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UPDATE 1: I HAVE ADDED THE CODE FOR CONWAY'S GAME OF LIFE
UPDATE 2: NOW YOU CAN SAVE SOME ARDUINO PINS WITH THE HELP OF 1 SHIFT REGISTER.
In this instructable I will show you how to build a quite fancy 8 by 10 L.E.D matrix(with scrolling text and animations) using the Arduino and 4017 decade counter. This type of matrix is easy to make and program and it is a good way learn how to multiplex.
I have added another part to this instructable about using the 74HC595 shift register which will help to save some arduino pins for other thing you would like to do.
So now you have to ways to go from here. You can make this matrix without the shift register and that will save you some soldering work or use the shift register if you want to have more free pins to use.
UPDATE 2: NOW YOU CAN SAVE SOME ARDUINO PINS WITH THE HELP OF 1 SHIFT REGISTER.
In this instructable I will show you how to build a quite fancy 8 by 10 L.E.D matrix(with scrolling text and animations) using the Arduino and 4017 decade counter. This type of matrix is easy to make and program and it is a good way learn how to multiplex.
I have added another part to this instructable about using the 74HC595 shift register which will help to save some arduino pins for other thing you would like to do.
So now you have to ways to go from here. You can make this matrix without the shift register and that will save you some soldering work or use the shift register if you want to have more free pins to use.
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Signing UpStep 1Stuff you need
Tools:
1. Soldering iron
2. Some solder
3. Small needle nose plier
4. A wire striper
For the matrix:
1. 80 L.E.D.s
2. 8 resistors( The value is determent by the type of L.E.D.s)
3. 4017 decade counter
4. 10 1KOhm resistors
5. 10 2N3904 transistors
6. Some single core wire
7. Perfboard
8. Arduino
optional -
9. 74HC595 shift register
10. some pin headers
1. Soldering iron
2. Some solder
3. Small needle nose plier
4. A wire striper
For the matrix:
1. 80 L.E.D.s
2. 8 resistors( The value is determent by the type of L.E.D.s)
3. 4017 decade counter
4. 10 1KOhm resistors
5. 10 2N3904 transistors
6. Some single core wire
7. Perfboard
8. Arduino
optional -
9. 74HC595 shift register
10. some pin headers
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Might be a stupid question - how exactly do I connect the emitter pins of the transistors to the ground?
ohh..what should i make it to be compatible with arduino 1.0?
i jus wana know is it posible to scroll texts vertically..?? i'm totally noob to programming..!! can u help me..?? plz...!!
The Shift register is a way to increase the micro controller output pins, you can find more information here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shift_register and here http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/ShiftOut
Could you give us a Code to display only a one pattern ?
Nice Instructable ( :
Thank you
Yeah I will put a code till the end of the week.
int DataPin = 9;
int LatchPin = 11;
int ClockPin = 10;
int clock = 13;
int Reset = 12;
//x,y for the loop
int x;
int y;
// here the definion of all the letter(big and small) and numbers
#define A {B01111110,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01111110,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010} //done
#define B {B01111000,B01000100,B01000100,B01000100,B01111000,B01000100,B01000100,B01111000} //done
#define C {B00111000,B01000100,B01000010,B01000000,B01000000,B01000010,B01000100,B00111000} //done
#define D {B01111000,B01000100,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000100,B01111000} //done
#define E {B01111110,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000,B01111100,B01000000,B01000000,B01111110} //done
#define F {B01111110,B01000000,B01000000,B01111000,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000} //done
#define G {B00111100,B01000010,B01000000,B01000000,B01000110,B01000010,B01000100,B00111000} //done
#define H {B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01111110,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010} //done
#define I {B01111110,B00011000,B00011000,B00011000,B00011000,B00011000,B00011000,B01111110} //done
#define J {B01111110,B00001000,B00001000,B00001000,B00001000,B01001000,B01001000,B00110000} //done
