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LED Display Controller · WF1 Manual
Your WF1 comes pre-programmed and ready to wear. This page walks you through connecting the LEDArt app, switching faces, uploading custom art, building no-app USB face programs, and fixing the most common issues.
This is the offline copy included with your USB program download — the latest version always lives at protofrenz.com/pages/wf1-controller-manual.
The WF1 is a third-party controller made by Huidu Technology and resold by ProtoFrenz. We're happy to help with setup and common issues, but we're unable to offer custom firmware, hardware modifications, or deep technical support beyond what's covered on this page. For advanced questions, Huidu's documentation and support channels are the best resource.
Plug a 5V MicroUSB power bank into the MicroUSB port on the controller. 5V, 2.4A or higher is recommended — lower current supplies can cause flickering or unstable behaviour.
The WiFi network name (e.g. WF1_e869086a488) is printed on a
label on the back of the controller. Wait a few seconds for the network to
appear after power-on.
Go to your phone's WiFi settings and connect to the
WF1_xxxxxxxxx network shown on the controller label.
The default password is 88888888 (eight 8s).
When your phone asks "Stay connected to this network without internet?", choose Yes / Keep. Turn off Bluetooth and mobile data if the app has trouble finding the device. The WF1 network is closed — internet won't be available while you're connected to it.
Open LEDArt and tap the Device tab at the bottom. You should see your controller listed with status Normal play. If nothing appears, check that you're still connected to the WF1 network — phones often switch back to your home WiFi automatically.
From the Device tab, tap your controller to open its detail page, then tap Remote. This gives you live control over what's on the panels right now.
Use the ↑ / ↓ arrow buttons to cycle through the pre-loaded programs. Each program is a face or animation. Tap Looping ON/OFF to lock in a single face so it doesn't rotate automatically.
The brightness slider on the Remote screen dims or boosts the panels. Indoors, 30–50% is usually comfortable; brightly lit venues or outdoor spaces often need 80–100%. For long wear sessions, 60–70% is a good balance between visibility and heat.
Image size
128 px wide × 32 px tall total. Design a 64×32 mirrored face — left half shown on one panel, right half on the other.
File format
PNG for static faces. GIF for animated faces — the WF1 supports GIF animation natively. Animation speed can be adjusted with the Speed setting in the program editor.
Scan setting in LEDArt
Hardware Settings → scan mode C5, color Full Color, gray level 8. This is the correct setting for ProtoFrenz P3 panels.
Face designer
Use the LED Display Face Maker at protofrenz.com — built specifically for the WF1's 64×32 panel layout. It can also package your faces as a complete ready-to-load USB program — see Build USB programs.
128×32 px layout — actual pixel ratio
dashed line = panel split · each half mirrors to one panel
In LEDArt, go to the Program tab and tap New Program. The app creates a blank program and drops you into the editor with a default text area.
Tap the ✕ next to the "Text" element at the bottom of the editor. You want a clean canvas before adding your image.
Tap the + button and choose Image from the menu, then Local image to pick your PNG or GIF from your phone's photo library or Files app.
Tap Send in the top-right corner. The image transmits over WiFi and appears on the panels within a few seconds. Only this one program is sent — your other existing programs are unaffected.
Build each face as its own program in the Program list. When you're ready to load them all, check the box next to each program and tap Send from the main Program screen. All selected programs upload in a single batch. Use the Remote screen to switch between them on the fly.
facemaker.protofrenz.com is our free, in-browser face studio for the WF1. Draw faces or pick from the full ProtoFrenz library, then package a whole set as a ready-to-load USB program — no LEDArt, no PC software, no account, and no way to break your hardware settings. Once you've visited it, it keeps working without internet, and you can install it like an app on your phone or computer.
Go to facemaker.protofrenz.com on any phone or computer. No internet? The thumb drive that came with your head carries an offline copy — double-click ProtoFrenz Face Maker.html.
Draw your own in the pixel editor, pick something from the library (every ProtoFrenz face and animation, sorted by color), or import your own PNG or GIF. When it looks right, tap ➕ Add to USB program.
Up to 16 faces fit on one drive — you'll switch between them with the Remote arrows or the controller button. Give frames hold times, set animation speed and how many times an animation plays, and press Play to preview the whole thing — flat, or on a spinning 3D model of your actual head.
