Binary Counter

The goal of this project is to show numbers, in binary, on eight LEDS.

With 8 LEDs we can display the numbers in the range 0-255:

• 0 => All LEDs off.
• 255 => All LEDs on.

Wiring

Wiring the project just involves choosing eight output pins, (I'd recommend 1-8), and on each one wiring:

• PIN XX -> 220k Resister -> LED -> Ground.

Code

The code for this project doesn't show anything more complex than that in the official starter-kit - the difference is that rather than using a pin output to control a single LED we control eight of them.

/*
   Binary Counter.

   With 8xLEDs we can display binary numbers from 0 to 255.

   Wiring involves:

       Output PIN XX -> LED -> 220k resister -> Ground

   Repeat that for each of the eight LEDs.

   In my case I wired them on pins 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8.

*/



// The pins to which we've wired each of the LEDs
int ledPins[] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8};

// The number we're going to display.
byte count;

/*
 * Set each pin to be used as output, and default to zero.
 */
void setup(void)
{
  for (byte i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
    pinMode(ledPins[i], OUTPUT);
  }
  count = 0;
}

/*
 *  Constantly increase, display, and delay.
 */
void loop(void)
{
  dispBinary(count++);
  delay(500);
}


/*
 *  Show a single number.
 */
void dispBinary(byte n)
{
  for (byte i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
    digitalWrite(ledPins[i], n & 1);
    n /= 2;
  }
}

Download the code.

Usage

Once you've loaded the code in your IDE, compiled & uploaded it your board will start counting from 0 to 255.

Because we're storing the number to display in a byte type once we reach 255 we'll reset to 0 (i.e. We can only store an eight-bit value in this type, and we overflow.)