# Photon with 'simple' 32x8 LED matrices? **URL:** \ **Category:** Libraries\ **Created:** [November 10, 2015, 1:31pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-with-simple-32x8-led-matrices/17320 "2015-11-10T13:31:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Warwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/977dab/32.png) [@Warwick](https://community.particle.io/u/Warwick)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 1:31pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-with-simple-32x8-led-matrices/17320/1 "2015-11-10T13:31:55Z")
I’m looking to control a number of 32x8 single colour LED matrices using Photons - making use of the wifi capability and cloud to enable remote operation and update of the displays. Example of such a device are: > **[32x16 Red Dot Matrix Display | Freetronics](https://www.freetronics.com.au/products/dot-matrix-display-32x16-red)** > > A huge dot matrix LED panel to connect to your Freetronics Eleven, EtherTen and more! This large, bright 512 LED matrix panel has on-board controller circuitry designed to make it easy to use straight from your board. Clocks, status... There’s a lot of (‘real’) Arduino activity with these devices using libraries such as Freetronics DMD and others, but I’m guessing that to get the speeds required there is low level stuff that won’t run ‘out of the box’ on a Photon. I have read the thread [(https://community.particle.io/t/adafruit-16x32-rgb-led-matrix/5119/61)](https://community.particle.io/t/adafruit-16x32-rgb-led-matrix/5119/61) detailing work by @peekay123 on the Adafruit RGB matrices, but I cannot work out (despite trying!) if this would work without changes (which again, low level, would be beyond me!). Can anyone give a guick yes/ no or send me in the right direction please? Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![peekay123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/peekay123/32/810_2.png) [@peekay123](https://community.particle.io/u/peekay123)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-with-simple-32x8-led-matrices/17320/2 "2015-11-10T14:58:30Z")
@Warwick, I believe there is already a library available or the freetronic device. Search the forum to see what you can find. ---
**Author:** ![peekay123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/peekay123/32/810_2.png) [@peekay123](https://community.particle.io/u/peekay123)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-with-simple-32x8-led-matrices/17320/3 "2015-11-10T15:03:14Z")
@Warwick, I thought that sounded familiar! Look here: > [@Freetronics DMD Library Porting Struggles](https://community.particle.io/t/freetronics-dmd-library-porting-struggles/4408): > > I’m trying to pair my new Spark with a Freetronics Dot Matrix Display: [http://www.freetronics.com/products/dot-matrix-display-32x16-red](http://www.freetronics.com/products/dot-matrix-display-32x16-red) which requires porting the library (online here: [https://github.com/freetronics/DMD2](https://github.com/freetronics/DMD2)). I didn’t realize it would be so difficult, but shows what I know! I’ve been playing around in the online compiler, trying to get it to even verify. Right now it seems the hardest part is dealing with SPI. The compiler is currently choking on this code in DMD2.cpp: void Sof… 😄 ---
**Author:** ![Warwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/977dab/32.png) [@Warwick](https://community.particle.io/u/Warwick)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-with-simple-32x8-led-matrices/17320/4 "2015-11-10T15:17:24Z")
Perfect - not sure how I didnt find that Googling. Are the 32x32 RGBs fundamentally different in design? Did you ever look at the (Freetronids based) DMS2 libraries? I’m still between the two display type for my application (need to display a few things but my width of display is constrained). The better developed support and libraries would influence which way to go somewhat! Thanks for the earlit reply! ---
**Author:** ![peekay123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/peekay123/32/810_2.png) [@peekay123](https://community.particle.io/u/peekay123)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-with-simple-32x8-led-matrices/17320/5 "2015-11-10T16:30:00Z")
@Warwick, the display is very different since the are single color. The color RGB panel requires 3-channel PWM to get a wide gamut of colors so it’s trickier to use. The DMD2 library is still in beta and the author still recommends using the DMD library for stability.