Driving multiple Sparkfun 7-segment displays with an Arduino

Summary of Driving multiple Sparkfun 7-segment displays with an Arduino


The article discusses troubleshooting and coding a solution for driving multiple Sparkfun 7-segment displays in a bicycle brake tester project for Paul Components. The main challenge was setting the correct baud rate to 9600, despite some references suggesting 2400. The author shares their code to aid others facing similar difficulties, emphasizing the wiring setup where the Arduino's serial TX line connects to the display's RX pin, and the RX line in software is left unused.

Parts used in the Bicycle Brake Tester:

  • Sparkfun 7-segment displays (pair)
  • Arduino microcontroller
  • SoftwareSerial library (for serial communication)

I’m currently helping a couple of engineering students finish a senior project that didn’t get finished last year. Long story… Anyway, it’s a bicycle brake tester being built for Paul Components. The mechanical design is great, but they had trouble with the electronics.

Driving multiple Sparkfun 7-segment displays with an Arduino

Part of those electronics involved writing numbers to a pair of Sparkfun 7-segment displays. There’s a lot of discussion on the Sparkfun board about these: apparently they’re difficult. I had some issues making them work —baud rate, for example, which should be set to 9600 in setup() not 2400 as stated in some references— but it’s relatively straightforward once those issues are straightened out. Here’s my code, in hopes that it’ll be helpful to anyone else trying to write to several 7-segment displays simultaneously.

The serial TX line (second pin given in the SoftwareSerial declaration) should be connected to the RX pin on the corresponding Sparkfun breakout board; the RX line in the SoftwareSerial declaration should be left unconnected.

 

For more detail: Driving multiple Sparkfun 7-segment displays with an Arduino


About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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