8-bit LED Thing - This is pretty cool!

A few years ago, when I was re-discovering my original digital electronics design and breadboard prototyping background, I decided there was a need for a better LED indicator solution.
On first look, the "8-bit LED Thing" is a breadboard friendly 8-bit LED Bar display in a wider 16 pin Dual In-Line package.
But, the secret behind the "8-bit LED Thing" is that it actually contains the brains of a tiny microcontroller, making it a little smarter than your average LED Bar Display.
If you find this video of interest, please give it a thumbs-up, and subscribe with notifications for future videos. Thanks.
Blog entry:
digicoolthings...
MECB Homepage:
digicoolthings...
Digicool Things on the web:
digicoolthings...
Digicool Things on Tindie:
www.tindie.com...
Video production setup:
Camera (overhead): Sony ZV-E10 (captured at 4K)
Camera (other): Logitech Brio 4K (captured at 1080p 60fps)
Eakins Trinocular + Eakins 3700W Camera (1080p 60fps)
Mic: Samson C01U Pro USB / Hollyland Lark M1 Wireless
Lighting: Double-row 8520 LED 6000K strip lighting
Capture / Post Prod: OBS / Camtasia

[@douglascrawford2563]

Very interesting!

[@MaxintRD]

Excellent compact design. Inspiring video, clearly explaining all the features. The best feature I think is the flexibility, allowing to program it for any other purpose one can think of.

[@DigicoolThings]

Thanks for your feedback! It does seem that when you design something for your own needs, perhaps there's even more passion that flows into it! Now I'm happy that after being of great assistance to me over the last few years, in my own projects, I'm now able to share my "8-bit LED Thing" with other enthusiasts. 🤓

[@chrisjpf33]

Nice little thing that I didn't know I needed. :-) Tindie order has been placed!

[@DigicoolThings]

Thank you Chris. Order received. Tindie Admins did finally approve the listing, just a couple of hours ago. Look out for my follow-up video, covering "Kitset Assembly Guide & Tips", later this week. 🤓

[@JohnVance]

Really cool! This would be funny to use in the Ben Eater 8-bit breadboard CPU. The LEDs would have more compute complexity than the project itself!

[@DigicoolThings]

Thanks. I do see what you mean. Although, the MCU used is an 8-bit one, and only has 8KB ROM & 1KB RAM, so it is somewhat appropriate within an 8-bit Retro project. I use “8-bit LED Things” with my own retro 8-bit Microprocessor design breadboard prototyping, and just consider the pre-programmed function of the inbuilt MCU as simply just another ASIC chip doing it’s specific dedicated function (which is, really, unrelated to the 8-bit Microprocessor project’s functioning itself). 🤓

[@andymouse]

Very Digi and very Cool !.....cheers.

[@DigicoolThings]

Thanks! Yeah, it does kinda fit in well with the channel theme. 🤔🤓

[@Brian_Of_Melbourne]

I was a bit disappointed, as the presence of the MPU was revealed I was thinking brilliant! Sadly the modes I was hoping for didn't arrive: 1) A latched input sampling mode. One of the mode pins would be the Latch Enable signal. 2) A pulse stretcher mode so short pulses can be seen, this would be triggered on a rising edge. It could also do the same on falling edges with the off-time being stretched. S0: M0 & M1 - Latching with Mode[0] being a low-going LE signal M2 & M3 - Latching with Mode[0] being a high-going LE signal M4 - Pulse stretching, low-going only M5 - Pulse stretching, high-going only M6 - Pulse stretching, both edges M7 - Direct follow, as now

[@DavidLatham-productiondave]

@@Brian_Of_Melbourne sounds like you're gonna have to buy the programmer too and get your smt coding on.

[@DigicoolThings]

Hi Brian. This is exactly the benefit of the tiny “8-bit LED Thing” board being microcontroller based. You are free to develop your own code, to make it do what you want it to do. I chose to make it primarily a 1µA load digital signal level indicator replacement for the common LED display use on our digital projects and breadboard prototypes, with some fun additional display modes added. I look forward to hearing what custom uses others might dream-up and implement. 🤓

[@davidturner8637]

Is this going to be for sale on tindie?

[@DigicoolThings]

@@davidturner8637 Yes. I added the Tindie listing a few days ago, but unfortunately I’m still waiting on Tindie Admin approval for the listing to go live. I was hoping it’d be live before the video went live, but no such luck. Hopefully it’ll get admin approval soon, so anyone interested can have them for their projects too! 🤓

[@DavidLatham-productiondave]

Just checked and it's still not there. 😢 Hopefully soon. Imagunnabuyabunch!

[@DigicoolThings]

@@DavidLatham-productiondave Yes, just a waiting process unfortunately. The Tindie listing looks great, just, no one can see it! Tindie Admin response seems to vary. Sometimes a listing will be approved overnight, sometimes it takes a week. But, I guess Admin Approval is the only way they can guarantee quality of content. Fingers crossed it doesn’t take too much longer. 🤞🤓

[@rportella9357]

What's wrong with your voice, little buddy?

[@DigicoolThings]

Sorry, I did have a Stroke 2 years ago. I'm doing my best, and I am definately improving. Unless you are just having problems understanding my Kiwi accent? 🤔

[@rportella9357]

@@DigicoolThings Jesus, sorry to hear that. I hope u are doing fine, since then. Take my best wishes.