Arduino Mega 2560 MD_Parola Library LED Matrix

Arduino Mega 2560 is one of the powerful microcontroller development boards that is widely used by developers for various projects. With its wide capabilities, the Arduino Mega 2560 can be used to control various types of devices, including LED Matrix. In this article, we will learn how to use the Arduino Mega 2560 MD_Parola Library to control an LED Matrix FC16_HW.

Library

The first step is to install the MD_Parola library into the Arduino IDE. You can do this by following these steps:

1. Open Arduino IDE.
2. Select the Sketch menu > Include Library > Manage Libraries…
3. Search for “MD_Parola” in the search box.
4. Click the Install button to install the library.

Hardware

Make sure you have all the necessary components:

• Arduino Mega 2560
• LED Matrix with MAX7219 driver or compatible
• Jumper cable to connect Arduino with LED Matrix

Connect the LED Matrix to the Arduino Mega 2560 using jumper cables. Make sure you have connected to the correct pin. Here are my connections for using the MD_Parola Library with an Arduino Mega 2560:

Make sure to configure these pins according to the ones you use in your code.

Code

Now, let’s create code to control the LED Matrix with Arduino Mega 2560 using MD_Parola Library. Here is an example code you can use:

#include <MD_Parola.h>
#include <MD_MAX72xx.h>
#include <SPI.h>

#define HARDWARE_TYPE MD_MAX72XX::FC16_HW
#define MAX_DEVICES 8

#define CLK_PIN   52
#define DATA_PIN  51
#define CS_PIN    53

MD_Parola P = MD_Parola(HARDWARE_TYPE, CS_PIN, MAX_DEVICES);


void setup(void)
{
  P.begin();
  P.setIntensity(15);
}

void loop(void)
{
  if (P.displayAnimate())
    P.displayText("Hello World!", PA_CENTER, P.getSpeed(), 1000, PA_SCROLL_DOWN, PA_SCROLL_DOWN);
}

In the above code, we have imported the necessary libraries and defined the CLK, DATA, and CS pins to connect the LED Matrix. We also create an MD_Parola object and initiate communication with the LED Matrix in the setup() function. Inside the loop() function, we call the displayText() function to display the message “Hello World!” on the LED Matrix.

Result

Now, upload the code to your Arduino Mega 2560 using the Arduino IDE. Make sure your Arduino Mega 2560 is connected to your computer via a USB cable.

After uploading the code, you will see the message “Hello World!” run over your LED Matrix as follows:

By using the Arduino Mega 2560 and the MD_Parola Library, you can easily control the LED Matrix to display various types of messages and animations. You can develop more creative projects using the same concept. Hopefully, this article helps you get started with controlling LED Matrix using Arduino Mega 2560 and MD_Parola Library. Good luck!

Read more: Free Code MD_Parola Arduino LED Matrix