I'm new here and also to the Arduino as it was the other day when I properly came across these. I'm taking Electronic Engineering as a course for one year in September at my local college and am wanting to make a project over the summer to strengthen my knowledge. I've been browsing the website in order to find a project I'd like to make, and the LED Dot Matrix idea sounded like a great project to start on. A quick browse on YouTube produced some pretty impressive projects! The one that really impressed me and was the sort of thing I wanted to build was this -
I've found a site which sells a pack of 10 of these 8x8 matrices and I'm very tempted to make my own display like that. However, I'm not totally sure how to. I'm going to get myself an Uno board, a large breadboard and wires to go with that, but the worst thing for me will be the coding and where to plug the wires in.
If anyone is able to help me with my 8x80 matrix display, then I'd be very happy. If I'm repeating a topic that's already on here, or anything that you feel will be of use to me, then please post a comment!
Jack, you should learn how to walk before you learn how to run
I suggest you start with driving just an 8x8 matrix, then expand from there. This way it's easier to debug and it will help you understand the challenges and the solutions(both hardware and software).
Here is the start of an 8 x 80 array.
You connect the anodes across the array together, and the cathodes down the array together.
The anode data is shifted in, then one cathode is pulled low to turn on the LEDs with high anodes.
The cathode is the released, and the process repeated for the next column.
The data can be read from an 80 byte array.
When the data is read out quickly enough, the array will appear flicker free.
Since only 1 anode at a time is being driven, the anodes could also be driven directly from arduino outputs with no shift register needed.
The cathodes need a part like TPIC6B595, TPIC6C595, TPIC6D595, something that can sink 160mA if all 8 LEDs in a column are on.
Can also split the array into two 8 x 40 arrays, overall display will seem brighter as each column gets updated more frequently.
