Want to get noticed and stand out from your competitors by using the latest technology? This article will train you on how to program an LED display board. So, tighten your seatbelts.
Step 1: Software Installation
Programming an LED board begins with choosing the right software and installing it on your computer. There are thousands of software’s exist out there. Some popular software includes:
Each software from the above list offers different features and specifications when programming an LED board.
You can get this software from online sources or purchase it from the market on a CD or DVD.
Step 2: Setting Up Software
The next step after installing the software is tweaking its general settings to get the most out of it. These settings vary depending on the board or controller.
Some common settings that are essential include:
· Entering Dimensions
The dimensions mean determining the total number of LEDs in height and width. Now put the exact number in the software. Doing this will tell your software the exact size of the LED Display board.
· Module Selection
In module selection, there lies a distance between the LEDs lying close to each other. The less this distance is, the clearer the image formation (higher resolution) you will experience.
· Default Setting
You must set the default settings off to make things smoother while programming the LED display board.
· Adjusting Luminance
The term luminance refers to the degree of brightness. Make sure to adjust it precisely so that people can notice what you are displaying, whether day or night. A brightness between 2000 to 4500 nits is preferable.
· Refresh Rate Selection
The refresh rate determines how many times you can display a new image in a second. The unit of the refresh rate is hertz. For instance, if the refresh rate is 144 hertz, you can display a new image 144 times in a second.
· Finishing
In the end, click on the setup/ finish button. Now you have tweaked all the general settings essential for programming an LED display board.
Step 3: Controller Connection
Step 3 focuses on connecting the controller to your hardware or computer. The controller is responsible for carrying out the HDR and 3D functions. This is essential in fulfilling the best visual experience requirements.
Step 4: Text Settings
Text is what appears on the LED display board. It plays a great role in compelling people to act. For the text set, you need to follow these steps:
- Access the program button on the menu and click on it
- Now you can see the Text tab. Click on it
- A box will appear in front of you. Type in the text that you want to show on your LED display board
- Click on send tab (to send it on screen)
- Save the settings in the controller, no matter if the USB cable is plugged in or not
Step 5: Understanding Icons
Different icons are meant to carry out different functions and allow you to create a custom message. Some key icons are as follows:
- Review: Determine how the text is going to appear on the screen
- Ti me: with this icon, you can display a calendar on the led board
- U disk: this icon represents the program saving option
- Temp: you can display temperature in real-time using this icon
- Clock: you can add worth to your advertisement or campaign by depicting time on the display
- Send: this icon will save the program directly in your controller
- Count: it will allow you to count the week/ month/ year days in reverse on the LED display board
- Hypertext: this is the worthy option that makes you display the picture on your LED module in a displayable format.
Step 6: Example of Scrolling Text Programming
This example features the programming of the P10 LED module using Arduino. The step-by-step process of programming is as follows:
- The first step is to add up all essential libraries in Arduino IDE. In this example, we are making use of two libraries. These libraries are as follows:
- h
- h
- In the second step, add all the font libraries. This example contains the usage of Arial black font
#include <SPI.h>
#include <DMD.h>
#include <TimerOne.h>
#include “SystemFont5x7.h”
#include “Arial_black_16.h”
- Now determine the total number of columns and rows for your LED board. In this case, the row value as column value will be “1”. In the end, add the name of the font, which is Arial_Black_16 to, for scrolling.
#define ROW 1
#define COLUMN 1
#define FONT Arial_Black_16
DMD led module (ROW, COLUMN);
- If any data comes from Arduino using SPI terminals, the scan module () will serve its role. This will interrupt the functioning and prevent any uncertain events.
void scan_module()
led_module.scanDisplayBySPI();
- Using inside setup(), add the timer and start it while adding the interrupt to your scan module. You can also use a clear screen (true) to clear the board initially or on startup.
void setup()
Timer1.initialize(2000);
Timer1.attachInterrupt(scan_module);
led_module.clearScreen( true );
- Now it comes to displaying the module in string. You need to choose font through selectFont(). Then print the message “Anything You Want.” In the end, you can display it through the draw marquee() function.
led_module.selectFont(FONT);
led_module.drawMarquee(“Welcome to Circuit Digest”,25, (32 * ROW), 0);
- Practice scrolling the text directly on your LED display board. Try shifting or transferring the message from the right to the left direction using a specific period.
long start = millis();
long timing = start;
boolean flag = false;
while (!flag)
if ((timming + 20) < millis())
flag = led_module.stepMarquee(-1, 0);
timming = millis();
So, this was an example of making a scrolling text LED display board utilizing Arduino.
Conclusion
In most cases, LED display manufacturer will provide simple instructions for easy and fast programming.
As a general rule, go for an LED display board which is easy to program and install.