Mini BillBoard

by sjtgs

11K7820

Intro: Mini BillBoard

Designing a Mini BillBoard using LED Lights(different colors) , Arduino and Bread Board. Thought of creating a mini billboard, that could display my name ("Josh") . This is for one of the build nights (required us to use LED lights). This billboard would blink in out josh several times just like any big billboard. Here is a link to the video of the project Mini BillBoard . Follow me on twitter @SJTGs

STEP 1: Tools Needed for This Project

Tools needed for this project :

  1. Two Bread Boards
  2. LED lights with different Colors
  3. 220Ω Resistors
  4. Jumper Wires
  5. Card Box optional
  6. Arduino uno
  7. Power source (Laptop or 5v adapter)

All the mentioned tools are basic need for the project to work.

STEP 2: Connecting the Dots

  1. This step will require you to connect the LED lights to the board. I connect mine in form of letters.
  2. Next connect the 220Ω Resistors as shown in the above image.
  3. Connecting the jumper wires to the board. This will provide connection between the Arduino to the bread board.
  4. Connect one of the jumper wires to the GND (negative) and the one of the positive like that in the diagram

The above diagram shows how the cables and tools need to be connected. If you are unclear ask!!!!!!!

STEP 3: the Source Code

This part of the step will require the user to input in the source code to make the the mini billboard work. I have include the source needed for this project. This code is self explanatory.

STEP 4: Testing Phase

This is the final stage step of the project. It will require the user to test if the mini bill board actually works.

Below is an image and video to show that mine actually works well. Always wanted me name to be in the "lights".Here is a link to the video Mini Billboard . This shows how the my project actually works .

20 Comments

전황진 7 years ago

thank you very much i love you so much

glorincz 8 years ago

This insrtuctable is a good example why we need some quality control. There's no part of this tutorial that is correct and no one should use it for learning. Trust me, I'm a technology teacher! LEDs for instance are not connected to anything on the Fritzing drawing and the code suggests that a1. the author made a tutorial after one day of learning coding (why???) or 2. the author refuses to learn even the most fundamental programming concepts such as looping. The whole thing hurts my teacher brain.

Romninja 9 years ago

You could also buy a dot matrix display for a 2 bucks on ebay, search for max7219, then you can scroll your name in an 8x8 red led dot matrix..

kewpiedoll99 9 years ago

Sure, and you could also pay someone to make one for you. Comments like these are not helpful. The point of instructables is to learn by making something yourself and then sharing that with the community. If you want to do an instructable on how to do what you suggested, feel free; then you can be part of the fun instead of a source of negativity.

pedro147 9 years ago

I cannot understand why you are defending an instructable that does not and never will work. This is the worst case of the Emporer's new clothes that I have ever witnessed.

Romninja 9 years ago

Of coruse these comments are helpful, He's made this, and might be looking for a way to advance into electronics, getting to work with an SPI bus and led drivers can help him make bigger billboards. That max7219 chip can be taken out of the dot matrix and applied to his billboard to expand this project to greater propoertions,and that for only very little money!

Polymorph 9 years ago

Schematic? The Fritzing diagram is confusing and does not match the code.

Grumpy Mike 9 years ago

Are you lying? That diagram is not functional, so how did you get it working?

sjtgs 9 years ago

thumbs up

Grumpy Mike 9 years ago

There is no way that will work following the Fritzing diagram. Most of the LEDs are not connected to anything. Your actual picture shows a lot more wires than the diagram. Can you update your diagram, maybe there is something you missed. Why are the LEDs all different brightnesses? Why is the lower left yellow LED not lighting up?

geraldpaxton 9 years ago

You need to increase the number of led's in your matrix, it lights up well, but the only recognizable character is the 's', if you hadn't told me it said 'josh', I would have never guessed. It looks like maybe 'tosx', too much guessing! 7 segments can be made readable, but you cannot make a x with 7, and for this to be a "billboard" you need to be able to write to it, not just flash led's arranged in a pattern. I would suggest you check into 'multiplexing'. You might also use transistors to drive the led's as the output of the microcontroller is limited and you will soon overload it....look up the specification sheet for the microcontroller you are using. If you do it right, you can get it to scroll "Josh ROCKS!" and then flashes it for effect!

hbold 9 years ago

The wiring diagram does not have all the wires connected?
When you look at the video you have a lot more than 9 wires connected.
Some LED's are not even wired!
This is feedback not complaining.

qquuiinn 9 years ago

Nice, now get the letters to blink one at a time, in a row.