LedControl-libraryHere are a few demo sketches using the LedControl-library. You can either copy+paste the code directly into the editor of the Arduino IDE, or download the sketches in a zip-file : LedControlDemos.zip.
Note :
LedControl library must obviously be installed on your computer, otherwise the demos won't even compile...
Here is a small demo to be run on a LED matrix. A matrix of at least 5x7 LEDs is recommended, but there is no problem running it on a smaller matrix, it simply won't look that good.
Please have a close look at the initialization-code and the setup() function. If you don't to pull the MAX72XX from powersaving mode with the shutdown() function or if you forget to call setIntensity() for setting the display brightness, your LEDs may remain dark even though the sketch runs without errors.
Otherwise the code should be straight forward. rows(), columns() and single() show the different ways to update the matrix. writeArduinoOnMatrix() is a bit of eye-candy, that shows how you could drive a small text display if you had a few spare MAX72XX.
Please update the pin-numbers used in the code according to you hardware!
//We always have to include the library
#include "LedControl.h"
/*
Now we need a LedControl to work with.
***** These pin numbers will probably not work with your hardware *****
pin 12 is connected to the DataIn
pin 11 is connected to the CLK
pin 10 is connected to LOAD
We have only a single MAX72XX.
*/
LedControl lc=LedControl(12,11,10,1);
/* we always wait a bit between updates of the display */
unsigned long delaytime=100;
void setup() {
/*
The MAX72XX is in power-saving mode on startup,
we have to do a wakeup call
*/
lc.shutdown(0,false);
/* Set the brightness to a medium values */
lc.setIntensity(0,8);
/* and clear the display */
lc.clearDisplay(0);
}
/*
This method will display the characters for the
word "Arduino" one after the other on the matrix.
(you need at least 5x7 LEDs to see the whole chars)
*/
void writeArduinoOnMatrix() {
/* here is the data for the characters */
byte a[5]={B01111110,B10001000,B10001000,B10001000,B01111110};
byte r[5]={B00111110,B00010000,B00100000,B00100000,B00010000};
byte d[5]={B00011100,B00100010,B00100010,B00010010,B11111110};
byte u[5]={B00111100,B00000010,B00000010,B00000100,B00111110};
byte i[5]={B00000000,B00100010,B10111110,B00000010,B00000000};
byte n[5]={B00111110,B00010000,B00100000,B00100000,B00011110};
byte o[5]={B00011100,B00100010,B00100010,B00100010,B00011100};
/* now display them one by one with a small delay */
lc.setRow(0,0,a[0]);
lc.setRow(0,1,a[1]);
lc.setRow(0,2,a[2]);
lc.setRow(0,3,a[3]);
lc.setRow(0,4,a[4]);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,0,r[0]);
lc.setRow(0,1,r[1]);
lc.setRow(0,2,r[2]);
lc.setRow(0,3,r[3]);
lc.setRow(0,4,r[4]);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,0,d[0]);
lc.setRow(0,1,d[1]);
lc.setRow(0,2,d[2]);
lc.setRow(0,3,d[3]);
lc.setRow(0,4,d[4]);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,0,u[0]);
lc.setRow(0,1,u[1]);
lc.setRow(0,2,u[2]);
lc.setRow(0,3,u[3]);
lc.setRow(0,4,u[4]);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,0,i[0]);
lc.setRow(0,1,i[1]);
lc.setRow(0,2,i[2]);
lc.setRow(0,3,i[3]);
lc.setRow(0,4,i[4]);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,0,n[0]);
lc.setRow(0,1,n[1]);
lc.setRow(0,2,n[2]);
lc.setRow(0,3,n[3]);
lc.setRow(0,4,n[4]);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,0,o[0]);
lc.setRow(0,1,o[1]);
lc.setRow(0,2,o[2]);
lc.setRow(0,3,o[3]);
lc.setRow(0,4,o[4]);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,0,0);
lc.setRow(0,1,0);
lc.setRow(0,2,0);
lc.setRow(0,3,0);
lc.setRow(0,4,0);
delay(delaytime);
}
/*
This function lights up a some LEDs in a row.
The pattern will be repeated on every row.
The pattern will blink along with the row-number.
row number 4 (index==3) will blink 4 times etc.
*/
void rows() {
for(int row=0;row<8;row++) {
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,row,B10100000);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,row,(byte)0);
for(int i=0;i<row;i++) {
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,row,B10100000);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,row,(byte)0);
}
}
}
/*
This function lights up a some LEDs in a column.
The pattern will be repeated on every column.
The pattern will blink along with the column-number.
column number 4 (index==3) will blink 4 times etc.
