Hello,

I am somewhat new to LED scene, but I wanted to undertake a project. Upon my own research and internet musings I have come to an in-pass. I am looking to build a dual 10 x 10 LED matrix. It is for a large version of a battleship type game I want to build. My objective is to have the two 10 x 10 LED arrays light up when a hit or miss is made. I have little knowledge of programming, so I was toying with the idea of making the array with a micro switch on each LED and having a red and blue LED per square in the array. It would be a tactile on off switch, I was looking for a SPTT switch, but they are expensive or only in toggle form, not push button. The problem I have with my solution is that I would be looking at $80.00 just for LED's and switches not including any other materials. If anyone knows any other solution of has any idea for a way that I can make such an array I would be very happy to hear from you. I am looking for the ability to have a dual 10 x 10 LED array that has each square able to be controlled separately, and thus lighting up either a red or blue LED. I am not opposed to a arduino type solution if it exists, but I do not have the background to really program code. Thanks again for any ideas.

 

This is doable but a bit more than you can chew. It would be best for you to start off with something simple so that you can build experience. Get an arduino and make an LED flash.
Next, build something like a digital clock.

 

You can buy LED matrices which work out much cheaper and easier to use than individual LEDs, they tend to come in 8x8 or 5x7 which isn't ideal for you, but could give a bit of extra space for a score, etc. I just got 10 8x8 matrices for about £6 from Ebay. They are available in single colour, red+green and red+green+blue. I'll be using shift registers so I don't need dozens of I/O pins.
You could reduce the switches by having a row across the top and a column at the left, then you would only have 20 switches per player.
I wouldn't have thought it was a good first project either.

 

Hey,

Thanks for the response. The problem with the pre-made LED arrays are that they are very small. The size of my array needs to be 24" x 24" so that there is actual room for game play. The project is not over my head in the sense that I have building and wiring experience, but as I said I came to a monetary roadblock, and was looking for maybe a solution or product that I had overlooked or was unaware of. Also if I used shift registers, would I be able to control each led separately, and also keep them lit? I need a way to potentially have all 100 LED's lit at once, and that are able to be turned on individually. Again thanks for the input, I am hoping I can figure this problem out soon.

 

I understand what you are trying to do.
10 x 10 LEDs make 100 LEDS.
You can make 100 connections or you can do it with 10 but you will have to learn how to program a microcontroller. When do you want to begin?

 

I would like to start as soon as possible. I just did not think that a shift register allowed you to light all the LED's one by one and keeping them all lit in the process. I would have to build the array myself since I need it to be a certain size. So would this solution allow for me to control two individual LED's for each section of the array or would I have to make a seperate controller for each color LED? The only reason I ask is that I can get red and blue LED's for $.05 a piece where as bi-color LED's are more expensive. I am going for a easy and cheap solution. Thanks again for the help and sorry if I sound stupid or repeat myself, but like I said I am not very hip on micro controllers yet.

 

Believe me, the folks here on AAC have a lot of experience and some of them know what they are talking about some of the times.

Believe me when I say this is doable. If I gave you the complete solution you would be overwhelmed but each baby step on its own is quite simple. So you have to learn the baby steps first.

If individual red and blue LEDs are much less expensive then go that route. But before you set your mind on your battle ship display do some simpler projects first.

Start by learning to light an LED with a battery and resistor. (I don't mean to be condescending but I don't know where you're at). Then move on to doing it with a microcontroller.

 

There may be better ways, but it can be done with shift controllers and a microcontroller.
These can supply 6mA per LED which is probably bright enough for most purposes. You will still need resistors (400 of them).
You would need 50 shift registers to produce a non multiplexed version, you shift all the data through them then a pulse to change the previously display to the new one.
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/counters-shift-registers/7140966/

 

Ok, so if I run the array with shift controllers and a micro controller, would I use potentiometers to control selection or the original SPST on off switches I sourced? My knowledge is what I would say is average as I have built my own DC power supply's, but my knowledge is limited when it comes to the micro controllers. I would need 50 shift resistors as they can only power 8 LED's at a time, correct? Again thanks for taking the time to help me out. I was only able to go so far with my limited knowledge and all the input is very helpful to my furthering education.

 

No. You do not need shift registers. Two 4-to-10 decoders will work.
You would need an mcu with one 8-bit port for a single 10x10 LED array and another 2-bit port to read 20 push buttons.

 

Battleship is a very mature programming subject so you may be able to find complete code on the internet.

Making the array so large and still bright enough may require more than 1 LED for each element.