After surfing the net I have not found a concrete example of how to put it all together.
I started at the Arduino site with this website:
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Main/LEDMatrix
From there I connected the wiring as this site indicated:
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Main/MAX72XXHardware
from there I started trying out the code provided here:
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/LEDMatrix/Max7219
This is the code I’m trying to use for a single Max7221:
/* code for max 7219 from maxim,
reduced and optimised for useing more then one 7219 in a row,
______________________________________
Code History:
--------------
The orginal code was written for the Wiring board by:
* Nicholas Zambetti and Dave Mellis /Interaction Design Institute Ivrea /Dec 2004
* http://www.potemkin.org/uploads/Wiring/MAX7219.txt
First modification by:
* Marcus Hannerstig/ K3, malmo[ch776] ho[ch776]gskola /2006
* http://www.xlab.se | http://arduino.berlios.de
This version is by:
* tomek ness /FH-Potsdam / Feb 2007
* http://design.fh-potsdam.de/
* @acknowledgements: eric f.
-----------------------------------
General notes:
-if you are only using one max7219, then use the function maxSingle to control
the little guy ---maxSingle(register (1-8), collum (0-255))
-if you are using more then one max7219, and they all should work the same,
then use the function maxAll ---maxAll(register (1-8), collum (0-255))
-if you are using more than one max7219 and just want to change something
at one little guy, then use the function maxOne
---maxOne(Max you wane controll (1== the first one), register (1-8),
collum (0-255))
/* During initiation, be sure to send every part to every max7219 and then
upload it.
For example, if you have five max7219's, you have to send the scanLimit 5 times
before you load it-- other wise not every max7219 will get the data. the
function maxInUse keeps track of this, just tell it how many max7219 you are
using.
*/
int dataIn = 2;
int load = 3;
int clock = 4;
int maxInUse = 1; //change this variable to set how many MAX7219's you'll use
int e = 0; // just a varialble
// define max7219 registers
byte max7219_reg_noop = 0x00;
byte max7219_reg_digit0 = 0x01;
byte max7219_reg_digit1 = 0x02;
byte max7219_reg_digit2 = 0x03;
byte max7219_reg_digit3 = 0x04;
byte max7219_reg_digit4 = 0x05;
byte max7219_reg_digit5 = 0x06;
byte max7219_reg_digit6 = 0x07;
byte max7219_reg_digit7 = 0x08;
byte max7219_reg_decodeMode = 0x09;
byte max7219_reg_intensity = 0x0a;
byte max7219_reg_scanLimit = 0x0b;
byte max7219_reg_shutdown = 0x0c;
byte max7219_reg_displayTest = 0x0f;
void putByte(byte data) {
byte i = 8;
byte mask;
while(i > 0) {
mask = 0x01 << (i - 1); // get bitmask
digitalWrite( clock, LOW); // tick
if (data & mask){ // choose bit
digitalWrite(dataIn, HIGH);// send 1
}else{
digitalWrite(dataIn, LOW); // send 0
}
digitalWrite(clock, HIGH); // tock
--i; // move to lesser bit
}
}
void maxSingle( byte reg, byte col) {
//maxSingle is the "easy" function to use for a //single max7219
digitalWrite(load, LOW); // begin
putByte(1); // specify register
putByte(255);//((data & 0x01) * 256) + data >> 1); // put data
digitalWrite(load, LOW); // and load da shit
digitalWrite(load,HIGH);
}
void maxAll (byte reg, byte col) { // initialize all MAX7219's in the system
int c = 0;
digitalWrite(load, LOW); // begin
for ( c =1; c<= maxInUse; c++) {
putByte(reg); // specify register
putByte(col);//((data & 0x01) * 256) + data >> 1); // put data
}
digitalWrite(load, LOW);
digitalWrite(load,HIGH);
}
/*
void maxOne(byte maxNr, byte reg, byte col) {
//maxOne is for adressing different MAX7219's,
//whilele having a couple of them cascaded
int c = 0;
digitalWrite(load, LOW); // begin
for ( c = maxInUse; c > maxNr; c--) {
putByte(0); // means no operation
putByte(0); // means no operation
}
putByte(reg); // specify register
putByte(col);//((data & 0x01) * 256) + data >> 1); // put data
for ( c =maxNr-1; c >= 1; c--) {
putByte(0); // means no operation
putByte(0); // means no operation
}
digitalWrite(load, LOW); // and load da shit
digitalWrite(load,HIGH);
}
*/
void setup () {
pinMode(dataIn, OUTPUT);
pinMode(clock, OUTPUT);
pinMode(load, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(13, HIGH);
//initiation of the max 7219
maxAll(max7219_reg_scanLimit, 0x07);
maxAll(max7219_reg_decodeMode, 0x00); // using an led matrix (not digits)
maxAll(max7219_reg_shutdown, 0x01); // not in shutdown mode
maxAll(max7219_reg_displayTest, 0x00); // no display test
for (e=1; e<=8; e++) { // empty registers, turn all LEDs off
maxAll(e,0);
}
maxAll(max7219_reg_intensity, 0x0f & 0x0f); // the first 0x0f is the value you can set
// range: 0x00 to 0x0f
}
void loop () {
//Using a single Max7221 to light one led at a time
maxSingle(1,1); // + - - - - - - -
maxSingle(1,2); // - + - - - - - -
maxSingle(1,4); // - - + - - - - -
maxSingle(1,8); // - - - + - - - -
maxSingle(1,16); // - - - - + - - -
maxSingle(1,32); // - - - - - + - -
maxSingle(1,64); // - - - - - - + -
maxSingle(1,128); // - - - - - - - +
delay(200);
}
I am only trying to light one led at a time starting with row 1 then going through all 64 leds.
I am using Proteus 7.6 to simulate my project and here are images of how it is connected.
Arduino:
I replaced the 16MHz resonator with a 10pf capacitor and a 16MHz crystal just to simulate.
Max7221:
8x8LedMatrix:
The underlined lines are coming from the Max7221 and the Italics are the physical pins on the 8x8 led Matrix.
Power and Ground are connected automatically thus there are no wires for that.
How would I use the sample code to do this task? Any help is appreciated and when I try to connect it, the leds start just going crazy.