Adafruit Sparkle Motion – An ESP32-based addressable LED controller with four outputs, 100W USB-C power, and WLED/xLights support

The Adafruit Sparkle Motion is an ESP32-based LED controller board designed to drive addressable LEDs, including WS2812B, APA102, SK6812, LPD8806, UCS2904, and SM16704. It supports both WLED and xLights projects and features an onboard 100W USB-C PD port to drive even high-voltage LED setups.

The board includes dual power input options (USB-C PD with 5/12/20V selection and 2.1mm DC jack), a 5A fuse, and level-shifted output terminals for controlling addressable LEDs. The board also features a built-in I2S digital microphone, IR receiver, Stemma QT I2C port, USB-serial with auto-reset, GPIO breakout pads, onboard NeoPixel and status LED, and multiple JST and terminal connectors for sensor and control integration. It comes pre-assembled with terminal blocks for easy wiring, making it suitable for applications such as wearable electronics, home decor lighting, audio-reactive displays, and remote-controlled installations.

Adafruit Sparkle Motion Specifications:

• SoC – ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 MCU @ 240MHz with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and BLE 5
• LED Control
  • 3x level-shifted output channels (5V logic) with terminal blocks (26–20AWG support)
  • 4th level-shifted output via GPIO pad
• Audio Input – Built-in I2S MEMS digital microphone for audio-reactive lighting
• Infrared
  • Integrated IR receiver for remote control
  • Optional external IR via JST analog input port
• USB – USB Type-C port for power and programming
• Expansion
  • STEMMA QT / Qwiic compatible I2C port
  • 6x GPIO breakout pads (3 additional GPIO + power + GND)
• Misc
  • User button on GPIO0 and the Reset button
  • Red status LED on GPIO4
  • Built-in NeoPixel on GPIO2
• Power Input
  • USB Type-C PD input with slide switch for 5V / 12V / 20V selection (20V suitable for most 24V LED strips)
  • 2.1mm DC barrel jack input (center-positive)
  • 5A fuse and low forward-voltage diodes for protection
• Dimensions – 45 x 33mm with mounting holes
• Weight – Approx. 10 grams
• Compliance – RoHS 2 2011/65/EU and 2015/863/EU

The Adafruit Sparkle Motion board works with WLED firmware with sound reactive support and xLights open-source software for setting up large LED displays with protocols like E1.31, DDP, and Art-Net. You also have the option to use Arduino IDE, ESP-IDF, MicroPython, or CircuitPython to design your own custom LED project. More information to get started can be found on the Adafruit Learn website.

The Sparkle Motion addressable LED controller comes in two variants, one with a PCB Antenna and the other with the option to connect a wFL External Antenna. There is also a Mini Sparkle Motion board with 31.6 x 19.8mm from factor with level-shifted dual LED outputs, an I2S microphone, Stemma QT I2C port, user/reset buttons, and extra GPIO breakouts, which may be better suited to wearables and portable LED setups.

Previously, we have written about various types of WS2812B addressable LED controllers like the ANAVI Miracle Emitter, YULC (Yes, a USB-C LED Controller) board, and SMLIGHT A1-SLWF-03, with the latter two built around an ESP32 MCU and all three compatible with WLED firmware.

The Adafruit Sparkle Motion board, priced at $24.95, is available with either a built-in PCB antenna or a u.FL external antenna. Both are often out of stock due to high demand, and at the time of writing, only the version with an external antenna is in stock (46 pieces).

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