NOTE: The PB2 Industrial will have FPP installed on the eMMC. No SD card is required.
The K8-Max is a cape for the PocketBeagle 2 that is designed to drive ws281x LED pixels. It has 8 local ports that can each drive 800 pixels (with power injection) at 40FPS. It also has 4 RJ45 differential ports that can output an additional 16 strings via differential receivers. Finally, it has one RS485 output for DMX, PixelNet, Renard, LOR.
The K8-Max has a Real Time Clock (RTC) to maintain time, a temperature sensor, input voltage sensors, an OLED display with navigation push buttons, three powered USB ports, onboard sound, socket for FM transmitter, and a Gigabit Ethernet port (wired via USB2 so roughly 300Mb/s speed).
The cape provides:
- 8 pixel connectors in banks for four.
- Each bank of four can use any voltage from 5V – 24V
- Each string is protected by an eFuse that provides current monitoring, eFuse protection, and instant alerts
- Each string can provide up to 6A of power
- 4 RJ45 connections for 16 more strings via differential receivers
- 1 RJ45 connection for DMX/LOR
- On-board pcm5102 DAC and headphone jack for sound
- Header to attach FM transmitter
- 3 USB-A connector for WIFIi adapters or other USB devices
- Gigabit Ethernet Connector
- Expansion header pins providing 8 gpio outputs and access to I2C bus, 3.3v power, and ground
- Temperature sensor.
- Real Time Clock
- 5v 4-Pin PWM Cooling Fan Connector
- 8 GPIO pins exposed to the user to allow adding additional buttons, proximity sensors, etc… to invoke various effects and functionality.
You will need:
- PocketBeagle 2 – the K8-Max will NOT work with a PocketBeagle 1
- The latest FPP images can always be found at https://github.com/FalconChristmas/fpp/releases/
- Power supply
- ws281x compatible pixels
Mounting Information:
Kulp K8 MAX-PB2i
What This Is For
A Kulp 8-port controller cape for a PocketBeagle 2-based WS281x pixel system. It provides local outputs plus differential expansion. This is for building or upgrading the controller hardware around your display, with power and enclosure needs planned separately.
JR Recommends
Match the exact Kulp model and PocketBeagle generation before ordering. Check which processor and storage components are included in this listing, then work out the power banks, receivers, enclosure, and FPP output setup for your lights.
