A CircuitPython POV bike wheel uses LEDs that flash in sync with a spinning wheel to make an image appear in the air. Adafruit’s current design is a DIY, double-sided display built around a Feather RP2040, six DotStar strips in three spoke pairs, and a hall-effect sensor that tracks wheel speed. It is an advanced soldering project, not a ready-made wheel accessory or beginner build.
How the wheel display works
Persistence of vision (POV) displays show successive points of light at precisely timed positions as the wheel turns. When the wheel spins, the changing LED pattern can appear as a still image. The current CircuitPython guide includes starter code and images that can be adapted; the wheel-speed sensor lets the timing respond as the bike changes speed. Adafruit’s CircuitPython POV Bike Wheel guide was published September 29, 2026, and its announcement describes loading included graphics or adding artwork saved to the Feather. The announcement says the image format can fit 36 pixels; use the guide’s image-creation section for the actual implementation details.
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What the current design requires
The published design puts three pairs of LED strips on the wheel, with the two strips in each pair wired identically so the image is visible from both sides. That means six strips total—not one strip or a pair of strips. The parts page lists two one-meter lengths of Adafruit’s white 144 LED/m DotStar digital LED strip, so check the guide’s parts and wiring details when planning the quantity and layout.
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- Adafruit Feather RP2040 microcontroller
- Six 144 LED/m DotStar strip runs arranged as three paired spokes; confirm the needed lengths and layout for your wheel against the guide
- Adafruit TMAG5273 (A2) 3D Hall Effect Magnetometer and a high-strength magnet for wheel sensing
- STEMMA QT/Qwiic JST SH cable
- USB Type-C breakout and cable
- Flexible silicone-cover stranded wire and JST SM cable sets
- Clear self-fusing silicone tape, clear heat-shrink tubing, zip ties, hot glue and glue sticks
- Soldering iron and accessories, heat gun, and other assembly tools listed in the guide
Parts availability and displayed prices can change. The project guide listed the magnet as out of stock when accessed. Do not assume a different LED strip is a drop-in replacement: verify its protocol, density, width, and electrical compatibility before substituting it.
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How the wiring is organized
The wiring diagram groups the connections by power, clock, data, and sensing. Keep the six strip runs arranged as three pairs, with each pair showing the same image.
- Power and ground: Connect every strip’s VCC wire to VBUS on the USB breakout. Join all grounds together, including a connection to Feather ground.
- Clock: Connect the strips’ clock wires to the Feather’s SCK pin.
- Data: Pair the data wires for the three spoke pairs; route the pairs to A1, A2, and A3.
- Wheel sensor: Connect the TMAG5273 to either Feather STEMMA port and place the magnet so the sensor can detect wheel rotation, following the guide’s mounting and code instructions.
Follow the guide’s wiring diagram rather than relying on a generic strip diagram: its pin assignments and paired-strip layout are specific to this build.
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Assembly difficulty and riding considerations
This is an advanced project. Guide author Erin St Blaine warns, “There’s some tricky soldering required to get everything wired neatly and securely in place, so this is not a beginner build.” Plan for neat solder joints, insulated connections, and secure mounting of the strips, sensor, controller, and wiring. The design is attached to a rotating wheel, so loose parts or wires can create a hazard; inspect the complete assembly before riding and do not ride if anything shifts or snags. The guide specifies assembly supplies such as heat-shrink, silicone tape, zip ties, and hot glue, but it does not establish a weatherproofing rating for the completed current build.
How this differs from the older bike-wheel POV build
Adafruit’s earlier Bike Wheel POV Display is a separate design, not an earlier software version of the CircuitPython project. Its guide, published July 29, 2015 and last edited January 22, 2025, uses a 5V Pro Trinket, two DotStar strips facing opposite directions, and a waterproof 3xAA battery pack near the hub. Those parts and that power arrangement should not be carried over to the current Feather RP2040 build.
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| Design detail | Current CircuitPython POV wheel | Older Bike Wheel POV Display |
|---|---|---|
| Controller and software | Feather RP2040 with CircuitPython, per the current guide. | 5V Pro Trinket, per the older guide. |
| LED arrangement | Six strips arranged as three pairs, wired in pairs for a double-sided image, per the current wiring page. | Two DotStar strips, one facing each direction, per the older guide. |
| Wheel-speed sensing | TMAG5273 magnetometer and magnet are included in the parts list; the announcement says the sensor tracks speed so timing can adjust as the bike changes speed. | Not stated in the cited older guide details. |
| Power arrangement | Strip VCC wires connect to VBUS on a USB breakout in the current wiring instructions. | Waterproof 3xAA battery pack near the hub, per the older guide. |
| Image support | Starter images and code are provided; the announcement describes adding artwork and a 36-pixel image format. | Not stated in the cited older guide details. |
| Build and weather notes | Current guide calls soldering tricky and the build unsuitable for beginners; no weatherproofing rating is stated. | Older guide emphasizes strong construction and waterproofing and warns that a detached battery pack can cause an accident. |
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