• YouTuber EastMakes set out to build something, a trueRGB 14-segment display module. • Wanting a retro alphanumeric display style for a largeLEDmessage board project, he designed his own module using ultra-tiny SK6805 addressable LEDs measuring just 1.5 mm square. • Since datasheets lacked precise placement references, he scanned a physical display and calibrated the image in CAD software to extract exact LED coordinates, then usedPCBlayout automation tools to place more than 70 LEDs. • After generating BOM and placement files, he ordered multiple test boards with varying PCB thicknesses to study how FR4 affected light diffusion. • The results showed that thinner boards produced more balanced illumination. • Once the boards arrived, he drove them using an ESP32 and began experimenting with optical diffusion using 3D-printed faceplates.
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