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Our Seventh Lab: Using a NeoPixel Display

Parts for this Lab:

  1. We will use the neopixel display.

    • Insert the lead from GND of the display into j3
    • Insert the lead from VCC of the display into j40
    • Insert the lead from IN of the display into a1

  2. When you are finished, your breadboard should look similar to the image below (Note: your wires may be different colors)

Lab 7

Working With the NeoPixel Display

  • NeoPixels are Red-Green-Blue LEDs that are designed to makes them easy to control with three wires: GND, +5V and a single serial data line.

  • Controlling NeoPixels is simple using BIPES. We only need a few blocks to control the display.

    • First, we'll need the Init NeoPixel block from Displays NeoPixel Led Strip section

      NeoPixel Init Block

      Our NeoPixel display has 8 segments, and we connected it to Pin 1, so make sure to set the Pin and Number of LEDs correctly in the block.

    • Let's set all of the segments red:

      • We'll need two more blocks from the Displays NeoPixel Led Strip Section (Control NeoPixel and Write NeoPixel)

      NeoPixel Control Blocks

      • Now, with a count Loop block, we can set all of the segments

      Lab 7 Blocks

Challenge

Using a variety of colors, set the pixels, one at time to each color such that it appears that the display starts out with a single pixel lit in a color, then two pixels in the same color, etc. until all 8 are lit. Then start on a second color lighting the first pixel.

NeoPixel Display

Colors can be found here: https://www.rapidtables.com/web/color/RGB_Color.html

Once that works, turn the entire set of pixels on with a single color, then move to the next color that you selected.