diff --git a/application.c b/application.c
index 52dc15b..93fb3f5 100644
--- a/application.c
+++ b/application.c
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ static volatile uint32_t dial_steps = 0; /**< set to drv8825_steps when dial is
 #define RGBMATRIX_HEIGHT 32 /**< number of rows in the RGB matrix */
 #define RGBMATRIX_WIDTH 64 /**< number of columns in the RGB matrix */
 static uint8_t rgbmatrix_data[RGBMATRIX_HEIGHT / 2][RGBMATRIX_WIDTH * 2]; /**< data to be sent to RGB matrix (one byte includes upper and lower half values, each byte has 2 clock edges) */
+#define RGBMATRIX_TIMER 3 /**< timer to update lines */
 
 /** set motor speed and direction
  *  @param[in] speed speed (in Hz) and direction (sign)
@@ -762,7 +763,7 @@ void main(void)
 	dma_disable_stream(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM); // disable stream before re-configuring
 	while (DMA_SCR(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM) & DMA_SxCR_EN); // wait until transfer is finished before we can reconfigure
 	dma_stream_reset(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM); // use default values
-	dma_set_peripheral_address(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM, (uint32_t)&rgbmatrix_data[0]); // set memory to read from (for memory-to-memory transfer, the source is the peripheral)
+	//dma_set_peripheral_address(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM, (uint32_t)&rgbmatrix_data[0]); // set memory to read from (for memory-to-memory transfer, the source is the peripheral)
 	dma_set_peripheral_size(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM, DMA_SxCR_PSIZE_8BIT); // we only write the 8 first bit
 	dma_enable_peripheral_increment_mode(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM); // increment address of memory to read
 	dma_set_memory_address(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM, (uint32_t) &GPIOA_ODR); // set GPIOA as destination (for memory-to-memory transfer, the destination is the memory)
@@ -772,11 +773,21 @@ void main(void)
 	dma_channel_select(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM, RGBMATRIX_CHANNEL); // set the channel for this stream
 	dma_set_transfer_mode(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM, DMA_SxCR_DIR_MEM_TO_MEM); // set transfer from memory to memory
 	dma_set_priority(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM, DMA_SxCR_PL_LOW); // there is no need to rush
-	dma_enable_transfer_complete_interrupt(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM); // interrupt when line transfer is complete
-	nvic_enable_irq(RGBMATRIX_IRQ); // enable interrupt
 	rgbmatrix_clear(); // clear matrix
 	gpio_clear(GPIO_PORT(RGBMATRIX_OE_PIN), GPIO_PIN(RGBMATRIX_OE_PIN)); // enable output
-	dma_enable_stream(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM); // start DMA to continuously send data
+
+	// configure timer to go through rows/lines
+	rcc_periph_clock_enable(RCC_TIM(RGBMATRIX_TIMER)); // enable clock for timer domain
+	rcc_periph_reset_pulse(RST_TIM(RGBMATRIX_TIMER)); // reset timer state
+	timer_set_mode(TIM(RGBMATRIX_TIMER), TIM_CR1_CKD_CK_INT, TIM_CR1_CMS_EDGE, TIM_CR1_DIR_UP); // set timer mode, use undivided timer clock, edge alignment (simple count), and count up
+	timer_set_prescaler(TIM(RGBMATRIX_TIMER), 2 - 1); // hand tuned prescale to minimize inter-line ghosting
+	timer_set_period(TIM(RGBMATRIX_TIMER), 0xcfff - 1); // hand tuned period to minimize inter-line ghosting
+	timer_clear_flag(TIM(RGBMATRIX_TIMER), TIM_SR_UIF); // clear update (overflow) flag
+	timer_update_on_overflow(TIM(RGBMATRIX_TIMER)); // only use counter overflow as UEV source (use overflow as next line update indication)
+	timer_enable_irq(TIM(RGBMATRIX_TIMER), TIM_DIER_UIE); // enable update interrupt for timer
+	nvic_enable_irq(NVIC_TIM_IRQ(RGBMATRIX_TIMER)); // catch interrupt in service routine
+	timer_enable_counter(TIM(RGBMATRIX_TIMER)); // start timer to update RGB matrix
+
 	puts_debug("OK\n");
 
