Arduino Report #10: Project 14--Multicolor Light Display

Additional Parts:

1. Multicolor LED x1
2. Rotary Encoder
3. Push-to-make Switch
4. 100 Ohm Resistor x3
5. 100k Ohm Resistor x3

Time to Complete: 15 min

This project is a simple extension of the Model Traffic Signal Using a Rotary Encoder project. Instead of a series of LEDs where the timing between the flashes changes, the rotary encoder is used to change the color coming from the multicolor LED. Again, I did not have a rotary encoder with a built-in switch, so I had to wire one up separately. The switch turns the LED on and off. Holding the switch makes it blink. Rotating the encoder switches among the 40-some colors in the program.

My shoddy soldering job from the previous project came back to haunt me. The connection on the rotary encoder was bad so it did not always work. Shortly after taking the video, one of the wires fell off. This is what I get for soldering in the dark, late at night with the kids in bed. In the video, you can see that I have to struggle with the encoder to get the LED to change colors. I show the full range of colors available, but when the connection is better, the colors change on each click of the encoder.

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