The 4x4x4 LED cube (Arduino)

Step 4: Construct the cube

Now there is the Easy way to do this and that is to connect all the (--) in one layer and then the columns (+) to the resistor and then board. (Look at picture diagram below) what happens is when you turn it on (all of them) the lights are dimmer then when one is on.

My solution to this was to solder a 100 ohm resistor to each LED. (Follow picture instruction on how to do it.) Everything is done in the same way only now you solder all the resistors to the column which is a piece of Ethernet wire. (See picture)

Comments

[joris14]

Great instructable, Very cool project to do.

[emihackr97]

i dont understand, doesn't Arduino only have 3 GROUND PINS??
how cmoe you connect 4 different wires to it, please answer.

[lookwhatjoeysmaking]

yes it only has 3 gnd pins.althoght you can use the digital pins as gnd to.
To set a pin to GND:

pinMode(pin,OUTPUT);

digitalWrite(pin,LOW);

i thought the same thing at first but then someone helped me so.

[vishalapr]

Im still a little confused, I got everything figured out, but how can I ser the 4 pins (LedPin1 , LedPin2, LedPin3, LedPin4) to Gnds?
Thanks

[emihackr97]

Thanks, I knew it all ready, but didn't knew it back then.

[Mike32526]

the 4 diff coms are so you can turn on an individual level with out turning on that whole colum of leds just the one on that level u wish to come on


Mike

[emihackr97]

yeah, i know that, but, arent the Level pins supposed to be ground???
as far as i know, those pins can supply V out but not gnd, in confused.
Do you understand me??? can you explain me how these work??

[Mike32526]

All your pin on ur arduino can be manipulated to do any thing for example +5v (HIGH) or 0 volts (LOW) (gnd) by useing somryging like: digital.Write(2,LOW); Or something of that nature to tell the pin hey go gnd or go positive, Dont do this as a power Source!! As this will blow i/o pins and/or the micro processor( the brain of it) Leds pull very little so they are semi safe to use. The resistor is to protect the arduino from the led pulling to much as it limits the power it can draw from the pin.

The i/o pins are very universal in use i begin to love my arduino more and more every day!!

Mike

[emihackr97]

thanks for the explanation, I thught that telling the pin to go LOW just disconnected it, but now I understand.
also, I think that the resistor is not to protect the arduino, but the LEDs, since they are normally 3v and the Arduino is 5.

[Mike32526]

the led will pull alot of milli amps as well possible to over load the i/o pins capable out put so the resistor limits how much it can pull. yes also protects led but the i/o pin isnt capable of suppling enough ma to blow the led any faster...

[forte1994]

srry i could not reply resently.
good explanations and also yu do not need to put resistors on each led just the coloms.

ill be making an 8x8x8 soon (hopefully)
and the resistor is like a 2 way protection:
led --> arduino protects arduino
arduino --> led protects the led from burning out

hope this mekes it easier :-)
thanks

[Mike32526]

Post some videos id love to see it i to hope to make one that big i mave accomplished the 4x4x4 and is great

[forte1994]

im working on the video just didnt have the time yet.

hopefully will have it soon

[Jiax]

I don't get how you connect wires to arduino.
My leds will just blink as random and not in order when I use the code. 'Cause I wired them up just randomly. Which ports should I be using?

There is something I do wrong, but I don't know what. Please help!

[Qtechknow]

How do you connect all the layers into columns?

[the seaker]

did you use some sort of jig to create the layers? if so do you know how far the leds were apart?

[emihackr97]

can you tell me in what pins does every column adr layer goes, please??

[emihackr97]

I've catually figured it out from the code, thanks!

[emihackr97]

or wouldn't you need transistors???