Bought this the other day for $29, don’t know if they’ll refund the difference but for $10, it’s really a cool piece for your home. Lot of stock around local stores. Be quick.
Credits to OP
Bluetooth LED Pixel Display $10 (Was $39) + Delivery ($0 C&C/ OnePass/ $65 Order) @ Kmart
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Not really, this is essentially similar to OLED tech. Each pixel lights up independently without a backlight
@0 0 0: I think that comparison is stretching things just a little bit, but hey it's ten bucks and I've already got some value out of it.
Later on I'll combine it with 384 x 216 other units and I'll have my own 4K OLED TV!
@0 0 0: positive thought process to think got an OLED for $10. on this “oled” screen, while changing the brightness you can see the backlight PWM ing which clearly is not OLED like behaviour.
@backupper1: Pixel is on or off. No backlight apart from the independent led driving the pixel. It's not OLED but similar concept
Oh well, just 1 day in mine is broken too. Can be connected from my phone but the screen won't lit up
this explains its poor quality of components, display and its throw away price. not sure why so many ozb are going gaga over this junk.
Exactly. I posted earlier on this is another electronic gadget junk that is most likely to end up in garbage landfill soon, but someone wasn't too happy to hear the truth.
This is probably a too late to ask question but can it display the current time like a clock?
Ty
I ordered 3 got a bit excited but if they work as I think they should gonna be some good clocks around the house
yes it does, but it looks tacky and not polished as most RGB devices look.
Anyone know if this can run off a power bank and still act as a clock displaying correct current time
A $40+ powerbank to power a $10 pixel screen?? 😅
Had mine on for about an hour. Its already broken. Bottom left pixels all stuck in various ways…
If you haven't tried the manual details how to reset the device. Hopefuly clearing the memory fixes it.
I don't know if this was a price error but they are $2 at tea tree Plaza. Bought 4 but there were still heaps on the shelf
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/390928/119100/pxl_2025…Whoa, they're practically paying you to get rid of it.
Still $10 online though; they probably don't want to pay Onepass subscribers for the delivery.
This is really suprising to me as i went on Wednesday and they had no stock on the floor or out the back … asked two workers both went out and checked.
Just 1 day in and mine is broken.
Last moment I saw it alive it was showing the time.
Now it can only be connected from my phone but the screen won't light up. Tried to reset it via app but no luck. Oh god, this is terrible quality even by anko standard.
So you pressed the power button on the side? you probably have but noticed mine will be black unless I do the power.
Somebody tell me how they made this bit of landfill shit useful? Get a grip people!
At the very least, it's a functional animated clock.
Just received mine. Cooler than I expected. Wish there was a white version.
Same here. got it to dick around a little and maybe throw on my desk at work but I'm impressed, tempted to get another and see if I can get HA working.
Anyone on iOS having an issue connecting to the device, comes up with a message saying “ Alert
This device is not allowed to be used in Taiwan. Please purchase the product through sales channels in Taiwan. Thank you!”?And just to state obvious, I’m not in Taiwan but Australia.
Same I am still having the same issue, tried with two devices, s24 ULTRA and s9 ultra tablet still the same result.
Also noted you had posted on the other link as well…..no FIX… atm that i can find..dammit
Also tried it on my wife phone IOS, and same too still the same error restriction
Stock levels for these seem inconsistent. Stores that read OOS actually had them in-stock (Kurralta SA)
Is it ok leave it on 24x7 ?
Yes… It's a clock… I don't know anyone who turns off their clock
You can schedule it for power saving to turn off the screen overnight (0% brightness). I have the screen on mine set to start power saving at 10:30pm and stop at 9am.
my order got canceled yesterday night (stupid me ordered with onepass on Monday, useless onepass). checked nearby kmarts and couldn't find any
any cheap links for similar ones at temu or aliexpress? :(
Had my 3 delivered. I was intending to modify them with ESP32. But since they are a new hardware version lacking neopixels, have been playing with python3-idotmatrix-client .
Thanks 000!Am able to upload the sample images, but not my own.
e.g. take this icon : https://www.ozbargain.com.au/favicon.ico
It is 32x32 so try./run_in_venv.sh —address XX:XX:XX:XX —image true —set-image ../ozb_favicon.ico —process-image 16
18.01.2025 22:22:24 :: DEBUG :: idotmatrix.connectionManager :: sending message(s) to device
18.01.2025 22:22:24 :: ERROR :: idotmatrix.modules.image :: could not upload processed image: [org.bluez.Error.Failed] Failed to initiate writeI tried converting it to a 16x16 PNG .
