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Led Lighting

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Led Lighting
Basic input project that turns a single LED on and off at regular intervals with Arduino. Teaches the use of digitalWrite and delay functions.

Video

Circuit Diagram

Led Lighting - Circuit

Source Code

Arduino (C++)
1void setup() {
2  pinMode(9,OUTPUT);
3}
4void loop() {
5 digitalWrite(9,HIGH);
6 delay(100);
7 digitalWrite(9,LOW);
8 delay(100);
9}

FAQ

Why shouldn't an LED be connected without a resistor?▾

An LED does not limit its own current; if connected directly to 5 V, it will draw too much current, which could damage both the LED and the Arduino pin. A 220 Ω resistor limits the current to approximately 13–15 mA, which is safe for both the LED and the pin.

Which pin on the LED is the positive (+) terminal?▾

The longer leg is the anode (+), and the shorter leg is the cathode (−). The side of the LED body with a flat notch is also the cathode. Connect the anode to the Arduino pin (through a resistor) and the cathode to GND; if connected the wrong way, the LED will not light up but will not be damaged.

I uploaded the code, but the LED isn't lighting up. What should I check?▾

Check the following one by one: Is the LED installed the wrong way? Do the code and the pin number on the circuit match? Is there a GND connection? Are the LED and resistor on the same row on the breadboard? The 'L' LED on the board is also connected to pin 13; you can try that one first using LED_BUILTIN.

How do I change the flashing speed?▾

The value inside `delay()` is in milliseconds: `delay(1000)` waits for one second. If you decrease the value, the LED will blink faster; if you increase it, it will blink slower. You can also set the on and off durations separately.

Led Lighting | BlueGrays