I'm working on a project where I need to control 10 of these:
and 6 of these:
using only one Arduino Due. How can I do this? Can I use multiplexing, if so, how does it work?
Thanks.
Look at the MAX7219 chip. You will need to do level shifting between the Due's 3.3V and the 5V the chip needs but you will only need 3 digital Due pins to drive all the bar graphs and 7 segment displays.
That is a lot of leds, nearly 300!
If you use the max chips Riva suggests, you will need 3 chips for the 7 seg displays and another 2 chips for the bar graphs.
Another chip to consider would be ht16k33. You would need one of these chips for the bar graphs and 2 for the 7 seg displays.
You will also need an external power supply. The Due board probably cannot supply enough current for all those leds.
Paul
Riva:
Look at the MAX7219 chip. You will need to do level shifting between the Due's 3.3V and the 5V the chip needs but you will only need 3 digital Due pins to drive all the bar graphs and 7 segment displays.
PaulRB:
That is a lot of leds, nearly 300!If you use the max chips Riva suggests, you will need 3 chips for the 7 seg displays and another 2 chips for the bar graphs.
Another chip to consider would be ht16k33. You would need one of these chips for the bar graphs and 2 for the 7 seg displays.
You will also need an external power supply. The Due board probably cannot supply enough current for all those leds.
Paul
Thanks a lot!
I'm going to read more about the MAX7219 and the ht16k33. As you said with the ht16k33 I'll only need 3 in total, so I might go with that.
surfknasen:
As you said with the ht16k33 I'll only need 3 in total, so I might go with that.
But 5 max chips might be cheaper than 3 ht chips. You need to make the decision, balancing circuit complexity versus cost.
PaulRB:
But 5 max chips might be cheaper than 3 ht chips. You need to make the decision, balancing circuit complexity versus cost.
They're only 2-3 dollars more, so I will go with complexity.
Thanks!
surfknasen:
They're only 2-3 dollars more, so I will go with complexity.
You got a good price there then as I can get 5x MAX7219 chips for £1.38 but HT16K33 costs £7.54 each.
Another thing to consider is the MAX7219 is available in a DIP package where the HT16K33 is only available in SMD. Though you can get pre-built boards for both versions.
Riva is right, don't buy an smd chip unless supplied on a breakout board like the one i posted above. Its ok to buy dip chips, but bare smd chips are too difficult to work with for a beginner. You can't just plug them into a breadboard like you can a dip chip or breakout module.
Ht16k33 on breakout modules are very cheap on eBay if you can wait for delivery from China.
This is a genuine Maxim max7219 dip chip. Of course, just because the picture looks like this on eBay does not guarantee the item you receive won't look like the next picture.
This is a copy or fake max7219. Most people find they work perfectly, including me.
This is an smd max7219. Don't buy a bare smd chip like this, too difficult for a beginner to use.
I have no knowledge about SMD or DIP chips, what are they?
I want it to be as simple as possible, so I suppose I go should with the MAX7219?
"They're only 2-3 dollars more, so I will go with complexity."
"I want it to be as simple as possible,..."
surfknasen:
I have no knowledge about SMD or DIP chips, what are they?
I just explained that. I even gave you pictures.
surfknasen:
I want it to be as simple as possible, so I suppose I go should with the MAX7219?
As already explained, you would need 5 max chips or 3 ht chips. Is a circuit with more chips simpler? Perhaps a little, yes. But no circuit with nearly 300 leds is going to be simple.
Is this your first Arduino project? Because if so, you will fail. You must start with simpler projects first. For example getting one led bar graph or one 3 x 7 seg display to work. Then build up the complexity in stages.