Cardboard Window Skull With Animated LED Eyes

Decorate your home with a back-lit skull that has animated matrix eyes and a moving jaw.

by John Park

published November 09, 2020, last edited January 21, 2025

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Beginner

Project guide

Add Servo to the Matrix Portal

We'll add a set of header sockets to Matrix Portal in order to easily plug in the servo motor. A 90º header makes for a nice, compact-yet-accessible setup.

Solder Headers

There are eleven GPIO pins exposed on the Matrix Portal's header row. Trim a section of socket headers to fit as shown.

Place the header and solder it in place.

You could also use right angle header pins here instead of sockets, its just a matter of personal preference.

Wear appropriate protective eyewear and be careful cutting header apart as pieces often fly which could hurt someone.

Connect Servo

Use small pliers or diagonal cutters to cut off a three-pin section of extra-long header pins and use them to insert the servo motor connector as shown here