RGB "Blinky" question about ground

Projects Programming
1

So, I've written my first program, designed to operate an RGB LED and display the primary colors in sequence. I assembed the board and resistors on the breadboard and uploaded the program and......... nothing. Nada. So I uploaded the trusty old Blinky example and used Pin 13. Still nothing. Kept playing and found my LED is a common Positive (anode, cathode, I can never remember which). I could drive to Radio Shack and buy a common negative, but that will teach me nothing. Is there a way to turn the I/O pins to ground?

[color=#7E7E7E]/*My First Project[/color]
[color=#7E7E7E]Uses a single RGB to cycle through three colors.[/color]
[color=#7E7E7E]*/[/color]

[color=#CC6600]void[/color] [color=#CC6600][b]setup[/b][/color]() {
  [color=#CC6600]pinMode[/color](9, [color=#006699]OUTPUT[/color]);
  [color=#CC6600]pinMode[/color](10, [color=#006699]OUTPUT[/color]);
  [color=#CC6600]pinMode[/color] (11, [color=#006699]OUTPUT[/color]);
} 

[color=#CC6600]void[/color] [color=#CC6600][b]loop[/b][/color]() {
  [color=#CC6600]digitalWrite[/color](9, [color=#006699]HIGH[/color]);
  [color=#CC6600]digitalWrite[/color](11, [color=#006699]LOW[/color]);
  [color=#CC6600]delay[/color](500);
  [color=#CC6600]digitalWrite[/color](10, [color=#006699]HIGH[/color]);
  [color=#CC6600]digitalWrite[/color](9, [color=#006699]LOW[/color]);
  [color=#CC6600]delay[/color](500);
  [color=#CC6600]digitalWrite[/color](11, [color=#006699]HIGH[/color]);
  [color=#CC6600]digitalWrite[/color](10, [color=#006699]LOW[/color]);
  [color=#CC6600]delay[/color](500);
}
2

Don't use the "copy for forum" option in the IDE. Or if you do, wrap the result with "quote" tags instead of "code" tags.

3

Like this?

/*My First Project
Uses a single RGB to cycle through three colors.
*/

void setup() {
pinMode(9, OUTPUT);
pinMode(10, OUTPUT);
pinMode (11, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
digitalWrite(9, HIGH);
digitalWrite(11, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(10, HIGH);
digitalWrite(9, LOW);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(11, HIGH);
digitalWrite(10, LOW);
delay(500);
}

4

With a common anode ("common positive"), the LED turns on with a LOW; with analogWrite brightest is with '0' and '255' is 'off'.
Put the CA to +5 and each color to an output pin (via a resistor, each ).

5

Thanks!! Got it working and you taught me a new skill! Yay!!

6

One more question, if I may; I tried dimming the leds by running the "on" value from 0 to 200 and I noticed no change. But I taught my self variables!! Code follows:

/*RGB Cycle
Makes RGB LED cycle through colors continuously.
Written By JohnnyRocket
*/

const int red = 9;
const int green = 10;
const int blue = 11;

int time = 1500;
int on = 200;
int off = 255;

void setup(){
pinMode(red, OUTPUT);
pinMode(green, OUTPUT);
pinMode(blue, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
analogWrite(red,on);
delay(time);
analogWrite(green,on);
delay(time);
analogWrite(red,off);
delay(time);
analogWrite(blue,on);
delay(time);
analogWrite(green,off);
delay(time);
analogWrite(red,on);
delay(time);
analogWrite(green,on);
delay(time);
analogWrite(blue,off);
analogWrite(green, off);
}

7

Don't use 'copy for forum'. Just select all the text in the IDE window and copy it.

8

Fixed it!! (The code quote, not the dimmer)

9

rocketman247:
Fixed it!! (The code quote, not the dimmer)

Not Quite. The code should be surrounded by CODE tags rather than QUOTE tags.

10

rocketman247:
One more question, if I may; I tried dimming the leds by running the "on" value from 0 to 200 and I noticed no change. But I taught my self variables!! Code follows:

/*RGB Cycle

Makes RGB LED cycle through colors continuously.
Written By JohnnyRocket
*/

const int red = 9;
const int green = 10;
const int blue = 11;

int time = 1500;
int on = 200;
int off = 255;

void setup(){
  pinMode(red, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(green, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(blue, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  analogWrite(red,on);
  delay(time);
  analogWrite(green,on);
  delay(time);
  analogWrite(red,off);
  delay(time);
  analogWrite(blue,on);
  delay(time);
  analogWrite(green,off);
  delay(time);
  analogWrite(red,on);
  delay(time);
  analogWrite(green,on);
  delay(time);
  analogWrite(blue,off);
  analogWrite(green, off);
}

11

Looks like you are going from 200 to 255. Not 0 to 200.