#define K {B01000100,B01001000,B01010000,B01100000,B01010000,B01001000,B01000100,B01000010} //done
#define L {B00100000,B00100000,B00100000,B00100000,B00100000,B00100000,B00100000,B00111110} //done
#define M {B01000010,B01100110,B01011010,B01011010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010} //done
#define N {B00000000,B01000010,B01100010,B01010010,B01001010,B01001010,B01001010,B01000110}
#define O {B00000000,B00111100,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010}
#define P {B00000000,B00111100,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01111100,B01000000,B01000000}
#define Q {B00000000,B00111100,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000110}
#define R {B01111000,B01000100,B01000100,B01000100,B01111000,B01010000,B01001000,B01001000} //done
#define S {B00000000,B00111100,B01000010,B01000000,B01000000,B00111100,B00000010,B01000010}
#define T {B01111110,B00011000,B00011000,B00011000,B00011000,B00011000,B00011000,B00011000} //done
#define U {B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B00100100,B00011000} //done
#define V {B00000000,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B00100100}
#define W {B00000000,B10000010,B10000010,B10000010,B10000010,B10010010,B10010010,B10101010}
#define X {B00000000,B01000010,B01000010,B00100100,B00011000,B00011000,B00100100,B01000010}
#define Y {B00000000,B10000010,B01000100,B00101000,B00010000,B00010000,B00010000,B00010000}
#define Z {B00000000,B01111110,B00000010,B00000100,B00001000,B00010000,B00100000,B01000000}
#define lit_a {B00000000,B01111110,B00000010,B01111110,B01000010,B01000010,B01111110,B00000000} //done
#define lit_b {B00000000,B00100000,B00100000,B00100000,B00111100,B00100100,B00111100,B00000000} //done
#define lit_c {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00111100,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000}
#define lit_d {B00000000,B00000100,B00000100,B00000100,B00111100,B00100100,B00111100,B00000000} //done
#define lit_e {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00111000,B01000100,B01000100,B01111000,B01000000}
#define lit_f {B00000000,B00011000,B00100100,B00100000,B00100000,B01110000,B00100000,B00100000}
#define lit_g {B00000000,B00011100,B00100010,B00100010,B00011110,B00000010,B00000010,B00010010}
#define lit_h {B00000000,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000,B01111000,B01000100,B01000100}
#define lit_i {B00000000,B00000000,B00010000,B00000000,B00010000,B00010000,B00010000,B00010000}
#define lit_j {B00000000,B00000000,B00010000,B00000000,B00010000,B00010000,B00010000,B01010000}
#define lit_k {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B01001000,B01010000,B01100000,B01100000,B01010000}
#define lit_l {B00000000,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000}
#define lit_m {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00110100,B01001010,B01001010,B01001010,B01001010}
#define lit_n {B00000000,B01000000,B01111100,B01000100,B01000100,B01000100,B01000100,B00000000} //done
#define lit_o {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00011100,B00100010,B00100010,B00100010}
#define lit_p {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00011100,B00100010,B00100010,B00111100,B00100000}
#define lit_q {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00111000,B01000100,B01000100,B00111100,B00000100}
#define lit_r {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00111000,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000,B01000000}
#define lit_s {B00000000,B00000000,B00111000,B01000100,B01000000,B00111000,B00000100,B01000100}
#define lit_t {B00000000,B00100000,B00100000,B00100000,B01111000,B00100000,B00100000,B00100010}
#define lit_u {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B01000100,B01000100,B01000100,B01000100}
#define lit_v {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B01000100,B01000100,B01000100,B01000100,B00101000}
#define lit_w {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B01000100,B01000100,B01010100,B01010100}
#define lit_x {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00100100,B00011000,B00011000}
#define lit_y {B00000000,B00000000,B01000100,B01000100,B00111100,B00000100,B00000100,B00000100}
#define lit_z {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B01111100,B00001000,B00010000,B00100000}
