Learning to code displays

Other Hardware Displays
1

Hi,
I'm a student and have learned basic c coding. Now I want to become more proficient at coding for hardware application.

I did a project with this display

But mostly used already made code.

I now want to learn how to display whatever I want on this but need tutorials, videos, any help I can.

Please suggest your top , favorite instructions for learning this application. Thanks

2

You have two very important components of what you need for this project already in hand.

  • You have a particular piece of hardware that you want to control.
  • You have some code that already works with this hardware.
    Typically I recommend that you compare the information in the hardware datasheet with the code that you have on hand. With well documented code this is easy, especially if you have a standalone program rather than one based on several libraries hopefully working well together.

With this information you can find the part of the code that was used to display a particular character or symbol and replace it with code that displays what you are interested in.

There are two problems that I see with trying to deal with this particular display as an early programming project.

  • There is no documentation available for the display itself.
  • The available code is in the form of libraries that may be hard to wade through.
    At any rate, since you are dealing with a matrix display that doesn't seem to have a dedicated controller, you will most likely be dealing with multiplexing, and there is another forum section where you are more likely to find appropriate help.

My suggestion is to first work with the one or more of the displays that are dealt with quite often in this forum, first the character mode LCDs and then the more complicated graphical or GLCDs. Let me know if you want to go this route and I'll provide you with some more ideas.

Don

3

Hi Don,

Thanks for all the valuable information.
The LED display I have does have 2 libraries. I have manipulated the code to write words that I desire. But I have no idea how to do shapes, or strobing or anything interesting.

Maybe a display isn't the best way for me to start this journey and I should start simpler.
The code I have seen that works with this is matrix format. Ill go wade through that section of the
forum and see what I come up with.

Any recommendation for small projects that would be good to break me in writing code from scratch for?
maybe just single led or like "stoplight" style stuff? Maybe even just information that pertains to specifically coding arduino I/O?

I have taken a course on C programming, have learned about all the components in a microcontroller and have taken a digital logic class. I know the parts but I want to start putting them together. I know how to code small programs but they are always just computer executables performing a function. Never to control hardware or anything outside my computer. That is my main goal here is just to start familiarizing myself with that. The project doesn't really matter, the experience does.

Thanks again.

4

Orchid0:
I have manipulated the code to write words that I desire. But I have no idea how to do shapes, or strobing or anything interesting.

Shapes are quite simple to draw, it seems you have not read or understood the tutorials on the Adafruit website so that is the best place for you to start. Then I am sure searching on Google will help with project ideas.

By strobing I assume you mean flashing the display, this is just a case of turning on/off the LEDs (aka pixels) periodically.

Once you can draw 3 circles on the display in different positions in 3 different colours then you are well on the way to creating a traffic light type display.