MAX7219 and Arduino: interactive scrolling LED text

It’s easy to make a scrolling text ticker with an Arduino Uno and multiple MAX7219 8×8 LED matrix modules. Just 5 connections between the Arduino and the first module are required: 3 for data and 2 for power. Multiple modules can be daisychained. Depending on the power available you can connect many of these modules together.

How-to: interactive ticker display

In this short tutorial you can read how to easily make an interactive ticker display. The display will show a preprogrammed line of text first. After that you can type in some characters and send them to the dispay over the serial connection.

Wiring Arduino and MAX7219 8×8 LED matrix modules

Only the first display needs to be wired to the Arduino. Any additional modules will be daisychained. See this example featuring 3 displays:

MaxMatrix library

To make it easy to communicatre with the matrix-modules we will be using the “MaxMatrix”-library which you can download here: https://github.com/riyas-org/. There you can also find a code example  which we will adapt and make interactive. It will allow you to send text from yout computer to the display over the serial connection.

Example code: interactive scrolling text display

After installing the MaxMatrix library you can download or copy/paste the sketch you see below. A few values you can customize:

• The value “maxInUse” will set the number of modules conected to the Arduino;
• The value “scrollSpeed” will set the scrolling speed: lower value means faster scrolling;
• And “m.setIntensity()” sets the LED intensity from 0 tot 15: higher value means brighter LEDs.

After you have uploaded the sketch to the Arduino, you will first see the predefined text scrolling along. After that, you can open the serial monitor in the Arduino-IDE and send a new text (max. 64 characters) to the display.

/*
 Interactive scrolling led sign for Arduino and MAX7219 8x8 LED Display
 
 This is the code I use to control the MAX7219 8x8 LED modules from my
 Chinese "Geekcreit"-brand Arduino clone.
 
 The first module is connected to the Uno like this:
 
 Module: VCC -> Uno: 5V
 Module: GND -> Uno: GND
 Module: DIN -> Uno: D8
 Module: CS  -> Uno: D9
 Module: CLK -> Uno: D10
 
 Additional modules are connected like this:
 
 Module 2: VCC -> Module 1: VCC
 Module 2: GND -> Module 1: GND
 Module 2: DIN -> Module 1: DIN
 Module 2: CS  -> Module 1: CS
 Module 2: CLK -> Module 1: CLK
 
 See the blog post at https://oneguyoneblog.com/2016/10/20/max7219-arduino-ticker-8x8-led-modules/
 */

