Hardware ready
Matrix, ESP32-S3, power and cable, assembled and bench-tested.
DK-01
▶ 64×32 · ESP32-S3
IoT Development Kit
Build your own smart display
ESP32-S3 · 64×32 LED Matrix · Open Reference Stack
A 64×32 LED canvas with the hard part done: ESP32-S3, open firmware, a browser Console, OTA updates, MQTT, Home Assistant and a REST API. It runs 1,000+ Tidbyt-style Pixlet apps through a bridge on your own machine.
$199
Eligible buyers may see 4 interest-free payments of $49.75 with Shop Pay at checkout.
US sales tax calculated at checkout.
In stock · ships in 1–2 business days
New kit? Setup guide: your first app in five minutes →
Developer product. No refunds.
This is not a FlightTrackerLED flight tracker: the Mach 2, its firmware, route engine and hosted aircraft data are not included. The kit runs independent open-source firmware, and its flights-overhead app shows only what your own ADS-B receiver hears. Support is self-serve: the setup guide, the Console’s built-in guide and the owner’s manual. For people comfortable editing configuration and code. All Dev Kit sales are final — no returns or refunds.
What you get
- 64×32 RGB HUB75 LED panel: 2,048 addressable pixels
- Adafruit MatrixPortal ESP32-S3 controller, no soldering
- 5V 5A power supply and USB-C cable
- Assembled, bench-tested and flashed with the open firmware
- Built-in apps: clock, messages, weather and flights overhead from your own ADS-B receiver, plus 1,000+ Pixlet apps
- A Console on the device: status, paint canvas, apps, OTA, MQTT, Home Assistant and a REST API
- Your own cloud: point MQTT at any broker you can reach
- Setup guide and owner’s manual; Arduino, CircuitPython and ESP-IDF all fit
Building something specific?
Small batches, built by hand. Tell me what you want to make and I will reply as soon as I can.
Preloaded
Firmware and reference code on board.
Documented
Setup guide and owner’s manual.
Connected
MQTT, REST, Home Assistant and OTA.
Final Sale
Developer product. Self-serve, no refunds.
A launch point, not a parts pile
The implementation stack is already waiting.
Most LED-matrix projects begin with wiring, power and provisioning. This kit starts after all that.
Code ready
Firmware, reference apps and config examples preloaded, so you start with running code.
Cloud path ready
MQTT, REST, provisioning, the Console and OTA updates. Point it at any broker; nothing needs my servers.
Guide ready
Setup guide to your first app; owner’s manual for data, OTA, MQTT and recovery.
Your first afternoon
Plug in. Connect data. Make it yours.
- 01Boot the preloaded foundation
Put your first words on the panel before changing a line.
- 02Follow the setup guide
Join Wi-Fi from the panel’s hotspot, then open the Console it serves.
- 03Connect your world
Use MQTT, REST, Home Assistant, sensors, webhooks, or any API your project needs.
- 04Ship over the air
Upload your own firmware from the Console’s Deploy page. No need to open the case.
Tidbyt alternative · Pixlet apps
Functions like a Tidbyt — on hardware you own.
The owner-run Pixlet bridge renders the Tronbyt community catalog (stocks, weather, transit, sports, clocks) on your own always-on machine and sends the frames to the panel over your LAN. I run no Pixlet service. Some apps rely on outside APIs.
The community catalog
1,000+ Pixlet apps from the Tidbyt ecosystem, kept alive by the Tronbyt community after Tidbyt stopped making hardware.
Easy Mode
A local page to search the catalog, fill in settings, preview the 64×32 result and build your rotation.
Your hardware, your render
Runs on a Pi, NAS or Mac you keep on. I render, proxy and store nothing.
Honest limits
Pixlet renders on your machine, not the panel. Community apps vary, and some need free API keys.
More: Tidbyt alternative · bridge walkthrough in chapter 8 of the owner’s manual · DIY flight tracker: build vs buy
Tidbyt is a trademark of its respective owner; Tronbyt is an independent community project. This kit is not affiliated with or endorsed by Tidbyt, Tronbyt, or Modal — the names describe compatibility and honest comparison only.
Developer kit FAQ
What “ready to build” actually means.
It arrives assembled, tested and flashed. Join Wi-Fi from its own hotspot, then use the Console it serves: apps, a paint canvas, OTA updates, MQTT and a REST API. The owner’s manual covers everything after.
No. It does not include the Mach 2, its firmware, route engine or hosted aircraft data. Its open-source flights-overhead app shows aircraft from your own ADS-B receiver. Want the finished flight tracker? That is the Mach 2. All Dev Kit sales are final, with no returns or refunds.
Basic comfort with configuration and code is expected. Run the built-in apps first, then change only what your project needs.
Yes. MQTT and REST cover Home Assistant automations, sensors, webhooks, dashboards and your own services.
No. The device serves its own Console, updates upload from your browser, and MQTT reaches any broker you choose. If enough owners want it, I may offer a paid managed tier; the box would never require it.
Yes, through the owner-hosted Pixlet bridge. It runs the Tronbyt open-source Pixlet engine and its 1,000+ app catalog on a machine you keep on, and sends frames to the panel over your network. Not affiliated with Tidbyt, Tronbyt or Modal.