Sometimes the matrix bites back

I spent a chunk of time this weekend rehabilitating an old friend. I originally built this matrix table a few years back. It was one of my first matrix efforts. A 64 x 64 matrix built into a coffee table. The basis for this is a converted IKEA map table. I loved it. It worked for a long time, in our living room. Then after years of service, one of the 4 power supplies (~50 watts each) ate itself. I never got around to fixing it until this weekend (motivated by the upcoming Topanga Canyon Gallery studio tour.

So, the full treatment. Disassemble, clean, repaint the parts that had yellowed in the sun (thanks IKEA), rewire the power distribution system to reduce resistance and balance out the brightness. Replace defective power supply and update code to reduce the brightness a bit (to give the power supplies a break). A good and proper rework

I put all back together and it was working like the table of old. Life was good…. for about 2 hours and then one of the power supplies are itself ( but not the same one). Dang, this thing is cursed.

I suspect I have a bad LED panel but have no idea which one (there are 16 of them). Time to move on.

I will replace this with the easier to master 05 jumbotron style of panels I have been using of late. That will quadruple the number of pixels and allow more recent patterns to be run.

The 16 x 16 LED panels being retired from this table will make excellent clocks some day.