#include <MaxMatrix.h>
#include <avr/pgmspace.h>

PROGMEM prog_uchar const CH[] = {
  3, 8, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // space
  1, 8, B01011111, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // !
  3, 8, B00000011, B00000000, B00000011, B00000000, B00000000, // "
  5, 8, B00010100, B00111110, B00010100, B00111110, B00010100, // #
  4, 8, B00100100, B01101010, B00101011, B00010010, B00000000, // $
  5, 8, B01100011, B00010011, B00001000, B01100100, B01100011, // %
  5, 8, B00110110, B01001001, B01010110, B00100000, B01010000, // &
  1, 8, B00000011, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // '
  3, 8, B00011100, B00100010, B01000001, B00000000, B00000000, // (
  3, 8, B01000001, B00100010, B00011100, B00000000, B00000000, // )
  5, 8, B00101000, B00011000, B00001110, B00011000, B00101000, // *
  5, 8, B00001000, B00001000, B00111110, B00001000, B00001000, // +
  2, 8, B10110000, B01110000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // ,
  4, 8, B00001000, B00001000, B00001000, B00001000, B00000000, // -
  2, 8, B01100000, B01100000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // .
  4, 8, B01100000, B00011000, B00000110, B00000001, B00000000, // /
  4, 8, B00111110, B01000001, B01000001, B00111110, B00000000, // 0
  3, 8, B01000010, B01111111, B01000000, B00000000, B00000000, // 1
  4, 8, B01100010, B01010001, B01001001, B01000110, B00000000, // 2
  4, 8, B00100010, B01000001, B01001001, B00110110, B00000000, // 3
  4, 8, B00011000, B00010100, B00010010, B01111111, B00000000, // 4
  4, 8, B00100111, B01000101, B01000101, B00111001, B00000000, // 5
  4, 8, B00111110, B01001001, B01001001, B00110000, B00000000, // 6
  4, 8, B01100001, B00010001, B00001001, B00000111, B00000000, // 7
  4, 8, B00110110, B01001001, B01001001, B00110110, B00000000, // 8
  4, 8, B00000110, B01001001, B01001001, B00111110, B00000000, // 9
  2, 8, B01010000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // :
  2, 8, B10000000, B01010000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // ;
  3, 8, B00010000, B00101000, B01000100, B00000000, B00000000, // <
  3, 8, B00010100, B00010100, B00010100, B00000000, B00000000, // =
  3, 8, B01000100, B00101000, B00010000, B00000000, B00000000, // >
  4, 8, B00000010, B01011001, B00001001, B00000110, B00000000, // ?
  5, 8, B00111110, B01001001, B01010101, B01011101, B00001110, // @
  4, 8, B01111110, B00010001, B00010001, B01111110, B00000000, // A
  4, 8, B01111111, B01001001, B01001001, B00110110, B00000000, // B
  4, 8, B00111110, B01000001, B01000001, B00100010, B00000000, // C
  4, 8, B01111111, B01000001, B01000001, B00111110, B00000000, // D
  4, 8, B01111111, B01001001, B01001001, B01000001, B00000000, // E
  4, 8, B01111111, B00001001, B00001001, B00000001, B00000000, // F
  4, 8, B00111110, B01000001, B01001001, B01111010, B00000000, // G
  4, 8, B01111111, B00001000, B00001000, B01111111, B00000000, // H
  3, 8, B01000001, B01111111, B01000001, B00000000, B00000000, // I
  4, 8, B00110000, B01000000, B01000001, B00111111, B00000000, // J
  4, 8, B01111111, B00001000, B00010100, B01100011, B00000000, // K
  4, 8, B01111111, B01000000, B01000000, B01000000, B00000000, // L
  5, 8, B01111111, B00000010, B00001100, B00000010, B01111111, // M
  5, 8, B01111111, B00000100, B00001000, B00010000, B01111111, // N
  4, 8, B00111110, B01000001, B01000001, B00111110, B00000000, // O
  4, 8, B01111111, B00001001, B00001001, B00000110, B00000000, // P
  4, 8, B00111110, B01000001, B01000001, B10111110, B00000000, // Q
  4, 8, B01111111, B00001001, B00001001, B01110110, B00000000, // R
  4, 8, B01000110, B01001001, B01001001, B00110010, B00000000, // S
  5, 8, B00000001, B00000001, B01111111, B00000001, B00000001, // T
  4, 8, B00111111, B01000000, B01000000, B00111111, B00000000, // U
  5, 8, B00001111, B00110000, B01000000, B00110000, B00001111, // V
  5, 8, B00111111, B01000000, B00111000, B01000000, B00111111, // W
  5, 8, B01100011, B00010100, B00001000, B00010100, B01100011, // X
  5, 8, B00000111, B00001000, B01110000, B00001000, B00000111, // Y
  4, 8, B01100001, B01010001, B01001001, B01000111, B00000000, // Z
  2, 8, B01111111, B01000001, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // [
  4, 8, B00000001, B00000110, B00011000, B01100000, B00000000, // \ backslash
  2, 8, B01000001, B01111111, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // ]
  3, 8, B00000010, B00000001, B00000010, B00000000, B00000000, // hat
  4, 8, B01000000, B01000000, B01000000, B01000000, B00000000, // _
  2, 8, B00000001, B00000010, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // `
  4, 8, B00100000, B01010100, B01010100, B01111000, B00000000, // a
  4, 8, B01111111, B01000100, B01000100, B00111000, B00000000, // b
  4, 8, B00111000, B01000100, B01000100, B00101000, B00000000, // c
  4, 8, B00111000, B01000100, B01000100, B01111111, B00000000, // d
  4, 8, B00111000, B01010100, B01010100, B00011000, B00000000, // e
  3, 8, B00000100, B01111110, B00000101, B00000000, B00000000, // f
  4, 8, B10011000, B10100100, B10100100, B01111000, B00000000, // g
  4, 8, B01111111, B00000100, B00000100, B01111000, B00000000, // h
  3, 8, B01000100, B01111101, B01000000, B00000000, B00000000, // i
  4, 8, B01000000, B10000000, B10000100, B01111101, B00000000, // j
  4, 8, B01111111, B00010000, B00101000, B01000100, B00000000, // k
  3, 8, B01000001, B01111111, B01000000, B00000000, B00000000, // l
  5, 8, B01111100, B00000100, B01111100, B00000100, B01111000, // m
  4, 8, B01111100, B00000100, B00000100, B01111000, B00000000, // n
  4, 8, B00111000, B01000100, B01000100, B00111000, B00000000, // o
  4, 8, B11111100, B00100100, B00100100, B00011000, B00000000, // p
  4, 8, B00011000, B00100100, B00100100, B11111100, B00000000, // q
  4, 8, B01111100, B00001000, B00000100, B00000100, B00000000, // r
  4, 8, B01001000, B01010100, B01010100, B00100100, B00000000, // s
  3, 8, B00000100, B00111111, B01000100, B00000000, B00000000, // t
  4, 8, B00111100, B01000000, B01000000, B01111100, B00000000, // u
  5, 8, B00011100, B00100000, B01000000, B00100000, B00011100, // v
  5, 8, B00111100, B01000000, B00111100, B01000000, B00111100, // w
  5, 8, B01000100, B00101000, B00010000, B00101000, B01000100, // x
  4, 8, B10011100, B10100000, B10100000, B01111100, B00000000, // y
  3, 8, B01100100, B01010100, B01001100, B00000000, B00000000, // z
  3, 8, B00001000, B00110110, B01000001, B00000000, B00000000, // {
  1, 8, B01111111, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, B00000000, // |
  3, 8, B01000001, B00110110, B00001000, B00000000, B00000000, // }
  4, 8, B00001000, B00000100, B00001000, B00000100, B00000000, // ~
};

