Arduino Tutorial: Flicker a LED

Tired of all those other instructables about how to blink a LED? well how about flickering a LED? eh? there is a ible all about flickering a LED.

Step 1: Wiring

Before we program the arduino we need to get everthing setup.

A) Plug in your arduino to the computer Via USB cable.
B) Add led positive lead to pin 10 on digitial, then with negitive lead to the GND (ground) pin also on digitial
C) Run Arduino IDE software.
D) Go to next step for code.

using the picture below wire your arduino (incase you dont understand what i am getting at here)

Comments

[D5quar3]

This code is a lot easier it might not look as nice but i uploaded the code and it didn't work here is mine int ledPin = 13; // LED connected to digital pin 13 // The setup() method runs once, when the sketch starts void setup() { // initialize the digital pin as an output: pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); } // the loop() method runs over and over again, // as long as the Arduino has power void loop() { digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH); // set the LED on delay(35); // wait a thirty-fifth of a second digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW); // set the LED off delay(35); // wait a thirty-fifth of a second }

[Microbe]

@D5quar3, but your code is only flashing. The original does work and although the randomness could be improved it does "flicker"

[oweng4000]

#include void setup(){ } void loop(){ analogWrite(9, TrueRandom.random(0,255)); delay(10); } this is the code I used it requires the TrueRandom library(http://code.google.com/p/tinkerit/wiki/TrueRandom), but the result is rather convincing.

[gotcha99]

Hey there from Germany.
I've got a problem.
After about 3 seconds the LED stops lighting.
Then after about ten seconds it lights again for about 2 minutes.
After that, the same thing starts again!

I'm using an 220 Ohm resistor to not to destroy the LED.
I used the code from above without editing it (only the delay = 75ms).

Can anybody help me???
Thanks, gotcha99

[d-lite]

Are you putting the LED directly across the 5-volt output? Hopefully you are lucky enough for the LED to blow before the Arduino gets wrecked!

[Derin]

It would be better to use 13 since there is a LED on the board for Duemilanove and Diecimila.I use that when I need to led there be light.

[TXTCLA55]

No. Pin 13 may be a better choice, and you can edit the code if you like so the led can flash through there, but if you use a 1k resisor before the LED on pin 11 you will be fine.

[TXTCLA55]

dont worry. just make sure u use a 5 volt led or a resistor.

[ReCreate]

there is no such 5 volt led...any 5v leds just have a tiny resistor in them...

[ajitam]

yeah I think 13 pin is more wise choise

[qs]

The sketch will not run properly on pin 13 - it needs a PWM port for the 'flicker'. Make sure you put a 180-330 ohm resistor before the LED to protect it and the Arduino, which is only rated for 40mA before it's zapped!

[TXTCLA55]

thanks for clearing this up. I first tried the sketch with a 1.5 volt LED....sparks flew! The one in the pictures is actualy rated for 5 volts so it needs no resistor.

[ajitam]

if I understand correctly this is because we putting analog output ?

[TXTCLA55]

correct. but the analog is actually a list of different frequencies rather than physical input.