12 LED Charlieplexed Snowfall with AtTiny85

Using Arduino Project Guidance
27

That effect looks awesome. Since I still had the 20 LED array set up I had a play. Here's a completely underwhelming 20 LED approximation...

// each block of 4 LEDs in the array is groupled by a common anode (+, long leg)
// for simplicity of wiring on breadboard, using a colour code
#define GREEN 0
#define ORANGE 1
#define WHITE 2
#define BLUE 3
#define YELLOW 4

// pin definitions {GREEN, ORANGE, WHITE, BLUE, YELLOW}
const int charliePin[5] = {
  3, 4, 0, 1, 2};

// Charlieplexed LED definitions (current flowing from-to pairs)
const int LED[20][2] = {
  {ORANGE, GREEN},                            // 0 (GREEN GROUP)
  {WHITE, GREEN},                             // 1
  {BLUE, GREEN},                              // 2
  {YELLOW, GREEN},                            // 3
  {GREEN, ORANGE},                            // 4 (ORANGE GROUP)
  {WHITE, ORANGE},                            // 5
  {BLUE, ORANGE},                             // 6
  {YELLOW, ORANGE},                           // 7
  {GREEN, WHITE},                             // 8 (WHITE GROUP)
  {ORANGE, WHITE},                            // 9
  {BLUE, WHITE},                              // 10
  {YELLOW, WHITE},                            // 11
  {GREEN, BLUE},                              // 12 (BLUE GROUP)
  {ORANGE, BLUE},                             // 13
  {WHITE, BLUE},                              // 14
  {YELLOW, BLUE},                             // 15
  {GREEN, YELLOW},                            // 16 (YELLOW GROUP)
  {ORANGE, YELLOW},                           // 17
  {WHITE, YELLOW},                            // 18
  {BLUE, YELLOW}                              // 19
};

// other
int current = 0;                              // LED in array with current focus
int previous = 0;                             // previous LED that was lit
const unsigned long displayTime = 15;         // milliseconds to spend at each focus LED in descent
const int lineLength = 10;                    // how many LEDs to light maximum


void setup() {
}

void loop() {
  unsigned long timeNow = millis();           //
  while(millis()- timeNow < displayTime) {    // animation slows toward end
    for(int thisLED = current; thisLED > current - lineLength; thisLED--) {
      if (thisLED >= 0 && thisLED <= 19) charlieON(thisLED); 
    }
  }
  current++;
  if(current==19+lineLength) {               // start over
    current = 0;
    charlieOFF(19);                          // turn off the remaining (possibly) lit LED
    delay(1200);                             // and then rinse, repeat...after a short pause
  }
}

// --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// turns on LED #thisLED.  Turns off all LEDs if the value passed is out of range
//
void charlieON(int thisLED) {
  // turn off previous (reduces overhead, only switch 2 pins rather than 5)
  digitalWrite(charliePin[LED[previous][1]], LOW);   // ensure internal pull-ups aren't engaged on INPUT mode
  pinMode(charliePin[LED[previous][0]], INPUT);
  pinMode(charliePin[LED[previous][1]], INPUT);

  // turn on the one that's in focus
  if(thisLED >= 0 && thisLED <= 19) {
    pinMode(charliePin[LED[thisLED][0]], OUTPUT);
    pinMode(charliePin[LED[thisLED][1]], OUTPUT);
    digitalWrite(charliePin[LED[thisLED][0]], LOW);
    digitalWrite(charliePin[LED[thisLED][1]], HIGH);
  }
  previous = thisLED;
}

// --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// turns off LED #thisLED.  
//
void charlieOFF(int thisLED) {
  digitalWrite(charliePin[LED[thisLED][1]], LOW);   // ensure internal pull-ups aren't engaged on INPUT mode
  pinMode(charliePin[LED[thisLED][0]], INPUT);
  pinMode(charliePin[LED[thisLED][1]], INPUT);
}

It just moves a block of lineLength LEDs down the array repeatedly. If nothing else it proves more than 20 LEDs and an ATTiny85 were used in your video :slight_smile:

Geoff