Hey guys, I'm an indie filmmaker designing a "bomb countdown timer" to be a prop in a short film I'm producing.
I've built a timer using the wiring instructions & code here:
The timer is working as it should according to the instructions, but the only problem is it counts down in seconds, not minutes and seconds (e.g."110" instead of "1:50"), which is the norm for the bomb timers on film/tv.
I am totally new to both Arduino and electronics in general and I feel like I have jumped in at the deep end. If anyone could have a look at the code and make any suggestions as to how I might change the output on the display to minutes & seconds instead of just seconds that would be a massive help.
Thanks, (and pre-emptive apologies if I am asking for way more help than a newbie is entitled to)
Scott
Code & Wiring:
/*
6-13-2011
Spark Fun Electronics 2011
Nathan Seidle
This code is public domain but you buy me a beer if you use this and we meet
someday (Beerware license).
4 digit 7 segment display:
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9483
Datasheet:
http://www.sparkfun.com/datasheets/Components/LED/7-Segment/YSD-439AR6B-35.pdf
This is an example of how to drive a 7 segment LED display from an ATmega
without the use of current limiting resistors. This technique is very common
but requires some knowledge of electronics - you do run the risk of dumping
too much current through the segments and burning out parts of the display.
If you use the stock code you should be ok, but be careful editing the
brightness values.
This code should work with all colors (red, blue, yellow, green) but the
brightness will vary from one color to the next because the forward voltage
drop of each color is different. This code was written and calibrated for the
red color.
This code will work with most Arduinos but you may want to re-route some of
the pins.
7 segments
4 digits
1 colon
=
12 pins required for full control
*/
int digit1 = 11; //PWM Display pin 1
int digit2 = 10; //PWM Display pin 2
int digit3 = 9; //PWM Display pin 6
int digit4 = 6; //PWM Display pin 8
//Pin mapping from Arduino to the ATmega DIP28 if you need it
//http://www.arduino.cc/en/Hacking/PinMapping
int segA = A1; //Display pin 14
int segB = 3; //Display pin 16
int segC = 4; //Display pin 13
int segD = 5; //Display pin 3
int segE = A0; //Display pin 5
int segF = 7; //Display pin 11
int segG = 8; //Display pin 15
void setup() {
pinMode(segA, OUTPUT);
pinMode(segB, OUTPUT);
pinMode(segC, OUTPUT);
pinMode(segD, OUTPUT);
pinMode(segE, OUTPUT);
pinMode(segF, OUTPUT);
pinMode(segG, OUTPUT);
pinMode(digit1, OUTPUT);
pinMode(digit2, OUTPUT);
pinMode(digit3, OUTPUT);
pinMode(digit4, OUTPUT);
pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
//long startTime = millis();
displayNumber(millis()/1000);
//while( (millis() - startTime) < 2000) {
//displayNumber(1217);
//}
//delay(1000);
}
//Given a number, we display 10:22
//After running through the 4 numbers, the display is left turned off
//Display brightness
//Each digit is on for a certain amount of microseconds
//Then it is off until we have reached a total of 20ms for the function call
//Let's assume each digit is on for 1000us
//Each digit is on for 1ms, there are 4 digits, so the display is off for 16ms.
//That's a ratio of 1ms to 16ms or 6.25% on time (PWM).
//Let's define a variable called brightness that varies from:
//5000 blindingly bright (15.7mA current draw per digit)
//2000 shockingly bright (11.4mA current draw per digit)
//1000 pretty bright (5.9mA)
//500 normal (3mA)
//200 dim but readable (1.4mA)
//50 dim but readable (0.56mA)
//5 dim but readable (0.31mA)
//1 dim but readable in dark (0.28mA)
void displayNumber(int toDisplay) {
#define DISPLAY_BRIGHTNESS 500
#define DIGIT_ON HIGH
#define DIGIT_OFF LOW
long beginTime = millis();
for(int digit = 4 ; digit > 0 ; digit--) {
//Turn on a digit for a short amount of time
switch(digit) {
case 1:
digitalWrite(digit1, DIGIT_ON);
break;
case 2:
digitalWrite(digit2, DIGIT_ON);
break;
case 3:
digitalWrite(digit3, DIGIT_ON);
break;
case 4:
digitalWrite(digit4, DIGIT_ON);
break;
}
//Turn on the right segments for this digit
lightNumber(toDisplay % 10);
toDisplay /= 10;
delayMicroseconds(DISPLAY_BRIGHTNESS);
//Display digit for fraction of a second (1us to 5000us, 500 is pretty good)
//Turn off all segments
lightNumber(10);
//Turn off all digits
digitalWrite(digit1, DIGIT_OFF);
digitalWrite(digit2, DIGIT_OFF);
digitalWrite(digit3, DIGIT_OFF);
digitalWrite(digit4, DIGIT_OFF);
}
while( (millis() - beginTime) < 10) ;
//Wait for 20ms to pass before we paint the display again
}
//Given a number, turns on those segments
//If number == 10, then turn off number
void lightNumber(int numberToDisplay) {
#define SEGMENT_ON LOW
#define SEGMENT_OFF HIGH
switch (numberToDisplay){
case 0:
digitalWrite(segA, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segB, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segC, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segD, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segE, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segF, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segG, SEGMENT_OFF);
break;
case 1:
digitalWrite(segA, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segB, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segC, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segD, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segE, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segF, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segG, SEGMENT_OFF);
break;
case 2:
digitalWrite(segA, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segB, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segC, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segD, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segE, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segF, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segG, SEGMENT_ON);
break;
case 3:
digitalWrite(segA, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segB, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segC, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segD, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segE, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segF, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segG, SEGMENT_ON);
break;
case 4:
digitalWrite(segA, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segB, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segC, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segD, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segE, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segF, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segG, SEGMENT_ON);
break;
case 5:
digitalWrite(segA, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segB, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segC, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segD, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segE, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segF, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segG, SEGMENT_ON);
break;
case 6:
digitalWrite(segA, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segB, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segC, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segD, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segE, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segF, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segG, SEGMENT_ON);
break;
case 7:
digitalWrite(segA, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segB, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segC, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segD, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segE, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segF, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segG, SEGMENT_OFF);
break;
case 8:
digitalWrite(segA, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segB, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segC, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segD, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segE, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segF, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segG, SEGMENT_ON);
break;
case 9:
digitalWrite(segA, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segB, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segC, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segD, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segE, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segF, SEGMENT_ON);
digitalWrite(segG, SEGMENT_ON);
break;
case 10:
digitalWrite(segA, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segB, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segC, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segD, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segE, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segF, SEGMENT_OFF);
digitalWrite(segG, SEGMENT_OFF);
break;
}
}