The loops this runs through:
I started with a single blinking LED and changed/played with the timing of the blink from 1:1 to 4:4 to manipulate the code more.
I then wired up 8 lEDs each with their own transitors, ground wire and 5v of power to the breadboard.
This is the Marque loop you see in the images of the various loops. The LEDs are timed in a way that two of them chase each other "around" the usually square sign.
Next I tried the ping pong where the LEDs run down the list and "hit" one end which causes them to bounce back running up the other way.
I tested out random blinking and street light blinking, and many more are possible.
#Here is the code that ran the microcontroller.
int ledPins[] = {2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9};
void setup()
{
int index;
for(index = 0; index <= 7; index++)
{
pinMode(ledPins[index],OUTPUT);
// ledPins[index] is replaced by the value in the array.
// For example, ledPins[0] is 2
}
}
void loop()
{
//oneAfterAnotherNoLoop(); // Light up all the LEDs in turn
//oneAfterAnotherLoop(); // Same as oneAfterAnotherNoLoop,
// but with much less typing
//oneOnAtATime(); // Turn on one LED at a time,
// scrolling down the line
pingPong(); // Light the LEDs middle to the edges
//marquee(); // Chase lights like you see on signs
//randomLED(); // Blink LEDs randomly
}
void oneAfterAnotherNoLoop()
{
int delayTime = 100; // time (milliseconds) to pause between LEDs
// make this smaller for faster switching
// turn all the LEDs on:
digitalWrite(ledPins[0], HIGH); //Turns on LED #0 (pin 2)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[1], HIGH); //Turns on LED #1 (pin 3)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[2], HIGH); //Turns on LED #2 (pin 4)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[3], HIGH); //Turns on LED #3 (pin 5)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[4], HIGH); //Turns on LED #4 (pin 6)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[5], HIGH); //Turns on LED #5 (pin 7)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[6], HIGH); //Turns on LED #6 (pin 8)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[7], HIGH); //Turns on LED #7 (pin 9)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
// turn all the LEDs off:
digitalWrite(ledPins[7], LOW); //Turn off LED #7 (pin 9)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[6], LOW); //Turn off LED #6 (pin 8)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[5], LOW); //Turn off LED #5 (pin 7)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[4], LOW); //Turn off LED #4 (pin 6)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[3], LOW); //Turn off LED #3 (pin 5)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[2], LOW); //Turn off LED #2 (pin 4)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[1], LOW); //Turn off LED #1 (pin 3)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
digitalWrite(ledPins[0], LOW); //Turn off LED #0 (pin 2)
delay(delayTime); //wait delayTime milliseconds
}
void oneAfterAnotherLoop()
{
int index;
int delayTime = 100; // milliseconds to pause between LEDs
// make this smaller for faster switching
// Turn all the LEDs on:
// This for() loop will step index from 0 to 7
// (putting "++" after a variable means add one to it)
// and will then use digitalWrite() to turn that LED on.
for(index = 0; index <= 7; index++)
{
digitalWrite(ledPins[index], HIGH);
delay(delayTime);
}
// Turn all the LEDs off:
// This for() loop will step index from 7 to 0
// (putting "--" after a variable means subtract one from it)
// and will then use digitalWrite() to turn that LED off.
for(index = 7; index >= 0; index--)
{
digitalWrite(ledPins[index], LOW);
delay(delayTime);
}
}
void oneOnAtATime()
{
int index;
int delayTime = 100; // milliseconds to pause between LEDs
// make this smaller for faster switching
// step through the LEDs, from 0 to 7
for(index = 0; index <= 7; index++)
{
digitalWrite(ledPins[index], HIGH); // turn LED on
delay(delayTime); // pause to slow down
digitalWrite(ledPins[index], LOW); // turn LED off
}
}
void pingPong()
{
int index;
int delayTime = 100; // milliseconds to pause between LEDs
// make this smaller for faster switching
// step through the LEDs, from 0 to 7
for(index = 0; index <= 7; index++)
{
digitalWrite(ledPins[index], HIGH); // turn LED on
delay(delayTime); // pause to slow down
digitalWrite(ledPins[index], LOW); // turn LED off
}
// step through the LEDs, from 7 to 0
for(index = 7; index >= 0; index--)
{
digitalWrite(ledPins[index], HIGH); // turn LED on
delay(delayTime); // pause to slow down
digitalWrite(ledPins[index], LOW); // turn LED off
}
}
void marquee()
{
int index;
int delayTime = 200; // milliseconds to pause between LEDs
// Make this smaller for faster switching
// Step through the first four LEDs
// (We'll light up one in the lower 4 and one in the upper 4)
for(index = 0; index <= 3; index++) // Step from 0 to 3
{
digitalWrite(ledPins[index], HIGH); // Turn a LED on
digitalWrite(ledPins[index+4], HIGH); // Skip four, and turn that LED on
delay(delayTime); // Pause to slow down the sequence
digitalWrite(ledPins[index], LOW); // Turn the LED off
digitalWrite(ledPins[index+4], LOW); // Skip four, and turn that LED off
}
}
void randomLED()
{
int index;
int delayTime;
// The random() function will return a semi-random number each
// time it is called. See http://arduino.cc/en/Reference/Random
// for tips on how to make random() even more random.
index = random(8); // pick a random number between 0 and 7
delayTime = 100;
digitalWrite(ledPins[index], HIGH); // turn LED on
delay(delayTime); // pause to slow down
digitalWrite(ledPins[index], LOW); // turn LED off
}
To try this out for yourself, take a look at SparkFun!
Since arduino is programmed in C, I will have my next project be a raspberry pi that is coded in a Python language specifically created for micro controllers called MicroPython.