LED Bar Graph
An LED bar graph is a row of individual LEDs in one package, useful for showing levels such as progress, volume, signal strength, or sensor value.
Part images
What it is
An LED bar graph is a row of individual LEDs in one package, useful for showing levels such as progress, volume, signal strength, or sensor value.
How students use it
Students drive it like ten separate LEDs, often with one resistor per segment and either direct GPIO or an output-expander/shift-register circuit.
Pins and power
The bar graph exposes one anode/cathode pair per LED segment. SunFounder notes the labeled side typically represents the anode and the opposite side the cathode.
Each LED segment needs current limiting. Current planning matters if many segments are on at once.
Check the SunFounder pin and schematic images before wiring; treat each bar as a separate LED.
Voltage and safety
The display package does not include current limiting. Use resistors and stay within current limits.
Turning all segments on can draw much more current than one LED.
Module internals
Ten LED dies in one package; each segment behaves like a separate LED.
Datasheet notes
SunFounder does not identify a specific bar graph manufacturer part number. Match the package markings before using a datasheet.
Common libraries
No special library is needed; use machine.Pin or drive through a 74HC595 when lessons need fewer Pico GPIO pins.
Common mistakes
Skipping resistors, wiring the labeled side backward, assuming one common pin controls the whole display, and exceeding current limits when all bars are lit.