Techatronic
Published

How to make an Arduino LED Cube 4x4x4

This is a 4x4x4 LED cube that we made using Arduino. Read the full article for the complete procedure.

BeginnerProtip2 hours732
How to make an Arduino LED Cube 4x4x4

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Arduino UNO
Arduino UNO
×1
LED (generic)
LED (generic)
×64
Custom PCB
Custom PCB
×1
Resistor 220 ohm
Resistor 220 ohm
×1
USB-A to B Cable
USB-A to B Cable
×1

Software apps and online services

Arduino IDE
Arduino IDE

Story

Read more

Code

CODE

C/C++
int layer[4]={A3,A2,A1,A0}; //initializing and declaring led layers
int column[16]={13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0,A5,A4}; //initializing and declaring led rows
int time = 250;
void setup()
{
for(int i = 0; i<16; i++)
{
pinMode(column[i], OUTPUT); //setting rows to ouput
}
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
pinMode(layer[i], OUTPUT); //setting layers to output
}
randomSeed(analogRead(10)); //seeding random for random pattern
}
void loop()
{
turnEverythingOff();
flickerOn();
turnEverythingOn();
delay(time);
turnOnAndOffAllByLayerUpAndDownNotTimed();
layerstompUpAndDown();
spiralInAndOut();
turnOnAndOffAllByColumnSideways();
delay(time);
aroundEdgeDown();
turnEverythingOff();
randomflicker();
randomRain();
diagonalRectangle();
goThroughAllLedsOneAtATime();
propeller();
spiralInAndOut();
flickerOff();
turnEverythingOff();
delay(2000);
}
//turn all off
void turnEverythingOff()
{
for(int i = 0; i<16; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
}
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i], 0);
}
}
//turn all on
void turnEverythingOn()
{
for(int i = 0; i<16; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
}
//turning on layers
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i], 1);
}
}
//turn columns off
void turnColumnsOff()
{
for(int i = 0; i<16; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
}
}
//flicker on
void flickerOn()
{
int i = 150;
while(i != 0)
{
turnEverythingOn();
delay(i);
turnEverythingOff();
delay(i);
i-= 5;
}
}
//turn everything on and off by layer up and down NOT TIMED
void turnOnAndOffAllByLayerUpAndDownNotTimed()
{
int x = 75;
for(int i = 5; i != 0; i)
{
turnEverythingOn();
for(int i = 4; i!=0; i)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i-1], 0);
delay(x);
}
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i], 0);
delay(x);
}
for(int i = 4; i!=0; i)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i-1], 1);
delay(x);
}
}
}
//turn everything on and off by column sideways
void turnOnAndOffAllByColumnSideways()
{
int x = 75;
turnEverythingOff();
//turn on layers
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i], 1);
}
for(int y = 0; y<3; y++)
{
//turn on 0-3
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
delay(x);
}
//turn on 4-7
for(int i = 4; i<8; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
delay(x);
}
//turn on 8-11
for(int i = 8; i<12; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
delay(x);
}
//turn on 12-15
for(int i = 12; i<16; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
delay(x);
}
//turn off 0-3
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
//turn off 4-7
for(int i = 4; i<8; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
//turn off 8-11
for(int i = 8; i<12; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
//turn off 12-15
for(int i = 12; i<16; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
//turn on 12-15
for(int i = 12; i<16; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
delay(x);
}
//turn on 8-11
for(int i = 8; i<12; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
delay(x);
}
//turn on 4-7
for(int i = 4; i<8; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
delay(x);
}
//turn on 0-3
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
delay(x);
}
//turn off 12-15
for(int i = 12; i<16; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
//turn off 8-11
for(int i = 8; i<12; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
//turn off 4-7
for(int i = 4; i<8; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
//turn off 0-3
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
}
}
//up and down single layer stomp
void layerstompUpAndDown()
{
int x = 75;
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i], 0);
}
for(int y = 0; y<5; y++)
{
for(int count = 0; count<1; count++)
{
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(layer[i], 0);
}
for(int i = 4; i !=0; i)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i-1], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(layer[i-1], 0);
}
}
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
for(int i = 4; i!=0; i)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i-1], 0);
delay(x);
}
}
}
//flicker off
void flickerOff()
{
turnEverythingOn();
for(int i = 0; i!= 150; i+=5)
{
turnEverythingOff();
delay(i+50);
turnEverythingOn();
delay(i);
}
}
//around edge of the cube down
