Mel Lester Jr
Published © GPL3+

7 Segment LED Displays 102 -- Using a Shift Register

Driving a Single Digit 7 Segment LED Display requires 8 of an Arduino's 20 or so I/O pins. Using a 74HC595 shift register only requires 3.

BeginnerProtip2 hours55,022
7 Segment LED Displays 102 -- Using a Shift Register

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Arduino Nano R3
Arduino Nano R3
×1
74HC595 Shift Register
×1
Solderless Breadboard Full Size
Solderless Breadboard Full Size
×2
Jumper wires (generic)
Jumper wires (generic)
×1
Single Digit 7 Segment LED Display
Any Single Digit 7 Segment LED Display should work
×1
Resistor 330 ohm
Resistor 330 ohm
×8

Software apps and online services

Arduino IDE
Arduino IDE

Story

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Code

SevenSegmentLEDdisplay102a.ino

Arduino
Simple example of using Shift Register with a Single Digit Seven Segment LED Display
/*  SevenSegmentLEDdisplay102a.ino
 *   2017-02-20
 *   Mel Lester Jr.
 *  Simple example of using Shift Register with a
 *  Single Digit Seven Segment LED Display
*/
// Globals
const int dataPin = 4;  // blue wire to 74HC595 pin 14
const int latchPin = 7; // green to 74HC595 pin 12
const int clockPin = 8; // yellow to 74HC595 pin 11

/* uncomment one of the following lines that describes your display
 *  and comment out the line that does not describe your display */
const char common = 'a';    // common anode
//const char common = 'c';    // common cathode

bool decPt = true;  // decimal point display flag
 
void setup() {
  // initialize I/O pins
  pinMode(dataPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(latchPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(clockPin, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  decPt = !decPt; // display decimal point every other pass through loop

  // generate characters to display for hexidecimal numbers 0 to F
  for (int i = 0; i <= 15; i++) {
    byte bits = myfnNumToBits(i) ;
    if (decPt) {
      bits = bits | B00000001;  // add decimal point if needed
    }
    myfnUpdateDisplay(bits);    // display alphanumeric digit
    delay(500);                 // pause for 1/2 second
  }
}

void myfnUpdateDisplay(byte eightBits) {
  if (common == 'a') {                  // using a common anonde display?
    eightBits = eightBits ^ B11111111;  // then flip all bits using XOR 
  }
  digitalWrite(latchPin, LOW);  // prepare shift register for data
  shiftOut(dataPin, clockPin, LSBFIRST, eightBits); // send data
  digitalWrite(latchPin, HIGH); // update display
}

byte myfnNumToBits(int someNumber) {
  switch (someNumber) {
    case 0:
      return B11111100;
      break;
    case 1:
      return B01100000;
      break;
    case 2:
      return B11011010;
      break;
    case 3:
      return B11110010;
      break;
    case 4:
      return B01100110;
      break;
    case 5:
      return B10110110;
      break;
    case 6:
      return B10111110;
      break;
    case 7:
      return B11100000;
      break;
    case 8:
      return B11111110;
      break;
    case 9:
      return B11110110;
      break;
    case 10:
      return B11101110; // Hexidecimal A
      break;
    case 11:
      return B00111110; // Hexidecimal B
      break;
    case 12:
      return B10011100; // Hexidecimal C or use for Centigrade
      break;
    case 13:
      return B01111010; // Hexidecimal D
      break;
    case 14:
      return B10011110; // Hexidecimal E
      break;
    case 15:
      return B10001110; // Hexidecimal F or use for Fahrenheit
      break;  
    default:
      return B10010010; // Error condition, displays three vertical bars
      break;   
  }
}

Credits

Mel Lester Jr

Mel Lester Jr

5 projects • 10 followers
Long-time UNIX System Administrator and embedded software developer.
Thanks to Carlyn Maw, Tom Igoe, David A. Mellis.

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Related channels and tags
  • Arduino
  • Displays