Built-in project · Arduino Uno R3

Scoreboard on an Arduino Uno

A MAX7219 eight-digit display driven with LedControl: home score, a ten-minute game clock and the guest score, with a button for each team and one for the clock. The whole build, an Arduino Uno and 4 more parts, runs here in your browser on the firmware below; open it in the editor to change the wiring or the code and run it again.

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Intermediate About 20 minutes to build and run. Runs in your browser. Free, and no account needed.

The parts retail for about $33. On Mokxi they're free.

The circuit runs here once the page has loaded.

What you'll learn

  • Driving a MAX7219 display with the LedControl library
  • Splitting a display into score and clock regions
  • Telling a short press from a one second hold
  • Counting seconds with millis() without blocking
  • Redrawing only when something changed
  • Difficulty: Intermediate
  • Time: About 20 minutes
  • Board: Arduino Uno R3
  • Parts: 6

How it works

The eight-digit MAX7219 display is split into three parts: the home score on the left, a game clock in the middle, and the guest score on the right. The clock starts at 10:00 and counts down.

Three buttons do the work. Pin 2 adds a home point, pin 3 adds a guest point, and pin 4 starts and stops the clock. Hold a score button for one second to take a point back. When the clock hits zero, the whole display flashes.

Parts list

6 parts, plus the jumper wires. They retail for about $33; on Mokxi they're free.

Wiring table

Every connection, pin by pin, read from the circuit itself. Each row joins the pin on the left to the pin on the right, by a jumper wire or a breadboard strip.

Part and pinConnects to
Eight-digit display, MAX7219 pin GNDArduino Uno R3 pin GND
Eight-digit display, MAX7219 pin DINArduino Uno R3 pin 12
Eight-digit display, MAX7219 pin CLKArduino Uno R3 pin 11
Eight-digit display, MAX7219 pin CSArduino Uno R3 pin 10
Pushbutton (3) pin 1aArduino Uno R3 pin 4
Pushbutton (2) pin 1aArduino Uno R3 pin 3
Pushbutton (1) pin 1aArduino Uno R3 pin 2
Eight-digit display, MAX7219 pin VCCArduino Uno R3 pin 5V
Pushbutton (1) pin 2aArduino Uno R3 pin GND
Pushbutton (2) pin 2aArduino Uno R3 pin GND
Pushbutton (3) pin 2aArduino Uno R3 pin GND

The code

The firmware exactly as the editor opens it. Change a line there and press Run: it compiles in the browser.

sketch.ino · Arduino Uno R3
// Scoreboard: a MAX7219 eight-digit display as a game scoreboard, the home
// score on the left, a ten-minute game clock in the middle and the guest
// score on the right:
//
//     1 2  1 0.0 0  0 7
//     home  clock   guest
//
//   MAX7219 module   DIN -> 12   CLK -> 11   CS -> 10   VCC -> 5 V   GND -> GND
//   buttons          2: home point   3: guest point   4: start and stop the clock
//                    (each button to GND; the pins use their pull-ups)
//
// LedControl talks to the module: shutdown(0, false) wakes it, setDigit()
// writes one digit, and digit 0 is the rightmost. The point between minutes
// and seconds is the decimal point of the minutes digit. When the clock runs
// out the whole display flashes, by switching the chip's shutdown on and off.
//
// Hold the home or guest button for a second to take that team's point back.

#include "LedControl.h"

LedControl lc = LedControl(12, 11, 10, 1);  // DIN, CLK, CS, one module

const int HOME_BUTTON = 2;
const int GUEST_BUTTON = 3;
const int CLOCK_BUTTON = 4;
const uint16_t GAME_SECONDS = 10 * 60;

uint8_t home = 0;
uint8_t guest = 0;
uint16_t secondsLeft = GAME_SECONDS;
bool running = false;
unsigned long lastTick = 0;
uint32_t shown = 0xffffffff;

struct Button {
  int pin;
  bool down;
  unsigned long since;
  bool held;
};

Button buttons[3] = {
    {HOME_BUTTON, false, 0, false},
    {GUEST_BUTTON, false, 0, false},
    {CLOCK_BUTTON, false, 0, false},
};

// Two digits of a score at positions `right` and `right + 1`, no leading zero.
void showScore(uint8_t score, int right) {
  lc.setDigit(0, right, score % 10, false);
  if (score >= 10) {
    lc.setDigit(0, right + 1, score / 10, false);
  } else {
    lc.setChar(0, right + 1, ' ', false);
  }
}

void showClock() {
  uint8_t minutes = secondsLeft / 60;
  uint8_t seconds = secondsLeft % 60;
  lc.setDigit(0, 5, minutes / 10, false);
  lc.setDigit(0, 4, minutes % 10, true);
  lc.setDigit(0, 3, seconds / 10, false);
  lc.setDigit(0, 2, seconds % 10, false);
}

