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Arduino Note

A 7-segment display can show numbers and characters. It comes in two configurations: common anode and common cathode. In common anode, all the anode pins are connected to power and each cathode pin is controlled individually. In common cathode, all the cathode pins are connected to ground and each anode pin is controlled. The key difference is whether the anodes or cathodes are common between all LEDs and how logic signals are applied to turn segments on or off.

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Elias Hailu
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19 views

Arduino Note

A 7-segment display can show numbers and characters. It comes in two configurations: common anode and common cathode. In common anode, all the anode pins are connected to power and each cathode pin is controlled individually. In common cathode, all the cathode pins are connected to ground and each anode pin is controlled. The key difference is whether the anodes or cathodes are common between all LEDs and how logic signals are applied to turn segments on or off.

Uploaded by

Elias Hailu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A 7-segment display is a component that can show numerical digits and some characters.

To
connect it to an Arduino board and control what is displayed, we need to understand two
configurations: common anode (CA) and common cathode (CC).

A. Common Anode Display:


In a common anode display, all the anode terminals of the eight LEDs in the 7-segment display
are connected together and to a 5-volt power supply. Normally, when no specific segment is
turned on, we apply a logic high signal from the Arduino to each segment. This keeps all the
segments turned off or not glowing. When we want to turn on a particular LED segment, we
provide a logic low signal from the Arduino. This means that the LED will only light up when
there is a logic high signal on the anode side (common connection) and a logic low signal on the
cathode side (the specific segment we want to light up).

B. Common Cathode Display:


In a common cathode display, all the cathode terminals of the eight LEDs in the 7-segment
display are connected together and grounded (connected to the ground pin of the Arduino or
the negative side of the power supply). To turn off a segment of the 7-segment display, we
apply a logic low signal from the Arduino to that segment. Conversely, when we want to turn on
a specific LED segment, we provide a logic high signal from an Arduino digital output pin. Just
like in the common anode display, the LED will only light up when there is a logic high signal on
the anode side (the specific segment we want to light up) and a logic low signal on the cathode
side (common connection to ground).

In summary, the main difference between common anode and common cathode displays lies in
how the anode and cathode terminals are connected and how the logic signals are applied to
control the segments. In common anode, a logic low signal turns on a specific segment, while in
common cathode, a logic high signal achieves the same result.

Apologies for the confusion in the previous explanation. Let me clarify the polarity of the anode
in each configuration:

A. Common Anode Display:


In a common anode display, the anode terminals of the eight LEDs are connected together and
to a positive voltage source, typically 5 volts. So, in this configuration, the anode is positive.

B. Common Cathode Display:


In a common cathode display, the cathode terminals of the eight LEDs are connected together
and grounded (connected to the negative side of the power supply). Therefore, in this
configuration, the cathode is negative, while the anode of each LED is individually controlled.

To summarize:
- In a common anode display, the anode is positive, and the cathodes of individual segments are
controlled to turn on or off the LEDs.
- In a common cathode display, the cathode is negative, and the anodes of individual segments
are controlled to turn on or off the LEDs.

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