Complete newbie here. I have been browsing through lots of topics containing multiplexing LED cubes. I am doing a project that requires me to build a 3x3x3 LED cube and drive it from the output from 3 bandpass filters (filtering bass, treble, and mid) from an audio source.
I have built a miniature 2x2x2 cube till now and have played around with addressing each column and each layer separately using a transistor. However, I am at loss on how to:
Using the Analog input and drive the LED cube such that
a) Each vertical plane (DIFFERENT from the LAYER--the plane is perpendicular to the layer containing 3 columns and 3 layers LED) to react to just the bass frequency and the remaining planes react to treble and mid).
b) The cube I have constructed employs the general common cathode common anode method with the anodes selecting the layer and the cathodes selecting the column. Is there a way to use the Arduino to do what I have explained? The trivial answer may be a Yes, but I would like someone to either direct me to a "readable" code that does similar things or to some sources that can help me out.
I can also take inputs from MSGEQ7 from Analog inputs instead of using the bandpass filters.
I want the cube to be a 3-D Spectrum analyzer. I am very new to programming and am trying my best to cope up. Hence, responses with a little less jargon will help. My friends have suggested using Shift Registers, which I have no idea about.
If anyone is kind enough to help me out, it will be much appreciated.
What kind of hardware are you using? Whether you will need to use shift registers or not will be determined by how many available pins you have.
A 3x3x3 cube has 9 columns and 9 rows correct? So you will need a total of 18 pins (or ports if that makes more sense to you) on your hardware. If you have that many available, then you can theoretically use your arduino and only your arduino. Shift registers are what people use to extend the amount of LEDs that can be controlled when the the number LEDs exceeds the available pins on the Arduino.
I know what you want to do is possible. Although, finding something that is exactly what you want might be tough.
I found a few things here. These might give you some ideas and education to help you along towards your goal.
The following are the terminologies I am using to describe the cube
column--refers to an arrangement of 3 LEDs if you are looking "down" on it from the top.
layer--refers to a 3x3 grid that is parallel to the surface on which the base of the cube is resting on
plane-- refers to an area that is PERPENDICULAR to the layer and comprises of 3 columns with LEDs from each layer. Think of a 3x3 grid but that is perpendicular to the base of the cube. In this way, a 3x3x3 cube has 3 vertical planes.
I think I will need 12 pins. 3 for 3 layers and 9 for 9 columns. It's like turn on the layer, then the column--you get 1 LED lit up. The problem I am having is : I can do what the instructables site shows me for an arrangement like that, but NOT for the cube. The architecture of the cube makes it difficult to do what the site shows.
I have the cube that is working properly --by working properly, I mean I have transistors properly connected and I can turn on a single LED, produce some basic patterns, but unfortunately, I have not been able to make each PLANE respond to music.