*/
void columns() {
for(int col=0;col<8;col++) {
delay(delaytime);
lc.setColumn(0,col,B10100000);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setColumn(0,col,(byte)0);
for(int i=0;i<col;i++) {
delay(delaytime);
lc.setColumn(0,col,B10100000);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setColumn(0,col,(byte)0);
}
}
}
/*
This function will light up every LED on the matrix.
The led will blink along with the row-number.
row number 4 (index==3) will blink 4 times etc.
*/
void single() {
for(int row=0;row<8;row++) {
for(int col=0;col<8;col++) {
delay(delaytime);
lc.setLed(0,row,col,true);
delay(delaytime);
for(int i=0;i<col;i++) {
lc.setLed(0,row,col,false);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setLed(0,row,col,true);
delay(delaytime);
}
}
}
}
void loop() {
writeArduinoOnMatrix();
rows();
columns();
single();
}
Here is a demo to be run on a 7-segment display. The initialization of the devices is exactly the same as in the matrix demo. scrollDigits() uses the setDigits() method for (hex-) numbers between 0 and 15.
writeArduinoOn7Segment() is a little bit more interesting, as it uses the setChar() method for the predefined characters 'A','d' and the setRow() function for creating a mock up of the missing characters.
Please update the pin-numbers used in the code according to you hardware!
//We always have to include the library
#include "LedControl.h"
/*
Now we need a LedControl to work with.
***** These pin numbers will probably not work with your hardware *****
pin 12 is connected to the DataIn
pin 11 is connected to the CLK
pin 10 is connected to LOAD
We have only a single MAX72XX.
*/
LedControl lc=LedControl(12,11,10,1);
/* we always wait a bit between updates of the display */
unsigned long delaytime=250;
void setup() {
/*
The MAX72XX is in power-saving mode on startup,
we have to do a wakeup call
*/
lc.shutdown(0,false);
/* Set the brightness to a medium values */
lc.setIntensity(0,8);
/* and clear the display */
lc.clearDisplay(0);
}
/*
This method will display the characters for the
word "Arduino" one after the other on digit 0.
*/
void writeArduinoOn7Segment() {
lc.setChar(0,0,'a',false);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,0,0x05);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setChar(0,0,'d',false);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,0,0x1c);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,0,B00010000);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,0,0x15);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setRow(0,0,0x1D);
delay(delaytime);
lc.clearDisplay(0);
delay(delaytime);
}
/*
This method will scroll all the hexadecimal
numbers and letters on the display. You will need at least
four 7-Segment digits. otherwise it won't really look that good.
*/
void scrollDigits() {
for(int i=0;i<13;i++) {
lc.setDigit(0,3,i,false);
lc.setDigit(0,2,i+1,false);
lc.setDigit(0,1,i+2,false);
lc.setDigit(0,0,i+3,false);
delay(delaytime);
}
lc.clearDisplay(0);
delay(delaytime);
}
void loop() {
writeArduinoOn7Segment();
scrollDigits();
}
MAX72XXHere is a demo that shows how to address more than one MAX72XX from a single LedControl variable. You would obviously need at least two cascaded devices to test this.
The demo doesn't do anything exciting. It simply uses a big loop in which it switches all LEDs on all devices on and off, one after the other.
The other point of interest is the setup() function that initializes all devices in a loop.
Please update the pin-numbers used in the code according to you hardware!
//We always have to include the library
#include "LedControl.h"
/*
Now we need a LedControl to work with.
***** These pin numbers will probably not work with your hardware *****
pin 12 is connected to the DataIn
pin 11 is connected to the CLK
pin 10 is connected to LOAD
***** Please set the number of devices you have *****
But the maximum default of 8 MAX72XX will also work.
*/
LedControl lc=LedControl(12,11,10,8);
/* we always wait a bit between updates of the display */
unsigned long delaytime=500;
/*
This time we have more than one device.
But all of them have to be initialized
individually.
*/
void setup() {
//we have already set the number of devices when we created the LedControl
int devices=lc.getDeviceCount();
//we have to init all devices in a loop
for(int address=0;address<devices;address++) {
/*The MAX72XX is in power-saving mode on startup*/
lc.shutdown(address,false);
/* Set the brightness to a medium values */
lc.setIntensity(address,8);
/* and clear the display */
lc.clearDisplay(address);
}
}
void loop() {
//read the number cascaded devices
int devices=lc.getDeviceCount();
//we have to init all devices in a loop
for(int row=0;row<8;row++) {
for(int col=0;col<8;col++) {
for(int address=0;address<devices;address++) {
delay(delaytime);
lc.setLed(address,row,col,true);
delay(delaytime);
lc.setLed(address,row,col,false);
}
}
}
}