void aroundEdgeDown()
{
for(int x = 200; x != 0; x -=50)
{
turnEverythingOff();
for(int i = 4; i != 0; i)
{
digitalWrite(layer[i-1], 1);
digitalWrite(column[5], 0);
digitalWrite(column[6], 0);
digitalWrite(column[9], 0);
digitalWrite(column[10], 0);
digitalWrite(column[0], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[0], 1);
digitalWrite(column[4], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[4], 1);
digitalWrite(column[8], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[8], 1);
digitalWrite(column[12], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[12], 1);
digitalWrite(column[13], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[13], 1);
digitalWrite(column[15], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[15], 1);
digitalWrite(column[14], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[14], 1);
digitalWrite(column[11], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[11], 1);
digitalWrite(column[7], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[7], 1);
digitalWrite(column[3], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[3], 1);
digitalWrite(column[2], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[2], 1);
digitalWrite(column[1], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[1], 1);
}
}
}
//random flicker
void randomflicker()
{
turnEverythingOff();
int x = 10;
for(int i = 0; i !=750; i+=2)
{
int randomLayer = random(0,4);
int randomColumn = random(0,16);
digitalWrite(layer[randomLayer], 1);
digitalWrite(column[randomColumn], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(layer[randomLayer], 0);
digitalWrite(column[randomColumn], 1);
delay(x);
}
}
//random rain
void randomRain()
{
turnEverythingOff();
int x = 100;
for(int i = 0; i!=60; i+=2)
{
int randomColumn = random(0,16);
digitalWrite(column[randomColumn], 0);
digitalWrite(layer[0], 1);
delay(x+50);
digitalWrite(layer[0], 0);
digitalWrite(layer[1], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(layer[1], 0);
digitalWrite(layer[2], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(layer[2], 0);
digitalWrite(layer[3], 1);
delay(x+50);
digitalWrite(layer[3], 0);
digitalWrite(column[randomColumn], 1);
}
}
//diagonal rectangle
void diagonalRectangle()
{
int x = 350;
turnEverythingOff();
for(int count = 0; count<5; count++)
{
//top left
for(int i = 0; i<8; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
}
digitalWrite(layer[3], 1);
digitalWrite(layer[2], 1);
delay(x);
turnEverythingOff();
//middle middle
for(int i = 4; i<12; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
}
digitalWrite(layer[1], 1);
digitalWrite(layer[2], 1);
delay(x);
turnEverythingOff();
//bottom right
for(int i = 8; i<16; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
}
digitalWrite(layer[0], 1);
digitalWrite(layer[1], 1);
delay(x);
turnEverythingOff();
//bottom middle
for(int i = 4; i<12; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
}
digitalWrite(layer[0], 1);
digitalWrite(layer[1], 1);
delay(x);
turnEverythingOff();
//bottom left
for(int i = 0; i<8; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
}
digitalWrite(layer[0], 1);
digitalWrite(layer[1], 1);
delay(x);
turnEverythingOff();
//middle middle
for(int i = 4; i<12; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
}
digitalWrite(layer[1], 1);
digitalWrite(layer[2], 1);
delay(x);
turnEverythingOff();
//top right
for(int i = 8; i<16; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
}
digitalWrite(layer[2], 1);
digitalWrite(layer[3], 1);
delay(x);
turnEverythingOff();
//top middle
for(int i = 4; i<12; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
}
digitalWrite(layer[2], 1);
digitalWrite(layer[3], 1);
delay(x);
turnEverythingOff();
}
//top left
for(int i = 0; i<8; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
}
digitalWrite(layer[3], 1);
digitalWrite(layer[2], 1);
delay(x);
turnEverythingOff();
}
//propeller
void propeller()
{
turnEverythingOff();
int x = 90;
for(int y = 4; y>0; y)
{
for(int i = 0; i<6; i++)
{
//turn on layer
digitalWrite(layer[y-1], 1);
//a1
turnColumnsOff();
digitalWrite(column[0], 0);
digitalWrite(column[5], 0);
digitalWrite(column[10], 0);
digitalWrite(column[15], 0);
delay(x);
//b1
turnColumnsOff();
digitalWrite(column[4], 0);
digitalWrite(column[5], 0);
digitalWrite(column[10], 0);
digitalWrite(column[11], 0);
delay(x);
//c1
turnColumnsOff();
digitalWrite(column[6], 0);
digitalWrite(column[7], 0);
digitalWrite(column[8], 0);
digitalWrite(column[9], 0);
delay(x);
//d1
turnColumnsOff();
digitalWrite(column[3], 0);
digitalWrite(column[6], 0);
digitalWrite(column[9], 0);
digitalWrite(column[12], 0);
delay(x);
//d2
turnColumnsOff();
digitalWrite(column[2], 0);
digitalWrite(column[6], 0);
digitalWrite(column[9], 0);
digitalWrite(column[13], 0);
delay(x);
//d3
turnColumnsOff();
digitalWrite(column[1], 0);
digitalWrite(column[5], 0);
digitalWrite(column[10], 0);
digitalWrite(column[14], 0);
delay(x);
}
}
//d4
turnColumnsOff();
