One other IKEA Product Yields An LED Matrix

The IKEA Kortlinje is a digital clock that prices round 20 {dollars}, that includes a hygrometer and thermometer. It’s one other low-cost equipment, you would possibly suppose, had been it not that the show is a white LED matrix. Best of all, with three VK1640 LED controllers, it has hacking potential. You’re in on the floor ground when you hack one in all these, however thus far we’ve seen a post from the RevSpace hackerspace within the Netherlands, and the first glimmerings of a firmware on GitHub from [VIPnytt].

We have one on the bench right here, and cracking it open we discover the three LED drivers, an unidentified microcontroller with a 32.768 kHz watch crystal, and a thriller chip no person’s but recognized that will both be some sort of I2C multiplexer or have one thing to do with these sensors. Neither has any markings, so no assist there. The hackability comes within the relative ease of desoldering the microcontroller and substituting your individual. In which case with entry to I2C and the LED drivers, you can also make it do your bidding.

This factor is a part of a wealthy custom of hacking IKEA merchandise. Perhaps one in all our favorites is the usage of bowls from the Swedish furnishings big to make a telescope mount.