PiGlow

The PiGlow is a small LED add-on board for Raspberry Pi featuring 18 individually controllable LEDs arranged in three spiral arms. Each LED can be dimmed independently using PWM control, enabling smooth lighting effects and animations.

Uses the SN3218 PWM chip communicating via I2C, with Python libraries available for easy programming. Fits inside a Pibow case and works with all Raspberry Pi models.

Key Features

• 18 LEDs – Three each of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and white
• PWM Dimming – 256 brightness levels per LED
• I2C Control – Simple communication via GPIO header
• Pibow Compatible – Fits inside Pibow cases
• Fully Assembled – No soldering required

Ideal For

• Mood lighting and ambience effects
• System load and status indicators
• Notification alerts (tweets, email, events)
• Headless Pi visual feedback
• Learning LED control and I2C

Specifications

• LEDs: 18× SMD LEDs (6 colours, 3 each)
• Controller: SN3218 PWM chip
• Interface: I2C (address 0x54)
• PWM Range: 0–255
• Compatibility: All Raspberry Pi models

Package Contents

• 1× PiGlow Board (fully assembled)

Resources

• Python Library (GitHub)
• WiringPi Driver