Hardware Assembly - sparkfun DEV-15046 Getting Started

Certain panels may require 5V logic levels, which may not be enough with the Teensy's output pins. While you
can try to wire all 16 pins from the Teensy to the IDC cable, it is not the most reliable connection. The panel may
flicker or fail to display properly. The SmartLED shield was designed to include level shifting buffers to safely and
reliably control the RGB LED matrix panels.

Hardware Assembly

If you have not already, solder the male header pins on your Teensy before connecting. We will be using the 1x14
header pins on each side of a Teensy but you can also solder additional pins or or wires depending on your setup.
After soldering and removing the flux from a Teensy, stack the Teensy on the SmartLED shield. Make sure to face
the USB connector in the same direction as the 4-pin JST SM connector.
Align the IDC connector breakout on the SmartLED shield with the IDC connector on your RGB LED Matrix Panel.
The location of the IDC connector depends on the manufacturer of the panel but usually it will be located on the
left side relative to the arrows pointing up and toward the right.