digitalWrite(column[0], 0);
digitalWrite(column[5], 0);
digitalWrite(column[10], 0);
digitalWrite(column[15], 0);
delay(x);
}
//spiral in and out
void spiralInAndOut()
{
turnEverythingOn();
int x = 60;
for(int i = 0; i<6; i++)
{
//spiral in clockwise
digitalWrite(column[0], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[1], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[2], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[3], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[7], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[11], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[15], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[14], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[13], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[12], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[8], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[4], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[5], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[6], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[10], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[9], 1);
delay(x);
//spiral out counter clockwise
digitalWrite(column[9], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[10], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[6], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[5], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[4], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[8], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[12], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[13], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[14], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[15], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[11], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[7], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[3], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[2], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[1], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[0], 0);
delay(x);
//spiral in counter clock wise
digitalWrite(column[0], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[4], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[8], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[12], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[13], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[14], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[15], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[11], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[7], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[3], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[2], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[1], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[5], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[9], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[10], 1);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[6], 1);
delay(x);
//spiral out clock wise
digitalWrite(column[6], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[10], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[9], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[5], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[1], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[2], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[3], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[7], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[11], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[15], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[14], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[13], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[12], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[8], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[4], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[0], 0);
delay(x);
}
}
//go through all leds one at a time
void goThroughAllLedsOneAtATime()
{
int x = 15;
turnEverythingOff();
for(int y = 0; y<5; y++)
{
//0-3
for(int count = 4; count != 0; count)
{
digitalWrite(layer[count-1], 1);
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
digitalWrite(layer[count-1], 0);
}
//4-7
for(int count = 0; count < 4; count++)
{
digitalWrite(layer[count], 1);
for(int i = 4; i<8; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
digitalWrite(layer[count], 0);
}
//8-11
for(int count = 4; count != 0; count)
{
digitalWrite(layer[count-1], 1);
for(int i = 8; i<12; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
digitalWrite(layer[count-1], 0);
}
//12-15
for(int count = 0; count < 4; count++)
{
digitalWrite(layer[count], 1);
for(int i = 12; i<16; i++)
{
digitalWrite(column[i], 0);
delay(x);
digitalWrite(column[i], 1);
delay(x);
}
digitalWrite(layer[count], 0);
}
}
}

Credits

Techatronic
131 projects • 144 followers
Electronic engineer

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