Introduction: 8x8 LED Matrix Using Arduino

About: just a simple guy who loves panda and building stuff

Create your own 8x8 LED matrix (no ic driver) using arduino :)

here's the link:

my sample video :D

Step 1: Arduino to 8x8 Led Matrix Pinout

Connect the led matrix pins to the pins of arduino. If you like you can change and define your own pins in the program. It is just a led connected in parallel. You can use resistor connecting in row or not.

led matrix pin-----------arduino pin
8pin below
1-----------------------------5
2-----------------------------3
3-----------------------------11
4-----------------------------12
5-----------------------------2
6-----------------------------a0
7-----------------------------4
8-----------------------------7
8pin top
1-----------------------------a3
2-----------------------------a2
3-----------------------------8
4-----------------------------10
5-----------------------------6
6-----------------------------a1
7-----------------------------13
8-----------------------------9

Step 2: Front/side/back View

Step 3:

1. Define your own pins.

2. Design your own face/design using matrix generator or manual(1- means on, 0-means off)

here's the link of matrix generator : http://embed.plnkr.co/3VUsekP3jC5xwSIQDVHx/preview matrix generator

3. if you want to add/change a new design just change the name inside the parenthesis

Step 4: I Have Two Testing Program Faces and My Name :)

This is my sample program faces and myname. 

janleeisapanda :D

#define ROW_1 2
#define ROW_2 3 #define ROW_3 4 #define ROW_4 5 #define ROW_5 6 #define ROW_6 7 #define ROW_7 8 #define ROW_8 9

#define COL_1 10 #define COL_2 11 #define COL_3 12 #define COL_4 13 #define COL_5 A0 #define COL_6 A1 #define COL_7 A2 #define COL_8 A3

const byte rows[] = { ROW_1, ROW_2, ROW_3, ROW_4, ROW_5, ROW_6, ROW_7, ROW_8 };

byte ja[] = {B01110000,B00100100,B00101010,B00101010,B00101110,B10101010,B01101010,B00000000}; byte nl[] = {B00000000,B00001000,B10001000,B11101000,B10101000,B10101000,B10101111,B00000000}; byte ee[] = {B00000000,B00000000,B11101110,B10101010,B11101110,B10001000,B11101110,B00000000}; byte is[] = {B00000000,B00000000,B11100110,B01001000,B01001110,B01000010,B11101100,B00000000}; byte a[] = {B00000000,B00011000,B00100100,B00100100,B00111100,B00100100,B00100100,B00000000}; byte pa[] = {B00000000,B11100110,B10101001,B10101001,B11101111,B10001001,B10001001,B00000000}; byte nd[] = {B00000000,B00000010,B00000010,B10001110,B11101010,B10101010,B10101110,B00000000}; byte aa[] = {B00000000,B00000000,B01000000,B10100000,B11100000,B10100000,B00000000,B00000000}; byte panda[] = {B01100110,B10000001,B00100100,B00000000,B00011000,B00011000,B01000010,B00111100};

float timeCount = 0;

void setup() { // Open serial port Serial.begin(9600); // Set all used pins to OUTPUT // This is very important! If the pins are set to input // the display will be very dim. for (byte i = 2; i <= 13; i++) pinMode(i, OUTPUT); pinMode(A0, OUTPUT); pinMode(A1, OUTPUT); pinMode(A2, OUTPUT); pinMode(A3, OUTPUT); }

void loop() { // This could be rewritten to not use a delay, which would make it appear brighter delay(1); timeCount += 1; if(timeCount < 200) { drawScreen(ja); } else if (timeCount < 220) { drawScreen(nl); } else if (timeCount < 240) { drawScreen(ee); } else if (timeCount < 260) { drawScreen(is); } else if (timeCount < 280) { drawScreen(a); } else if (timeCount < 300) { drawScreen(pa); } else if (timeCount < 320) { drawScreen(nd); } else if (timeCount < 340) { drawScreen(aa); } else if (timeCount < 450) { drawScreen(panda); } else if (timeCount < 1030) { // nothing } else if (timeCount < 1200) { //drawScreen(angry); } else if (timeCount < 1230) { // nothing } else { // back to the start timeCount = 0; } } void drawScreen(byte buffer2[]){ // Turn on each row in series for (byte i = 0; i < 8; i++) { setColumns(buffer2[i]); // Set columns for this specific row digitalWrite(rows[i], HIGH); delay(2); // Set this to 50 or 100 if you want to see the multiplexing effect! digitalWrite(rows[i], LOW); } }