#define space {B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00000000,B00000000}
#define num_0 {B00000000,B00111100,B01000110,B01001010,B01001010,B01001010,B01010010,B01100010}
#define num_1 {B00000000,B00001000,B00011000,B00001000,B00001000,B00001000,B00001000,B00001000}
#define num_2 {B00000000,B00111100,B01000010,B00000100,B00001000,B00010000,B00100000,B01000000}
#define num_3 {B00000000,B01111110,B00000010,B00000010,B00011100,B00000010,B00000010,B01000010}
#define num_4 {B00000000,B00000100,B00001100,B00010100,B00100100,B01000100,B01111110,B00000100}
#define num_5 {B00000000,B01111110,B01000000,B01000000,B00111100,B00000010,B00000010,B00000010}
#define num_6 {B00000000,B00111100,B01000000,B01000000,B01111100,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010}
#define num_7 {B00000000,B01111110,B00000010,B00000100,B00001000,B00010000,B00010000,B00010000}
#define num_8 {B00000000,B00111100,B01000010,B01000010,B00111100,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010}
#define num_9 {B00000000,B00111100,B01000010,B01000010,B01000010,B00111110,B00000010,B00000010}
#define times {B00000000,B00000000,B01000010,B00100100,B00011000,B00011000,B00100100,B01000010}
const int numPatterns = 17;//this is the number of patterns you want to display
byte patterns[numPatterns][8]={H, A, ,P, P, Y };// the patterns order
void setup(){
pinMode(DataPin,OUTPUT);
pinMode(ClockPin,OUTPUT);
pinMode(LatchPin,OUTPUT);
//simple stuff here
pinMode(clock,OUTPUT);
pinMode(Reset,OUTPUT);
//reseting the 4017 IC, you have to do this
digitalWrite(Reset,HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(5);
digitalWrite(Reset,LOW);
}
void display_pattern(int loops)//int loop acts like a delay, it take 8 mSecands to scan all of the rows so int loops = 15 is a good time for it
{
for(x=0;x for (int z=0;z<8;z++){ //scrolls one bite at a time
for(int t=0;t for(y=0;y<10;y++){// loops over the array of bytes
byte temp = patterns[x][y];
byte temp_2=patterns[x+1][y];
digitalWrite(LatchPin, 0);
shiftOut(DataPin, ClockPin,MSBFIRST,((temp<>7-z)));//writes digital outputs, Z is for how much bites it need to scroll
digitalWrite(LatchPin, 1);
delayMicroseconds(800);
digitalWrite(LatchPin, 0);
shiftOut(DataPin, ClockPin,MSBFIRST,0);
digitalWrite(LatchPin, 1);
digitalWrite(clock,HIGH); digitalWrite(clock,LOW);
}
}
}
}
}
void loop(){
display_pattern(15);// calls for the display_pattern function and says that int loop = 15(if you do more loop the pattern whould scrrol slower).
}
You can just pre-wire the LEDs in such way that you will have 3 control pins that light up the whole word.
but how will i pre wire in and how is the conection for a tri-color led.. i only knew one color led connection..
and what will be the size of the led..
You can use RGB LEDs which are basically 3 LEDs in one.
They are pretty much the the same as normal LEDs but they have 4 pins and not 2.
They are very simple to use you have a pin for each color and one pin that is the ground.
You don't have to use the RGB kind in this project you can just put the different color LED next to each other and cover the whole display in some plastic so people wouldn't see the LEDs but only the light.
The connections are also simple you connect all the colors of the word together i.e. all off the positive pins and give power to all of them.
The size of the LEDs is up to you.
I am now making this with the shift register. I would like to hang it in my office. I looked at your diy clock. Do you know how can I make this scroll the time? I have a TMP36 Temp sensor and would like to add a Temperature display. What I would really like is to have it programmed so after I'm done and it's on the wall, I can push a button and change the display from scrolling a message, telling the time, the temp, and the life game. I believe I have all the parts for all this. This may be to much to ask but i would really appreciate any help. Thank you,
Matt
I made a 'scope this way, that was a breeze...
Some amazing work you've done in there!
Can you release a Code Maker XLS for 8x8 LED matrix? that would be great!
Thanks :)
i am new with transistors and i dont know how to wire them
It will show you how to use a transistor. for our application read the part about : "Using a transistor as a switch"