Introduction: Easy Stranger Things Xmas ABCs

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An easy, scaled down version of the Stranger Things ABC lights. Communicate from the Upside Down (aka your laptop) using these LED lights.

Step 1: Tools

  • Arduino Uno & USB Cable
  • 11 different colored LEDS
  • 11 Resistors
  • Bread Board
  • Jumper Wires

Step 2: Bread Board Set Up

  1. Plug in LEDs into breadboard with equal spacing as shown in the picture. Orient the positive side of the LED to the left.
  2. Plug in reasonable resistors (between 1kΩ and 100Ω) in series with the LEDs. One lead should be plugged in to the negative side of the LED and the other lead should plug into the negative breadboard rail.
  3. Plug in jumper wires to the positive sides of the LEDs and one wire into the negative breadboard rail (this will be our ground wire).

Step 3: Arduino Uno Pin Set Up

  1. Plug the negative rail jumper wire into the GND pin on the Uno.
  2. Plug the LED jumper wires into sequentially into pins 2 through 12 as seen in the picture.

Step 4: Code

  1. Download the code provided.
  2. Plug your Arduino into your laptop.
  3. Upload the code to the board

This code basically initializes the pins we are using as outputs, sets up the serial monitor to read in characters, and then lights up the LED corresponding to specific letter (setting that pin to high and using delays). There aren't enough pins for 26 letters, so the LEDs correspond to more than one letter, but with different blinking behavior. For example, 'A' lights up the first LED one time and 'B' quickly lights up the first LED twice.

Attachments

Step 5: Testing

Open your serial monitor and type a word in all caps a word you want to 'blink' out with your setup and hit enter. If your message from the upside down (your laptop) is especially pertinent (as denoted by a "!"), then the LEDs will all flash at the end of your word.