HI EVERYBODY! Today we will be making an electronic name tag Using the TinyDuino and the TinyShield Led Matrix. This is a very simple project that can be used to display any type of text, so lets get started!

Step 1: Materials

Hardware aside, the program you will be using, in this instructable at least, is the codebender plugin at the bottom. It includes all the libraries needed, but if you wish to use a different program, be sure to download the Lots of Leds library. Before you program your TinyDuino, the proper drivers must be installed to detect the COM ports. These drivers must be installed before downloading any codes from the codebender plugin. The drivers needed can be found here.

Materials

TinyDuino Processor (with or without battery holder) : link
TinyShield USB: link
TinyShield Led Matrix: link
Magnet
Paper clip or other magnetic material
CR1632 3V coin cell battery OR
3V-5V Battery with JST SH 2 pin male connector

Downloads

Lots of Leds library V82 : link

The Lots of Leds library is written for a matrix that is larger than the board we are using. The code to the name tag will be provided in a later step and will explain what changes have been made in the Charliplexing.h file. If you do not want to download the entire library, the files needed are provided below.

Step 2: Magnetic Attachments

Here we are just attaching a magnetic material to the back of the TinyDuino. If you have a processor with the battery holder attached, you're good to go! If not, well we will have to make some small modifications. One solution is to bend a paper clip like in the picture above. This is a nice fix because it also holds our battery in place nicely. Another is to use double sided sticky tape to tape the battery to the board and the metal to the battery. If you do not want anybody to see the actual boards or use magnets, you could sew or pin it to the inside of your shirt. The possibilities are endless so let us know what you come up with!

Step 3: Program

Below is the program used for the TinyName tag. It explains what needs changed in the Charlieplexing.h and .cpp files. You can test out the program by directly uploading it to your TinyDuino processor. Thanks for reading and have fun!