Make a 24X6 LED matrix

After making a 8X10 matrix a lot of people asked me about expanding the matrix to some thing bigger, and some wanted to write stuff to the matrix via a PC, so one day I looked at a pile of LEDs that I had leftover from a LED cube projected and I decided to make a bigger matrix with all the things people wanted.

So what are you waiting for? Get those LEDs out and heat up your soldering iron because we are about to make a 24X6 LED matrix! 

Step 1: Getting All The Right Things

So you will need the basic set of tools for this project : a soldering iron, some solder wire, a cutter, a needle nosed plier,some wire, wire striper, and some desoldering tools if you need them.

For the matrix you will:
1. 144 LEDs
2. 24 resistors( The value is determent by the type of LEDs, in my case 91 ohm)
3. 4017 decade counter
4. 6 1KOhm resistors
5. 6 2N3904 transistors
6. A long Perfboard
7. Arduino
8. 3 x 74HC595 shift register
10. some pin headers

Comments

[DIYElectronicsGeek]

 

[stavros015]

i want to make it 8x88 do i have to make any changes on the code too or just add more 74hc595??
thnks

[NeoRecasata]

can you e mail me the eagle cad board for this
[e-mail]

[jlateur]

I want to make a 24x10, the 4017 can output 2 more lines. But i have a question about the brightness of the leds, have each led 20mA?

[Gogy]

I am a ARDUINO beginner, but i think you can re solder wires to your LED matrix.
up,down:
ROW down to up (ROW1 go to ROW6 and ROW6 go to ROW1 and so on...) will turn your "image"
change the orientation of text:
COL1 to COL24 and COL24 to COL1 and so on...

[djkubi]

how to change the orientation of text (left, right, up, down)?

[Lecture]

In this case, you use the Arduino just for programming, right? Can i use a common ISP-USB programmer for that? I don't have an arduino.

[karthimech09]

I got all connections right but only first row alone is scrolling,and all the remaining rows are off pls help me....as soon as possible...


my email is "[e-mail]"and"[e-mail]"

[DavezDesignz]

did you fix this problem if so how? I am having the same issue but only my second row is lighting up... please help

[maboy]

How big is it? In inches?

[GeniusDevils]

Nice article on LED display 

You can find another projects based on LED at here

[faguilar garcia]

Hi, i finished this work, it is working good but i have a problem, how do i to write more of 8 words in byte your_text? i will wait your answer

[adammy]

systemix hi, I am still new in arduino, I want to ask you in coding in:
1.int latchPinPORTB = latchPin - 8;
2.int clockPinPORTB = clockPin - 8;
3.int dataPinPORTB = dataPin - 8;
what I want to ask (- 8) was from where ..?
sorry, my question, please understand because I am still in the stage of to learn,thank's

[denulrix]

Very nice tutorial, and very clear. I only have 2 questions: does all the VCC_BAR connections connect to the +5V on on the Arduino? And are all the grounds (shiftregisters and decade counter) connected to the ground of the Arduino?
Thank you.

[Huibgeboers]

Hi, thanks for your inspiring instructables! I was wondering: why would you use a 4017 counter for controlling the anodes, instead of another shift register?

[vđuka]

Hi, please i need schematic for 24x6, if u can send me at [e-mail]
And which program you use?
thanks. :)

[mas aki]

hai Syst3mX, how to modify 24x6 to 128x8, if you can help me to modify the source code and the schematic??
let me know via email: [e-mail], thanks and success for you

[mas aki]

hai friend please help me, how to modify the source code and schematics led matrix 24x6 to 32x8, I use ATmega328 and arduino IDE, which section should I modify?
please let me know via email [e-mail]

[mas aki]

help me, I want to add a column of 24 columns to 48 columns, in which parts of the program should I change?? please help me via email [e-mail]

[rrussev]

Hi! Very good project! I just made it with Arduino Mega, but it needs some code and pin change, because the Mega board uses different pins for SPI. Here is what I changed:

int latchPin = 53;   //10 (SS) -> 53
int clockPin = 52;   //13 (SCK) -> 52
int dataPin = 51;    //11 (MOSI) -> 51

int latchPinPORTB = 0;   // 53 -> PB0
int clockPinPORTB = 1;   // 52 -> PB1
int dataPinPORTB = 2;    // 51 -> PB2

[chrisliucong]

it's awesome！

[ranilabrasado]

somebody help me plezz

[ranilabrasado]

how to save the looping code so that it could be used? and also the work text.

[xechu]

How I can change the pins that will shift registers?. for example for use. It does not work.the pin 10 11 13. I can not use them
int latchPin = 3;
int clockPin = 4;
int dataPin = 5;

I do not understand the function spi_transfer (); I do not understand how the data transmitted by the datapin

my email is [e-mail]. many thanks to who can help me.

if anyone has another alternative code and send it to me I would appreciate wants. thanks

[aht2222]

that is good work thank you i need to make 100x100 matrix can any one help me .

[aht2222]

that is good work thank you i need to make 100x100 matrix can any one help me .

[astroboy907]

Anybody want to share code for a 24x10 matrix??? [e-mail]

[astroboy907]

never mind, 24x8 is good :)

[jamaloye]

hi astro, thankyou for your post in 'Make a giant LED sign! (24x8 Matrix)'. i'll tr it.

[brenryan]

Nice work. Would it be possible to display RSS feeds or email headers? Either connected to a PC or using an ethernet shield?

Ideally I would like to have one of these displaying time with a RTC module occasionally scrolling with news/weather/email inbox info with an ethernet module and prehaps actual temperature info from sensors. Unfortunately that is way beyond what I am capable of, coding wise. My soldering and hardware ability is good, but just learning to program.

It would be nice if the Arduing LCD library could be modified so you could control a sign matrix such as this just like a big LCD display. Do you think this would be possible?

[ale1994]

hello! on which website you bought the 74HC595?

[varaprasaddangeti856]

Hi! So I'm planning to make a 40x6 led matrix by adding two more 595 shift registers. So a total of five 595 shift registers would give me 40 outputs for the columns.
So any ideas if I need to change the program to fit my 40x6 matrix?
Many Thanks

[visualfx]

Hi,
Can anyone Share code for 10 x 24 led matrix or explain how to modify 6 x 24 code
my email is [e-mail]
Kind
Regards

[visualfx]

Hi,
Can anyone Share code for 10 x 24 led matrix or explain how to modify 6 x 24 code
my email is [e-mail]
Kind
Regards

[josvill]

Disculpen como hago para bajar en PDF, quiero hacerlo era lo que estaba buscando y muchas gracias por el aporte son lo maximo y me gusta esta pagina esta cool!!

[chandu_mca06]

Hi,

Anybody have the code to display the digital clock on this led matrix??

[robervan]

hiii, i have done ur matrix and it really works, its awesome I also controlled it with netbeans. But i have a problem with my arduino mega 2560, when i connect the matrix to it, it doesnt display anything, but with the arduino uno works

[onki]

i have the same problem, have you solved yet? so as to help me.
Thanks

[onki]

Hi Syst3mX
Thanks for this great project.!!!!!

I'm using Arduino Mega 2560. do i have to change the original program???

[icedude007]

Hi! So I'm planning to make a 40x6 led matrix by adding two more 595 shift registers. So a total of five 595 shift registers would give me 40 outputs for the columns.
So any ideas if I need to change the program to fit my 40x6 matrix?
Many Thanks