Modify code for 64*64 pixel, HUB75E, 1/32 Scan led panels

Hi…I have a setup with teensy 3.6+ smartmatrixV4 running a 196x64 display…1/32 refresh rate. Is it possible to add another 196x64 display showing same content simultaneously from the same ribbon cable output from snartmatrix shield ? In short, can one snartmatrix shield can show same content from teensy on two displays side by side ?? Curious to know. Or what could be the best way to do something like that. If some one can share some ideas, highly appreciate. Thanks.

Most likely, you have problems if you directly connect two screens to the same output. The output cables should be as short as possible, and if you want to share the same output with several screens, the total length of the cable increases.

You could do this by adding a buffer with a pair of 74LS245 per screen, to isolate and amplify the signals on each screen.

I already tried this a long time ago and it worked well, in my case it was not to share an output with several screens, but to connect a relatively long cable, I think was about 60cm. Connected directly, the screen worked badly, the signals suffered many interferences, when I added the buffer with a pair of 74LS245 everything was solved.

I agree with @pinballsp, but it’s worth a try at least to see if you can wire up two screens without issues.

@marcmerlin drives two displays on his wearable LED screen setup with nearly identical content by feeding the output of one display into the other. The colors might be a bit off by doing this, but he can’t see the difference, and neither can I in the videos he’s shown this.

Yeah, I can confirm it just works, plug your last panel from the first set of displays into the first panel of the 2nd set.
The 2nd set will be one frame refresh behind, but at 100Hz+, you won’t be able to see it.
Only thing to keep in mind is to re-inject power. On a long run, I also had to re-inject ground to make sure ground was exactly the same on all panels (both across the data plug, which does send ground, but also the power plug)

@Louis Sure, expecting the displays to arrive this week. Will share the results.

Thanks @marcmerlin, @pinballsp for the inputs. Hopefully it will work as you mentioned.

Hey all, Apparently it worked like you all suggested.

I have more displays with me now, all 64x64 chinese ones. Is there a way to add more displays in one chain, like i got it running till 250x64, but iam looking at 5 screens together, which is 320x64. Is there any way i could still play around with teensy+smartshield or something like that to get this size working ??

Thanks a ton for the response. Really appreciate it.

You can go chaining all the panels you want, to get a higher resolution screen, but the performance will get worse.

To improve performance you can compile by applying overclocking. With a teensy 3.6, you can raise the clock frequency to 192, 216 and 240 Mhz.

@pinballsp i tried that with different configurations while compiling. My teensy 3.6+smartmatrix setup is currently running @240Mhz for 192x64 size. But till 250x64, its working out, more than that the displays wont even turn on. I am looking at 320x64 configuration. Also is there a way to reduce the scan rate of 64x64 from 1/32 to 1/16 ? Thanks for the suggestion.

The scan rate is set in hardware on the panel you purchase, it’s not configurable.

250x64 is too many pixels for SmartMatrix Library to handle, I don’t know what the exact limit is, but I believe 128x64 is towards the upper limit with a Teensy 3.6

@karakbot: 128x64 is the limit on teensy 3.6 if you use ABCD panels, and with ABCDE, you can go up to 128x128 but the refresh rate will suffer and you’ll have almost no RAM left for anything else.
ESP32 is similarly limited to 128x64.

@Louis @marcmerlin I was running a custom sketch for few images displayed with an interval. Its running upto 250x64 with teensy without much issues. I am also running a stepper motor sequence in between the image changes. I am playing with hzeller setup now with raspberry pi. Thanks for the help. Will try smartshield again soon.

With ABCDE panels, teensy 3.6 barely supports 128x128. 250x64 is more or less the same amount of pixels, so I can see how it would work too, but you’re likely quite close to the limit.