WSAL20170 – Pico-RGB-LED/en

Documentation notice: This technical documentation was independently rewritten from an archived supplier source. Check technical details and commands against the product version and manufacturer documentation before use.

Summary

The Pico-RGB-LED is a 16×10 RGB matrix for the Raspberry Pi Pico. It uses single-wire communication with 24-bit color data and requires an external 5V power supply.

Related products at JW Tech

WSAL20170 – RGB Full-color LED Matrix Panel for Raspberry Pi Pico, 16×10 Grid

Technical overview

Comprises 160 RGB LEDs arranged in a 16×10 grid, controlled via a single data input (DIN).
Communicates over a single wire using zero-code signals; data rate is 800 kbps with 24-bit color depth (8 bits each for R/G/B).
Operating voltage: 5 V; current draw is approximately 2.5 A at full brightness.
Pico connection: VCC to VBUS, GND to GND, DIN to GP6 or GP7 or GP22; DOUT is unused.
The LED chips use a cascading circuit: after receiving 24 bits, the signal is forwarded until a RESET signal (≥200 µs low) updates the display.
For C development: build the project with CMake (cmake -DPICO_BOARD=pico -DPICO_PLATFORM=rp2040 ..), then copy main.uf2 to the Pico.
For MicroPython: flash firmware rp2-pico-20210418-v1.15.uf2 (Pico) or rp2-pcio2-20240809-v1.24.0.uf2 (Pico 2) via USB in bootloader mode.
GUI functions such as point, line, and string drawing are available in the library c/lib/GUI/GUI_Paint.c.

Commands and examples – verify before use:

sudo apt-get install p7zip-full
cd ~ && sudo wget https://files.waveshare.com/upload/5/5a/Pico-RGB-LED_code.7z
7z x Pico-RGB-LED_code.7z -o./Pico-RGB-LED_code
cd ~/Pico-RGB-LED_code/c/build/
mkdir build && cd build
export PICO_SDK_PATH=../../pico-sdk
cmake -DPICO_BOARD=pico -DPICO_PLATFORM=rp2040 ..
make -j9
cp main.uf2 /media/pi/RPI-RP2/

Notes and version constraints

At full RGB light, surface temperature rises significantly – touching by hand is strictly prohibited.
Computer USB output current is insufficient; an external 5V/3A supply is recommended.
Brightness values below 4 bits may cause parts of the panel to remain dark.
Exact pin assignment (GP6 vs. GP7 vs. GP22) depends on the chosen setup; verify before connecting.
CMake build requires a locally installed pico-sdk; the path must be adjusted accordingly.
Thonny version must support Pico; older versions may not work.
During first-time Arduino upload, the correct COM port must be selected; the port varies by machine.

Source and revision record

Pico RGB LED - Waveshare Wiki
Source revision: 91346
Captured: 2026-09-02T03:29:29+00:00
SHA-256: 189a345441781ffee7b70f883dfa6f1a6af432629c9e4ec5260f9a77900a0bc0