[HH] Controlling lots of LEDs with a microcontroller

[Drew Van Zandt]

There are drivers specifically designed for this, which do the magic by
using a matrix where the "on" LEDs are on only part of the time - that's
sufficient at high refresh rates for the human eye to convince you they are
always on.  You can do it yourself to drive 120 LEDs with 17
microcontroller I/O like this:
http://www.nerdkits.com/videos/ledarray2/

<http://www.nerdkits.com/videos/ledarray2/>....or if you want a slightly
fancier solution, you can use a few of these:
http://www.ti.com/product/tlc59116

<http://www.ti.com/product/tlc59116>Up to 224 LEDs controlled over I2C, and
that's easily muxed to get you more.

*
Drew Van Zandt
Artisan's Asylum Craft Lead, Electronics & Robotics
Cam # US2010035593 (M:Liam Hopkins R: Bastian Rotgeld)
Domain Coordinator, MA-003-D.  Masquerade aVST
*



On Fri, Jan 20, 2012 at 12:19 AM, David Kramer <david at thekramers.net> wrote:

> I would like to make a mask with a rotating message on it.  I'm debating
> two completely different designs; one mechanical and one electronic.
> Full description of the project at
>
> http://wiki.thekramers.net/Main/GitsMask
>
> If I decide to go with the electronic solution, I would need a ring
> roughly 9"-10" in diameter, with enough LEDs on it to scroll words,
> meaning 120 or more LEDs, where about half of them may be on at any time.
>
> It's been a while since I've done serious embedded work, but I'm pretty
> sure I'm up to the software and the hardware side.  There must be
> examples out there about scrolling words on a sign for pretty much every
> appropriate platform, and this is just bending it into a circle.
>
> That's a lot of ports, though.  Most microcontrollers only have 3 or 4
> 8-bit output, which wouldn't even do half the job.  I am ideologically
> attracted to Arduino, but if a more appropriate platform is available, I
> would probably use it.
>
> Anyone have any suggestions?
>
> Thanks.
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