CALENDAR COUNTDOWN SERIES

#include ĬountUpDownTimer T(DOWN, HIGH) //Create the timer object void setup(), //10 The only complication (besides creating the array - more on that next) was that I had to modify the library to add the 'ShowDays' method that was not part of the original code.

Those values are then passed as parameters to an array which turns on the proper segments to dispaly the corresponding number. This library performs the timing for you in the background allowing you to call hours, minutes and seconds when needed. Eventually I came across a preexisting library called 'CountUpDownTimer' which is available HERE at the Arduino Playgound.

CALENDAR COUNTDOWN SERIES

In reality, the only way to make theses units display a word or number is still one digit at a time however the digits are turned on and off so fast that too the human eye it appears to be on all the time.Īfter several failed attempts to run a series of nested for loops to control the timing and the displays, I began looking into parallel processing as it applies to Arduino. Like any 7-segment display, numbers and some characters can be displayed by turning on different combinations of of the lettered segments the twist with a 4-digit 7-segment unit is that all the individual segments from each digit are tied together, which each digit only having it's own individual common cathode or anode to control seperately. Programming an Arduino to individual display characters on these is pretty straight forward, however getting entire words or numbers to display at the same time is where is gets interesting. In addition to the image of the physical device, above you can also can also see the pin-out and the schematic for the unit. These units came from some Elegoo stater kits we had purchased for classroom use but could most likely be purchased with the part you you can see on the image above. The obvious starting point is to become familiar with the 4-digit 7-segment displays.

Calendar countdown