 	// setup terminal
@@ -810,7 +821,6 @@ void main(void)
 			led_toggle(); // toggle LED to indicate if main function is stuck
 			rgbmatrix_set(matrix_led % RGBMATRIX_WIDTH, matrix_led / RGBMATRIX_WIDTH, false, false, false); // disable current LED
 			matrix_led += 4; // go to next LED
-			//GPIOB_ODR = (GPIOB_ODR & 0xfff0) + ((matrix_led / RGBMATRIX_WIDTH) % RGBMATRIX_HEIGHT);
 			rgbmatrix_set(matrix_led % RGBMATRIX_WIDTH, matrix_led / RGBMATRIX_WIDTH, true, false, false); // enable next LED
 		}
 		if (0 == gpio_get(GPIO_PORT(DRV8825_FAULT_PIN), GPIO_PIN(DRV8825_FAULT_PIN))) { // DRV8825 stepper motor error reports error
@@ -875,30 +885,22 @@ void GPIO_EXTI_ISR(DIAL_SWITCH_PIN)(void)
 	}
 }
 
-/** ISR triggered when the data for the line of the RGB matrix has been transferred
+/** interrupt service routine called to update next line of RGB matrix
+ *  @note ideally the next line should be updated when the current one is complete, but the DMA is too fast.
+ *  @note switching lines too fast causes inter-line ghosting of the LEDs (on the same column), due to capacitance and driver switching limitations
  */
-void RGBMATRIX_ISR(void)
+void TIM_ISR(RGBMATRIX_TIMER)(void)
 {
-	static uint8_t rgbmatrix_line = 0; // line being transferred
-	if (dma_get_interrupt_flag(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM, DMA_TCIF)) {
-		dma_clear_interrupt_flags(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM, DMA_TCIF);
+	if (timer_get_flag(TIM(RGBMATRIX_TIMER), TIM_SR_UIF)) { // update event happened
+		timer_clear_flag(TIM(RGBMATRIX_TIMER), TIM_SR_UIF); // clear flag
+		if (DMA_SCR(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM) & DMA_SxCR_EN) { // DMA is not complete
+			return;
+		}
+		static uint8_t rgbmatrix_line = 0; // line being transferred
 		rgbmatrix_line = (rgbmatrix_line + 1) % (RGBMATRIX_HEIGHT / 2); // go to next line (two lines are updated at once)
-		// data already latched by last pixel
-		//gpio_set(GPIO_PORT(RGBMATRIX_LAT_PIN), GPIO_PIN(RGBMATRIX_LAT_PIN)); // latch data on rising edge
-		//gpio_clear(GPIO_PORT(RGBMATRIX_LAT_PIN), GPIO_PIN(RGBMATRIX_LAT_PIN)); // release latch
-		for (volatile uint32_t i = 0; i < 4000; i++);
 		GPIOB_ODR = (GPIOB_ODR & 0xfff0) + rgbmatrix_line; // select line (line on lower and upper half are updated at once)
-		dma_set_peripheral_address(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM, (uint32_t)&rgbmatrix_data[rgbmatrix_line]); // set memory containing line data to be transferred
+		dma_set_peripheral_address(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM, (uint32_t)&rgbmatrix_data[rgbmatrix_line]); // set memory containing line data to be transferred (for memory-to-memory transfer, the source is the peripheral)
+		dma_clear_interrupt_flags(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM, DMA_TCIF); // even if interrupts are not enabled, clearing this flag is required to start the DMA (I don't know why)
 		dma_enable_stream(RGBMATRIX_DMA, RGBMATRIX_STREAM); // start sending next line
 	}
 }
-
-/* I don't why, but I have a ghosting issue between the lines.
-   - it only affects the configured number of lines (e.g. it does not appear when I only use 2 lines)
-   - in affects both halves independently
-   - having the latch on the last - 1 or last + 1 row clock does not solve the issue
-   - I see no ringing in the lines selection signal, and all LEDs in the line are affected the same way
-   - the voltage level does not seem to be the issue (3.3V signal vs 5V panel): each LED color is set correctly, and lowering the panel voltage does not change the ghosting
-   - the LED brightness is different across the lines, but identical across the line
-   - adding sleep time between line selections decreases the effect a bit
- */