int data = 8;    // DIN pin of MAX7219 displays
int load = 9;    // CS pin of MAX7219 displays
int clock = 10;  // CLK pin of MAX7219 displays
int scrollSpeed = 35; // speed of scrolling text, lower is faster
int maxInUse = 3;  //Number of MAX7219 displays

MaxMatrix m(data, load, clock, maxInUse); // define Library

byte buffer[10];
char inData[64] = "MAX7219 8x8 LED Matrix - Visit oneguyoneblog.com"; // The string (max 64 bytes)
char inChar; // Where to store the character read
byte index = 0; // Index into array; where to store the character

void setup(){
  m.init(); // init display
  m.setIntensity(7); // LED light intensity from 0 (dimmest) to 15
  Serial.begin(9600); // init serial connection
}

void loop(){

// Get input from serial connection
  index=0;
  while(Serial.available() > 0) // Don't read unless there is data
  {

    if(index < 63) // One less than the size of the array
    {
      inChar = Serial.read(); // Read a character
      Serial.write(inChar);
      inData[index] = inChar; // Store it
      index++; // Increment where to write next
      inData[index] = '\0'; // Null terminate the string
    }       
  }

  byte c;
  delay(100);
  m.shiftLeft(false, true);
  printStringWithShift(inData, scrollSpeed);  // Send scrolling Text
  clearLCD(maxInUse, scrollSpeed);
}

// Put extracted character on Display
void printCharWithShift(char c, int shift_speed){

  if (c < 32) return;
  c -= 32;
  memcpy_P(buffer, CH + 7*c, 7);
  m.writeSprite(maxInUse*8, 0, buffer);
  m.setColumn(maxInUse*8 + buffer[0], 0);

  for (int i=0; i<buffer[0]+1; i++) 
  {
    delay(shift_speed);
    m.shiftLeft(false, false);
  }
}

// Extract characters from Scrolling text
void printStringWithShift(char* s, int shift_speed){

  while (*s != 0){
    printCharWithShift(*s, shift_speed);
    s++;
  }
}

// Add trailing space to clear the display
void clearLCD(int maxInUse, int shift_speed){

  for (int i=0; i<maxInUse*8; i++) 
  {
    m.setColumn((maxInUse*8), 0);
    delay(shift_speed);
    m.shiftLeft(false, false);
  }
}

This sketch is also available on GitHub: https://github.com/oneguyoneblog/

Tested and recommended by OneGuyOneBlog.com:

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