Variable flickering LED

Using Arduino Programming Questions
1

Hey everyone,

So this is a really simple idea, but I can't seem to get it just right. I'm attempting to make a program that will cause an LED to flicker using PWM, but I want it to flicker more intensely when a button is pressed. This is what I have so far. It does work, the only issue I'm having is a delay.

What it does is the LED will slicker dimly, but if I connect a wire between pin 6 and 12, it will flicker much brighter. The problem is that when I disconnect the wire between pin 6 and 12, it will still flicker brightly for a second or two. I want to make it so that once I disconnect it, it immediately goes back to the original dim flickering.

void setup(){
  
pinMode(5,OUTPUT);
pinMode(12,OUTPUT);
pinMode(6,INPUT);
digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(12,HIGH);
}
void test2(){ // function when pins not connected
  analogWrite(5, (random(1,5)));
  digitalWrite(6,LOW);
}


  void test(){ // function when pins are connected
  analogWrite(5, (random(100,150)));
  digitalWrite(6,LOW);
}

void loop()
{
  if (digitalRead(6) == LOW) // test condition
  test2();
 
 else // if condition isn't met
 test();
 
 delay(50);
 
}

Thank you for your help!

2

Not sure what you're doing with 6.
You set it up as an input, with internal pullup resistor, and then you turn the internal pullup off by writing 6 Low.
Eventually it floats to some level and is seen as having changed state.

Perhaps you meant to write 12 high & low to be read as the 6 input?

3

I don't believe so. What I meant to do was have a high voltage going to pin 12, and establish 6 as a low input. I wanted it to be read as high when the high voltage pin 12 is connected to pin 6

4

Call 6 an input then, which you did, and put a pulldown resistor on it.
Do not write to pin 6.

Or, change your logic - HIGH is the non-connected state, drive pin 12 low, and treat low as the connected state.
Do not write to pin 6. Only write to pin 12.

5

Naming the pin numbers just might give us a clue what is attached where on the Arduino, so we have some idea how to help you.