void setColumns(byte b) { digitalWrite(COL_1, (~b >> 0) & 0x01); // Get the 1st bit: 10000000 digitalWrite(COL_2, (~b >> 1) & 0x01); // Get the 2nd bit: 01000000 digitalWrite(COL_3, (~b >> 2) & 0x01); // Get the 3rd bit: 00100000 digitalWrite(COL_4, (~b >> 3) & 0x01); // Get the 4th bit: 00010000 digitalWrite(COL_5, (~b >> 4) & 0x01); // Get the 5th bit: 00001000 digitalWrite(COL_6, (~b >> 5) & 0x01); // Get the 6th bit: 00000100 digitalWrite(COL_7, (~b >> 6) & 0x01); // Get the 7th bit: 00000010 digitalWrite(COL_8, (~b >> 7) & 0x01); // Get the 8th bit: 00000001 // If the polarity of your matrix is the opposite of mine // remove all the '~' above. }

faces :D

#define ROW_1 2
#define ROW_2 3 #define ROW_3 4 #define ROW_4 5 #define ROW_5 6 #define ROW_6 7 #define ROW_7 8 #define ROW_8 9
#define COL_1 10
#define COL_2 11
#define COL_3 12
#define COL_4 13
#define COL_5 A0
#define COL_6 A1
#define COL_7 A2
#define COL_8 A3
const byte rows[] = {
    ROW_1, ROW_2, ROW_3, ROW_4, ROW_5, ROW_6, ROW_7, ROW_8
};
// The display buffer
// It's prefilled with a smiling face (1 = ON, 0 = OFF)
byte face1[] = {B00000000,B01000010,B10100101,B01000010,B00000000,B00011000,B00100100,B00011000};
byte face2[] = {B00000000,B01000010,B10100101,B01000010,B00000000,B00111100,B01000010,B00111100};
byte face3[] = {B00000000,B01000010,B10100101,B01000010,B00000000,B00011000,B01100110,B00011000};
byte face4[] = {B01000010,B10100101,B00000000,B01000010,B00000000,B00000000,B01000010,B00111100};
float timeCount = 0;
void setup() {
    // Open serial port
    Serial.begin(9600);
    
    // Set all used pins to OUTPUT
    // This is very important! If the pins are set to input
    // the display will be very dim.
    for (byte i = 2; i <= 13; i++)
        pinMode(i, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(A0, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(A1, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(A2, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(A3, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() 
{
  // This could be rewritten to not use a delay, which would make it appear brighter
delay(1);
timeCount += 1;
if(timeCount <  200) {
drawScreen(face1);
} else if (timeCount <  230) {
drawScreen(face2);
} else if (timeCount <  260) {
drawScreen(face3);
} else if (timeCount <  290) {
drawScreen(face4);
} else if (timeCount <  600) {
//
} else if (timeCount <  630) {
// nothing
} else if (timeCount <  800) {
//
} else if (timeCount <  830) {
// nothing
} else if (timeCount <  1000) {
//
} else if (timeCount <  1030) {
// nothing
} else if (timeCount <  1200) {
//
} else if (timeCount <  1230) {
// nothing
} else {
// back to the start
timeCount = 0;
}
}
 void  drawScreen(byte buffer2[]){
     
    
   // Turn on each row in series
    for (byte i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
        setColumns(buffer2[i]); // Set columns for this specific row
        
        digitalWrite(rows[i], HIGH);
        delay(2); // Set this to 50 or 100 if you want to see the multiplexing effect!
        digitalWrite(rows[i], LOW);
        
    }
}
void setColumns(byte b) {
    digitalWrite(COL_1, (~b >> 0) & 0x01); // Get the 1st bit: 10000000
    digitalWrite(COL_2, (~b >> 1) & 0x01); // Get the 2nd bit: 01000000
    digitalWrite(COL_3, (~b >> 2) & 0x01); // Get the 3rd bit: 00100000
    digitalWrite(COL_4, (~b >> 3) & 0x01); // Get the 4th bit: 00010000
    digitalWrite(COL_5, (~b >> 4) & 0x01); // Get the 5th bit: 00001000
    digitalWrite(COL_6, (~b >> 5) & 0x01); // Get the 6th bit: 00000100
    digitalWrite(COL_7, (~b >> 6) & 0x01); // Get the 7th bit: 00000010
    digitalWrite(COL_8, (~b >> 7) & 0x01); // Get the 8th bit: 00000001
    
    // If the polarity of your matrix is the opposite of mine
    // remove all the '~' above.
}