2 lines different lines of text on one sign

Other Hardware LEDs and Multiplexing
1

Hey guys I need some help with some coding. I have a project where I am making a 2 line sign using 8 x 8 led matrix's, each line with its own text and controls. Making a single line sign Is relatively easy, add as many matrix's as you want in line. But I cannot find any reference online to controlling 2 different lines of text on one Arduino board. Is it possible?

Here is my code for a single line sign, thanks to Dejan Nedelkovski @ How To Mechatronics.com;

/*
8x8 LED Matrix MAX7219 Scrolling Text
Android Control via Bluetooth

by Dejan Nedelkovski, www.HowToMechatronics.com

Based on the following library:
GitHub | riyas-org/max7219 GitHub - riyas-org/max7219: Led matrix library
*/

#include <MaxMatrix.h>
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
#include <avr/pgmspace.h>

PROGMEM const unsigned char CH[] = {
3, 8, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // space

};

int dIn = 7; // DIN pin of MAX7219 module
int clk = 6; // CLK pin of MAX7219 module
int cs = 5; // CS pin of MAX7219 module

int maxInUse = 2; // Number of MAX7219's connected

MaxMatrix m(dIn, cs, clk, maxInUse);
SoftwareSerial Bluetooth(8, 7); // Bluetooth

byte buffer[10];
char incomebyte;
int scrollSpeed = 100;
char text[100] = "HowToMechatronics.com "; // Initial text message
int brightness = 15;
int count = 0;
char indicator;

void setup() {
m.init(); // MAX7219 initialization
m.setIntensity(brightness); // initial led matrix intensity, 0-15
Bluetooth.begin(38400); // Default communication rate of the Bluetooth module
}

void loop() {
// Printing the text
printStringWithShift(text, scrollSpeed);

if (Bluetooth.available()) { // Checks whether data is comming from the serial port
indicator = Bluetooth.read(); // Starts reading the serial port, the first byte from the incoming data
// If we have pressed the "Send" button from the Android App, clear the previous text
if (indicator == '1') {
for (int i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
text = 0;

  • m.clear();*
  • }*
  • // Read the whole data/string comming from the phone and put it into text[] array.*
  • while (Bluetooth.available()) {*
  • incomebyte = Bluetooth.read();*
  • text[count] = incomebyte;*
  • count++;*
  • }*
  • count = 0;*
  • }*
  • // Adjusting the Scrolling Speed*
  • else if (indicator == '2') {*
  • String sS = Bluetooth.readString();*
  • scrollSpeed = 150 - sS.toInt(); // Milliseconds, subtraction because lower value means higher scrolling speed*
  • }*
  • // Adjusting the brightness*
  • else if (indicator == '3') {*
  • String sB = Bluetooth.readString();*
  • brightness = sB.toInt();*
  • m.setIntensity(brightness);*
  • }*
  • }*
    }
    void printCharWithShift(char c, int shift_speed) {
  • if (c < 32) return;*
  • c -= 32;*
    memcpy_P(buffer, CH + 7 * c, 7);
  • m.writeSprite(32, 0, buffer);*
  • m.setColumn(32 + buffer[0], 0);*
  • for (int i = 0; i < buffer[0] + 1; i++)*
  • {*
  • delay(shift_speed);*
  • m.shiftLeft(false, false);*
  • }*
    }
    void printStringWithShift(char* s, int shift_speed) {
    _ while (*s != 0) {_
    printCharWithShift(*s, shift_speed);
  • s++;*
  • }*
    }
    void printString(char* s)
    {
  • int col = 0;*
    _ while (*s != 0)_
  • {*
    _ if (*s < 32) continue;_
    _ char c = *s - 32;_
    memcpy_P(buffer, CH + 7 * c, 7);
  • m.writeSprite(col, 0, buffer);*
  • m.setColumn(col + buffer[0], 0);*
  • col += buffer[0] + 1;*
  • s++;*
  • }*
    }
    What do I do different?
    Thanks for any help you could give me.
    DJ Bud
2

Before we give you any help, please modify your post above and put in the code tags as requested in the forum guide. As you can see, the forum has corrupted your code because you did not use code tags.

3

Sorry about that. I exceeded the number of lines for this message so I took out most of the letters from the array.

BTW Thanks for all of your help. It's people like you folks that help the rest of us!

#include <MaxMatrix.h>
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
#include <avr/pgmspace.h>

PROGMEM const unsigned char CH[] = {
  3, 8, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // space
  1, 8, B01011111, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // !

};

int dIn = 7;   // DIN pin of MAX7219 module
int clk = 6;   // CLK pin of MAX7219 module
int cs = 5;    // CS pin of MAX7219 module

int maxInUse = 4;    // Number of MAX7219's connected

MaxMatrix m(dIn, cs, clk, maxInUse);
SoftwareSerial Bluetooth(8, 7); // Bluetooth

byte buffer[10];
char incomebyte;
int scrollSpeed = 100;
char text[100] = "HowToMechatronics.com  "; // Initial text message
int brightness = 15;
int count = 0;
char indicator;

void setup() {
 m.init(); // MAX7219 initialization
  m.setIntensity(brightness); // initial led matrix intensity, 0-15 
  Bluetooth.begin(9600); // Default communication rate of the Bluetooth module
}

void loop() {
  // Printing the text
  printStringWithShift(text, scrollSpeed);
  
  if (Bluetooth.available()) {   // Checks whether data is comming from the serial port
    indicator = Bluetooth.read();   // Starts reading the serial port, the first byte from the incoming data
    // If we have pressed the "Send" button from the Android App, clear the previous text
    if (indicator == '1') {
      for (int i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
        text[i] = 0;
        m.clear();
      }
      // Read the whole data/string comming from the phone and put it into text[] array.
      while (Bluetooth.available()) {
        incomebyte = Bluetooth.read();
        text[count] = incomebyte;
        count++;
      }
      count = 0;
    }
    // Adjusting the Scrolling Speed
    else if (indicator == '2') {
      String sS = Bluetooth.readString();
      scrollSpeed = 150 - sS.toInt(); // Milliseconds, subtraction because lower value means higher scrolling speed
    }
    // Adjusting the brightness
    else if (indicator == '3') {
      String sB = Bluetooth.readString();
      brightness = sB.toInt();
      m.setIntensity(brightness);
    }
  }

}

void printCharWithShift(char c, int shift_speed) {
  if (c < 32) return;
  c -= 32;
  memcpy_P(buffer, CH + 7 * c, 7);
  m.writeSprite(32, 0, buffer);
  m.setColumn(32 + buffer[0], 0);

  for (int i = 0; i < buffer[0] + 1; i++)
  {
    delay(shift_speed);
    m.shiftLeft(false, false);
  }
}

void printStringWithShift(char* s, int shift_speed) {
  while (*s != 0) {
    printCharWithShift(*s, shift_speed);
    s++;
  }
}

void printString(char* s)
{
  int col = 0;
  while (*s != 0)
  {
    if (*s < 32) continue;
    char c = *s - 32;
    memcpy_P(buffer, CH + 7 * c, 7);
    m.writeSprite(col, 0, buffer);
    m.setColumn(col + buffer[0], 0);
    col += buffer[0] + 1;
    s++;
  }
}
5

I don't know anything about the matrices either but would it work to construct them as 2 lines but wire them as 1 very long line, then print the stuff for the bottom line beginning half way along?

6

It's people like you folks that help the rest of us!

But it's hard to help people who don't listen.

7

Hey guys, thanks help.

Delta_g, I'll try your suggestion for a second object.

Thanks