18.01.2025 22:23:43 :: DEBUG :: idotmatrix.connectionManager :: sending message(s) to device
18.01.2025 22:23:43 :: DEBUG :: PIL.PngImagePlugin :: STREAM b'IHDR' 16 13
18.01.2025 22:23:43 :: DEBUG :: PIL.PngImagePlugin :: STREAM b'cHRM' 41 32
18.01.2025 22:23:43 :: DEBUG :: PIL.PngImagePlugin :: STREAM b'PLTE' 85 321
18.01.2025 22:23:43 :: DEBUG :: PIL.PngImagePlugin :: STREAM b'tRNS' 418 12
18.01.2025 22:23:43 :: DEBUG :: PIL.PngImagePlugin :: STREAM b'bKGD' 442 1
18.01.2025 22:23:43 :: DEBUG :: PIL.PngImagePlugin :: b'bKGD' 442 1 (unknown)
18.01.2025 22:23:43 :: DEBUG :: PIL.PngImagePlugin :: STREAM b'tIME' 455 7
18.01.2025 22:23:43 :: DEBUG :: PIL.PngImagePlugin :: b'tIME' 455 7 (unknown)
18.01.2025 22:23:43 :: DEBUG :: PIL.PngImagePlugin :: STREAM b'IDAT' 474 218
18.01.2025 22:23:43 :: DEBUG :: idotmatrix.connectionManager :: sending message(s) to device
18.01.2025 22:23:43 :: ERROR :: idotmatrix.modules.image :: could not upload processed image: [org.bluez.Error.Failed] Failed to initiate writeAnyone having better luck with images?
Chat GPT
The issue seems to stem from either the image processing or the communication between the Python script (idotmatrix-client) and the device. Here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve the problem:Verify the Image Format
• Ensure the image is truly 16x16 pixels after conversion.
• Use an image editing tool (e.g., GIMP, Photoshop, or an online tool) to resize the image to exactly 16x16 pixels and save it as a PNG file.
• Avoid using transparency or color profiles that might cause compatibility issues.Check the Image Conversion
• If you are using Pillow (PIL) for resizing, explicitly set the mode to RGB to remove any alpha channel:
from PIL import Image
img = Image.open("ozb_favicon.ico").convert("RGB")
img = img.resize((16, 16), Image.ANTIALIAS)
img.save("ozb_favicon_16x16.png")• Then upload the new ozb_favicon_16x16.png.- Check Bluetooth Connectivity
• The error [org.bluez.Error.Failed] Failed to initiate write suggests a problem with Bluetooth communication.
• Ensure the device is properly paired and the Bluetooth address (XX:XX:XX:XX) is correct.
• Restart the Bluetooth service and reconnect:
sudo systemctl restart bluetooth
bluetoothctlReconnect to your device
- Test with Sample Images
• Test uploading a working sample image from the library to verify the upload mechanism works:
./run_in_venv.sh —address XX:XX:XX:XX —image true —set-image ../sample_image.png
- Debugging Logs
• Increase the logging level for more insights. Modify your script to enable verbose logs:
./run_in_venv.sh —address XX:XX:XX:XX —image true —set-image ../ozb_favicon_16x16.png —verbose
- Update Dependencies
• Ensure all Python libraries, particularly Pillow, are up to date:
pip install —upgrade pillow
- Check idotmatrix Version
• If the idotmatrix-client library has been updated recently, ensure you are using the latest version. Update it if needed:
pip install —upgrade python3-idotmatrix-client
- Retry Image Processing
• If the problem persists, manually preprocess the image before using the idotmatrix-client. Ensure the image matches the exact format and color depth expected by the library.
Let me know if you need further assistance!
Please just don't quote ChatCPT unless you have actually used what it suggested and it has worked.
It would be much more helpful if the suggestions have been tested as blindly following ChatGPT results can sometimes makes things worse than better as updating to the latest version may sometimes not be better as some of this iDotMatrix python code is currently experimental so may not always be using the most recent code libraries.
I was able to upload a 16x16 animated GIF using python3-idotmatrix-client command line but it was originally created by the iDotMatrix app.
Try using the GIF format rather than PNG as that may help but I am also having issues uploading a 16x16 GIF which I created myself.
Update: Just figured it out after comparing the GIF from the iDotMatrix app and the one I created. The GIF colour space needs to be RGB and not Indexed.
So for the upload to work, the image format must be a GIF with a RGB Colour space.
Thanks. I tried:
$ convert -resize 16x16 ozb_favicon.ico ozb.gif
$ file ozb.gif
ozb.gif: GIF image data, version 89a, 16 x 16
$ ./run_in_venv.sh —address 90:BF:… —image true —set-image ozb.gif —process-image 16
Still get "could not upload processed image: [org.bluez.Error.Failed] Failed to initiate write"
Same without —process-image .Tried a newer machine, same.
What software did you use to generate the GIF?
Now I get an error trying to upload images/demo.gif , which worked before. the demo PNG files do work still.
Am using Ubuntu. Will come back to it when I have time to learn how to debug Python :-)
I am using GIMP to create the GIF.
Doing some further testing, the set-gif command seems to be more flexible and the following command worked for me to upload and display the GIF image:./run_in_venv.sh —address xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx —set-gif image.gif
It didn't matter this time if the colour space was RGB or Indexed.
@athua: Success!
