New here and wondering what this project actually is and what it takes to build one? This is the overview post. For anything detailed, this post points to the GitHub repo rather than repeating it, that way there's one source of truth and it won't go stale as the project updates.

What it is

LEDMatrix is an open-source project that runs on a Raspberry Pi connected to an RGB LED matrix panel, turning it into an always-on info display for your wall. Calendar, weather, sports scores, stocks, now-playing music, custom text, all cycling through automatically and fully configurable.

It's built to be a community project. Third-party plugin development is part of the core architecture, not something bolted on afterward.

Since v3, almost all display functionality lives in plugins rather than being baked into the core app. You browse and install plugins through a Plugin Store built into the project's web interface, or install directly from a GitHub repo URL. There's also a Hello World plugin template if you want to build your own.

What it can display, at a glance: time and weather, Google Calendar events, live/recent/upcoming games across NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL, NCAA football/basketball/baseball, and major soccer leagues, stock and crypto prices with news, Spotify/YouTube Music now-playing, YouTube subscriber counts, and custom text. Full and current feature list is always the main README.

What it takes to build one

At a high level, it's about $120 depending on parts and location but you'll need:

• Raspberry Pi - a 3B, 4, or 5. Pi Zero doesn't have enough power for this.
• An RGB matrix bonnet/HAT to bridge the Pi's GPIO to the panel (Adafruit, Electrodragon, and Seengreat options are all supported).
• One or more RGB LED matrix panels (64x32 is the common starting point; higher-res panels like 96x48 need an extra config step).
• An adequately sized 5V power supply - undersized supplies are the most common cause of flicker/instability.
• A mount - the repo includes 3D-printable STL files, and there are printer-free options too.

Exact wiring, hardware mapping values, the E-addressable pad requirement, gpio_slowdown settings, and the full install script are all in the repo's install docs, since those are the kind of details that change with new panel/HAT support and need to stay accurate to the actual code:

👉 Installation & Hardware Guide

If you hit a snag following that guide, post here with your Pi model, HAT, panel, and what's actually happening on the display (a photo helps a lot). Chances are someone's hit the same issue.

Where to go next

• Project write-up: https://www.chuck-builds.com/led-matrix/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChuckBuilds
• Discord (real-time help): https://discord.gg/dfFwsasa6W
• GitHub Issues (bugs/feature requests): https://github.com/ChuckBuilds/LEDMatrix/issues

Once you're up and running, drop your build in the showcase thread. We'd love to see it.