I am a big fan of LED blinky lights. I’m an even bigger fan of full color LED blinky lights. I found some great color changing LEDs and wired them up to my Arduino Uno. The Arduino is a great platform for playing with electronics. It’s open source hardware and it has a great community behind it. Take a look at the blinking patterns I made with the Uno. Below I’ll show you how I did it.
RGB Blinking LEDs from scottz on Vimeo.
Wiring up the Arduino was pretty simple. I connected pin 1 through 13 on the Arduino’s digital outputs to my bread board. I found the LED calculator at led.Linear1.org to choose my resistor size. Lady Ada has a pretty good explanation of LEDs and voltage drops on her MiniPOV project.
So the Arduino digital out drove my little LED array .
The LEDs I used were slow changing RGB LEDs. This means they slowly cycle through all the colors of the rainbow. They start out red and move along the spectrum. This project would work with single color LEDs but the results looks so much better with colors that change. The code to make this work is available at github.
https://github.com/muskox/ArduinoLED/blob/master/Arduino_LED_patterns.pde
or you can look at it below:
// Blinking RGB LEDs
// Written by Scott Pustay
//
// This is a really simple example of how to make some fun LED patterns
// with your Arduino.
//
// I have LEDs being powered by output pins 1 through 13. This program
// cycles these LEDs on and off to make the pattern.
// Don't forget to add your resistors to the simple circuit. I'm calling
// LED13 the top and LED1 the bottom. This made sense for how I wired the
// LEDs to the breadboard.
#define LED13 13 // LED connected to digitial pin 13
#define LED12 12
#define LED11 11
#define LED10 10
#define LED9 9
#define LED8 8
#define LED7 7
#define LED6 6
#define LED5 5
#define LED4 4
#define LED3 3
#define LED2 2
#define LED1 1
void setup()
{
pinMode(LED13, OUTPUT); // sets the digital pin as output
pinMode(LED12, OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED11, OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED10, OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED9, OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED8, OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED7, OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED6, OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED5, OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED4, OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED3, OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED2, OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED1, OUTPUT);
}
void loop(){
// all off
digitalWrite(LED13, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED12, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED11, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED10, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED9, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED8, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED7, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED6, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED5, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED4, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED3, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED2, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED1, LOW);
// doubles skipping
digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED1, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED2, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED3, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED2, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED3, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED4, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED5, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED4, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED5, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED6, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED7, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED6, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED7, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED8, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED9, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED8, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED9, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED10, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED11, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED10, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED11, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED12, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED13, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED12, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED13, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED10, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED11, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED10, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED11, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED8, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED9, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED8, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED9, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED6, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED7, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED6, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED7, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED4, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED5, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED4, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED5, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED2, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED3, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED2, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED3, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED1, LOW);
// in to out
digitalWrite(LED7, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED8, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED6, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED9, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED5, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED10, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED4, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED11, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED3, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED12, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED2, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED13, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH);
delay(500);
// all off
digitalWrite(LED13, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED12, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED11, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED10, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED9, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED8, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED7, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED6, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED5, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED4, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED3, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED2, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED1, LOW);
// out to in
digitalWrite(LED13, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED12, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED2, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED11, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED3, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED10, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED4, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED9, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED5, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED8, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED6, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED7, HIGH);
delay(500);
// all off
digitalWrite(LED13, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED12, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED11, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED10, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED9, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED8, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED7, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED6, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED5, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED4, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED3, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED2, LOW);
digitalWrite(LED1, LOW);
// fast line top to bottom
digitalWrite(LED13, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED12, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED11, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED10, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED9, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED8, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED7, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED6, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED5, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED4, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED3, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED2, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED13, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED12, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED11, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED10, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED9, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED8, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED7, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED6, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED5, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED4, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED3, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED2, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED1, LOW);
delay(500);
// slow line top to bottom
digitalWrite(LED13, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED12, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED11, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED10, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED9, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED8, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED7, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED6, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED5, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED4, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED3, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED2, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED13, LOW);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED12, LOW);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED11, LOW);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED10, LOW);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED9, LOW);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED8, LOW);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED7, LOW);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED6, LOW);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED5, LOW);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED4, LOW);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED3, LOW);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED2, LOW);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(LED1, LOW);
delay(1000);
}
Dude that code is so awsome. I really like the digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH);
going right into the digitalWrite(LED13, LOW); Good play my man. Good play.
Awesome Work thank for sharing with us:)
Can you please provide schematic and circuit of this led Pattern project, Me also a big fan of LED, want to build this circuit
Are you using RGB LEDs, then each LED should be connected with three wires, this is notclear in photograps, are they single color LED
Hi Uttam,
Yes, they are RGB LEDs. When first powered up, they turn red and slowly cycle through their other colors. In the code, I’m just keeping them on for different amounts of time. Once I stop power to the LED, it turns off. When I put power back to the LED, it turns red and will continue the color cycle as long as it is powered.
Cheers,
Scott