I was able to display the logo:https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/42865/119165/ozb.gif
Thanks athua.
NOW WORKS BETTER IN HOME ASSISTANT!!!!!!!
Ok the smart HA community have managed to get it working!
In short, use 'pyscript' (install via HACS) and then add device 'pyscript'.
In the config/pyscript folder you create a Python script with the various commands you want to call from HA. In the same folder create a 'requirements.txt' file with the text 'idotmatrix'
All the details and examples can be found in this fresh thread I started here:
https://community.home-assistant.io/t/help-getting-idotmatri…I'm using hassio in a VM. So I guess I should set up an ESP32 as a bluetooth proxy? Will the above work with that?
I suspect it's not working via ESP32 BT proxy. I have set up two and one of them is just a little further away from my HA machine and not detected despite being a couple metres from a BT proxy.
I tested this theory and for me it is working with my ESP32 BT Proxy as I disconnected my bluetooth adaptor from my HA server and was still able to run the screenon and screenoff commands using Pyscript from the HA Developers Tools Actions screen.
@athua: Oh wow nice! I didn't think to test it that way. Mine aren't working well with HA. They are inconsistent in responding and often end up stopping their Bluetooth broadcasts and/or restarting.
@athua: Ok I tried the same but couldn't run the scan command via the command line client in the HA terminal. Throws a No Bluetooth adapters found error.
@0 0 0: It might be how the bluetooth integration is called when using the command line client vs Pyscript in HA. It looks like the command line client is trying to use the bluetooth adaptor while the calls in Pyscript may be using the HA bluetooth implementation and is using the bluetooth proxies if available.
I'm also having issues calling the Pixel frame using Pyscript as I get blocking errors due to the use of time.sleep() which Pyscript is throwing errors on so commands send to the frame don't always work and sometimes lock up and I have to turn the frame off and then back on to get it working again.
I've been having a play around with one of these, trying to reverse engineer it a little bit. Mine has a JL AC6329C2 MCU chip in it. It's basically a 32bit RISC CPU, SOIC with Bluetooth, gpio, 2mbit flash, battery management etc. all in one. The ROM next to it is a 4mbit SPI ROM that holds the GIF images, and not much else it seems.
There's a couple of PWM chips driving the LEDs and what I think might be another SPI chip to chain multiple displays together, but the top of the chip has been scraped away, some kind of 20 pin SOP IC
I've got mine hooked up and working decently with HA, but I'm thinking of opening one of mine up to replace it with an ESP32 like this guy did and use WLED unfortunately the detail is very scarce on how he did it and whether it actually works… And the chip may be different. different number, but same pins potentially.
It looks like the MCU talks to the rest of the board in SPI. I'm not super experienced in this stuff but if you can sniff how it talks to the rest of the board you should be able to put whatever controller you want in there. I'm just at the stage of mapping pins with their functions.
Bad news, this one has different hardware. It was easy for the guy in the Youtube video because his board used ws2812b, aka Neopixel LEDs, daisy chained. He just had to drive one wire.
This model has driver ICs, far more complex. Better to stick with Bluetooth, or buy a different display.As reported above: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/16170016/redir
I like tinkering so I'm going to keep reverse engineering it
@NigelTufnel: This is my first time reverse engineering something. I'm documenting as much as I can in KiCad (which I'm also using for the first time). I have worked out what most of the ICs are or might be. I'm waiting on an STLink JTAG debug device.
U1 ZB25VQ32D - SPI Flash ROM - 32MBit
U2 JL AB24BP22716-29C2 - AC6329C2 general purpose ARM RISC MCU with BLE, 2MBit flash, GPIO etc. Probably flashed by the chip vendor at the factory.
U6-U7 - DP32019B - Possibly "3-8 decoding 8-channel line control" as that is the description of the DP32019A from the chip vendor
U8 – Blank IC – Most likely CH32V003F4P6 which is low-cost RISC-V general purpose MCU. Basically a cheap mass produced RISC-V alternative to an STM32 MCU.
U9 is unpopulated
U10-U15 – DP5125E – Looks to be a 16 channel constant current LED driver, perhaps a clone of the Ti TLC5929 or similar.
I've mapped most of the pins for U2, and some of the lines between U8 and the rest of the board. Hoping to get my debug device soon to connect to the SWD lines on U8 to confirm what chip it is.
I'm need to figure out somewhere to store this info, maybe a github? Is that what people do now?
If I bought enough of these, could I link them together and create my own Sphere like in Las Vegas?
Be prepared half of them may become defective soon.
Has anyone managed to make animations with that iDotMatrix app? I see how to create frames, but see no button to save each one.
Found what the problem is. Am using a tablet, and in portrait mode, the app hides the top row of buttons, as it also hides the bottom row of pixels 🤦🏼♂️
In landscape view, it shows the upper half of the buttons, but rotating the screens erases the drawing 🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️😡
lol why would I not reconnect the usb and try turning it on. tbh for $10 also its pretty average display really feel for those who paid $29 or higher earlier.