Tap ⬇ Download USB Files, unzip, and copy all five program files to the root of a FAT32 USB drive. With the head powered on, plug the drive into the WF1, wait ~30 seconds, remove it. Done — the ZIP also contains this manual for offline reference.
Face & animation library
Every ProtoFrenz face — stills and full-speed animations in all the color sets, organised by color, one click to use.
Drawing tools
Pixel editor with mirror mode, plus the parts library — every eye, nose and mouth in one grid.
Your own art
Import PNGs and animated GIFs; previews show exactly what the panels will display.
Auto-blink & chatter
Pick two poses and it builds a blinking or talking animation for you.
Expression flow
Compose sequences like “neutral 3 s → excited → love with 3 pulses” — morph transitions are added automatically.
3D head preview
Watch your program play on a spinning MK3 or MK5 head before it ever touches hardware.
Share codes
Copy a short code to a friend; they paste it and get your face — art, frames and timing included.
Projects & recovery
Save and re-open projects, re-import any USB program (even HD2020-made ones), and download the factory drive bundle if you ever need a fresh start.
88888888. In LEDArt: Device → Password
Settings. Write it down — recovery requires a button hold on the Reset
button (see Troubleshooting below).
The most common cause is the phone silently switching away from the WF1 hotspot to a network with internet.
WF1_xxxxxxxxx network (not your home network).This happens when the controller and display panels lose sync — usually after a corrupted program send.
Fix: download the ProtoFrenz default program zip, unzip it onto a FAT32 USB drive (files go in the root directory, not a folder), insert it while the controller is powered on, and wait 30 seconds.
Alternatively, open LEDArt and send any valid program from the app — this will also re-sync the panels.
Tip from a customer: if the USB recovery drive isn't working, try unplugging the display panels from the controller first, inserting the USB drive and waiting for it to load (30 s), then replugging the panels.
The scan mode may be set incorrectly for your panel type. In LEDArt:
888).Also verify the 16-pin HUB75 ribbon cables are seated fully, with the tab/notch on the connector aligned to the slot. Data flows controller → first panel → second panel — arrows on the panel PCBs show the direction.
Check that the controller is powered on — the network only broadcasts when the unit is running. The network name is on the label on the back of the controller.
If the unit appears on but the network is still missing, insert a hex key
or thin tool into the Reset hole on the controller case and
press and hold the button inside for 10 seconds while powered on. On firmware
V4.24 and above this resets the WiFi password to 88888888 without
erasing your program.
The reset method depends on your controller's firmware version:
Firmware V4.24 or later (most units): while the controller
is powered on, insert a hex key into the Reset hole and hold
the button for 10 seconds. The WiFi password resets to 88888888
without erasing your program.
Older firmware: power off the controller, press and hold
the Reset button, then power it back on while still holding. Release after
10 seconds. The password resets to 88888888, but screen
parameters may also be reset — re-run Hardware Settings (scan mode C5,
Full Color, Gray Level 8) and re-upload your program afterward.
Almost always a power supply issue. The WF1 and two P3 panels draw meaningful current — especially at high brightness.
Mac: the Face Maker works in Safari. To format a stick, open Disk Utility, select the drive itself (not the volume under it), click Erase, and choose MS-DOS (FAT) with scheme Master Boot Record. Don't pick ExFAT — the WF1 can't read it. The hidden files macOS adds to drives (.DS_Store and friends) are harmless.
iPhone / iPad: the Face Maker runs in Safari and your ZIP lands in the Files app — long-press it and choose Uncompress. Plug a USB stick in with a USB-C (or Lightning) adapter and copy all five files to the top level of the drive in Files. iPhones can't format drives, so use one that's already FAT32 — the drive that came with your head is perfect, as is any small (32 GB or less) stick, or format one on a computer first.
This is also the best route when an iPhone won't stay connected to the WF1's WiFi — the USB drive skips the app and WiFi entirely.
Via USB drive
Download the default program zip, unzip it, and copy the files to the root directory of a FAT32-formatted USB drive (not inside a folder). Insert the drive while the controller is powered on. Wait 30 seconds — done.
Via LEDArt app
Connect to the WF1 network, open LEDArt, and send any program from your phone. Any valid program send will also re-sync the display if it was showing white/magenta stripes.