logout
groups

Set firewal rules

sudo apt install ufw
sudo ufw enable

sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 8000/tcp
sudo ufw status

Start the Container

First, configure the .env file:

cd ~/LED_Matrix_/src/Docker/
nano .env

Add the following lines:

# .env file
LATITUDE=
LONGITUDE=
TZ=Europe/Berlin  # Optional timezone setting
MATRIX_ROTATION=90   # set rotation to 0, 90, 180, 270
SWAP_BUTTONS="true"  # Swaps buttons "true" or "false"

Start the container:

cd ~/LED_Matrix_/src/Docker/
docker compose up -d

Now you can access the application at:

http://LED_Matrix.local

additional comands

Stop the container:

cd ~/LED_Matrix_/src/Docker/
docker compose down

Rebuild the container:

cd ~/LED_Matrix_/src/Docker/
docker compose build
docker compose up -d