What Is the TM1637? 4-Digit 7-Segment Driver and Uses
The TM1637 is an LED display driver that drives 4-digit 7-segment displays over 2 wires (CLK + DIO). It is the standard chip of cheap clock/counter modules and includes brightness control. It is not standard I2C but a proprietary protocol (TM1637 library on Arduino). It is smaller/cheaper than the MAX7219 but limited to 4 digits.
The TM1637 is an LED display driver that drives 4-digit 7-segment displays over 2 wires. It is the standard chip of cheap clock/counter modules and includes brightness control and button scanning. For the concept, see what is an LED driver.
What is the TM1637 used for?
Digital clocks, counters, temperature displays and simple numeric readouts. It drives a 4-digit 7-segment with only CLK and DIO (2 pins); it is smaller/cheaper than the MAX7219 but limited to 4 digits.
Connection
VCC, GND, CLK, DIO (2-wire serial; NOT standard I2C, a proprietary protocol). It is driven with the TM1637 library on Arduino.
Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Drives | 4-digit 7-segment (dot/colon) |
| Interface | 2-wire (CLK + DIO) |
| Brightness | Set in software |
| Extra | Button scanning (in some uses) |
Equivalents
- MAX7219: an 8-digit / 8×8 matrix driver.
- TM1638: combined display + buttons + LEDs.
- HT16K33: an I2C segment/matrix driver.
Find it in our catalog
Use the TM1637 search.