Hi, I have built a skeeball machine (without electronics). I have also built simple Arduino projects with the Uno. My plan is 7 IR sensors, each to trigger when ball goes through a hole (points depend on the hole ball is through) what would be the best method LCD or 7 Segment LED to display score. And which one would be simpler to code. Assume code to sum score up as each ball goes through hole and display score can be done on both - but not clear if lcd or led approach is easier or harder to code.
Use an I2C connected LCD. It only uses 2 I/O pins.
The choice is entirely dependent on the environment, and what you want to display - not to mention personal choice. The coding is much the same for both - i.e. well-covered with Arduino libraries. Clearly, in your case, you only want a three digit score, and I submit the LEDs will be the obvious choice. They are cheap, fast, and BIG.
https://playground.arduino.cc/Main/MAX72XXHardware/
Look before you leap, and note that the above is for common cathode operation, both 7 seg and matrix. There is probably an equivalent system for common anode, but I don't know anything about it.
... or a 2-inch LED array on a MAX7219, also 2 wires*, and a lot bigger / brighter.
(* 3-wires in some situations)
We used to have plenty of discussion that MAX7219 would work with common anode, just needed a different mapping to create characters.
The effect would be that instead of 1 digit being turned on at a time, the A-segments would turn on, then the Bs, the Cs, etc.
If you want easy to see digits from a distance (10-12-15 feet?) then large 7-segment LED display with multiple digits would be best.
There you would have multiple LEDs/segment (3 LED segments yields ~5 inch tall digits, 6 LED segments yields ~ 9 inch tall digits) , typically driven from a 12 V source, and use TPIC6B595, one per digit, to sink current thru the segments of a digit to light them up. Then no multiplexing is needed. Something changes, just send out the bytes needed (one per digit) to update them.
Example with 2 size digits
This board is controlling them. It can handle 12 digits, or fewer digits and then other discrete LEDs.
It is '328P based and bootloaded like an Uno, D2 thru D7 and D14 thru D19 (A0 to A5) are available to be used.
When it comes to pin use and ease of coding, there's not much difference.
Pin use is the same: both the 1602/2004 LCD displays and common 7-segment displays can be run off two pins. The TM1637 driver for 7-segment display is possibly the easiest to program, but the differences are really small. All drivers have excellent libraries available. The TM1637 is also a multiplexing driver, it's designed for common 4-segment displays.
The main difference is indeed the output. That's what your question should be: how do I want to display these numbers? How to drive that display, that should be the next question.
I think one of them is ok. If you want something bigger, I would like to recommend using the LED matrix or Big 7-segment LED
Thank you all! I have been researching the last two hours reviewing your input and searching on web. I believe the 4 digit 7 segment LED is way to go. I am reviewing TM1637 content as the 4 pin approach allows for more sensor connections on the Uno (or at least that is my thinking). After work today I’ll be back researching... but any additional input would be great
You can also wire 4 single digits up the same way as a 4-digit display (all the anodes in parallel, single common cathode for each digit) (or all segments in parallel, single common anode for each digit), you might be size limited if you go with a 4-unit display.
Some 4-digit examples:
This topic was automatically closed 120 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.