void show() {
  showScore(home, 6);
  showClock();
  showScore(guest, 0);
}

// What a button did since last time: 1 for a press, 2 for a hold of a second.
uint8_t check(Button &b) {
  bool down = digitalRead(b.pin) == LOW;
  unsigned long now = millis();
  uint8_t event = 0;
  if (down && !b.down) {
    b.since = now;
    b.held = false;
  } else if (down && !b.held && now - b.since >= 1000) {
    b.held = true;
    event = 2;
  } else if (!down && b.down && !b.held && now - b.since >= 20) {
    event = 1;
  }
  b.down = down;
  return event;
}

void setup() {
  for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) pinMode(buttons[i].pin, INPUT_PULLUP);
  lc.shutdown(0, false);
  lc.setIntensity(0, 8);
  lc.clearDisplay(0);
  show();
}

void loop() {
  uint8_t e = check(buttons[0]);
  if (e == 1 && home < 99) home++;
  if (e == 2 && home > 0) home--;
  e = check(buttons[1]);
  if (e == 1 && guest < 99) guest++;
  if (e == 2 && guest > 0) guest--;
  if (check(buttons[2]) == 1) {
    if (secondsLeft == 0) {
      secondsLeft = GAME_SECONDS;  // a new period
      lc.shutdown(0, false);
    } else {
      running = !running;
    }
    lastTick = millis();
  }

  unsigned long now = millis();
  if (running && now - lastTick >= 1000) {
    lastTick += 1000;
    if (secondsLeft > 0) secondsLeft--;
    if (secondsLeft == 0) running = false;
  }

  // Only what changed goes out: eight digits are 128 clocks each time.
  uint32_t state = ((uint32_t)home << 24) | ((uint32_t)guest << 16) | secondsLeft;
  if (state != shown) {
    shown = state;
    show();
  }
  if (secondsLeft == 0) {
    // Time: flash the whole board, twice a second.
    lc.shutdown(0, (now / 250) % 2 == 0);
  }
  delay(10);
}

Code walkthrough

The key functions of the sketch, and what each one does.

showScore sketch.ino

Writes a score of up to two digits at a pair of display positions. The ones digit goes in the first spot. The tens digit goes next to it, or a blank if the score is under 10, so there is no leading zero.

// Two digits of a score at positions `right` and `right + 1`, no leading zero.
void showScore(uint8_t score, int right) {
  lc.setDigit(0, right, score % 10, false);
  if (score >= 10) {
    lc.setDigit(0, right + 1, score / 10, false);
  } else {
    lc.setChar(0, right + 1, ' ', false);
  }
}

check sketch.ino

Watches one button and reports an event: 1 for a short press, 2 for a hold of a second. A press is reported on release, and only if it lasted at least 20 ms. This is how one button does two jobs.

// What a button did since last time: 1 for a press, 2 for a hold of a second.
uint8_t check(Button &b) {
  bool down = digitalRead(b.pin) == LOW;
  unsigned long now = millis();
  uint8_t event = 0;
  if (down && !b.down) {
    b.since = now;
    b.held = false;
  } else if (down && !b.held && now - b.since >= 1000) {
    b.held = true;
    event = 2;
  } else if (!down && b.down && !b.held && now - b.since >= 20) {
    event = 1;
  }
  b.down = down;
  return event;
}

loop sketch.ino

Applies button events to the scores and clock, ticks the clock down once a second while it runs, and redraws only when the packed state changes. At zero it flashes the display by switching the chip's shutdown on and off.

void loop() {
  uint8_t e = check(buttons[0]);
  if (e == 1 && home < 99) home++;
  if (e == 2 && home > 0) home--;
  e = check(buttons[1]);
  if (e == 1 && guest < 99) guest++;
  if (e == 2 && guest > 0) guest--;
  if (check(buttons[2]) == 1) {
    if (secondsLeft == 0) {
      secondsLeft = GAME_SECONDS;  // a new period
      lc.shutdown(0, false);
    } else {
      running = !running;
    }
    lastTick = millis();
  }

  unsigned long now = millis();
  if (running && now - lastTick >= 1000) {
    lastTick += 1000;
    if (secondsLeft > 0) secondsLeft--;
    if (secondsLeft == 0) running = false;
  }

  // Only what changed goes out: eight digits are 128 clocks each time.
  uint32_t state = ((uint32_t)home << 24) | ((uint32_t)guest << 16) | secondsLeft;
  if (state != shown) {
    shown = state;
  // ... 8 more lines in the editor

Troubleshooting

The usual mistakes with this circuit, and the fix for each.

  • The display stays blank This project
    Check DIN on pin 12, CLK on pin 11 and CS on pin 10, and that the module has 5 V and ground.
  • A button does nothing This project
    Wire each button between its pin (2, 3 or 4) and GND. The pins use their pull-ups, so a press reads LOW.
  • The display is blank or shows garbage. The chip starts in shutdown, with scan limit and intensity not set. Eight-digit display
    In LedControl call shutdown(0, false), setIntensity(0, 8) and clearDisplay(0) at start. Also set the scan limit to 8 digits. Check that DIN, CLK and CS match the pins in the constructor.
  • The display dims, flickers, or resets. The segment current comes from one resistor, RSET, and the chip needs a clean 5 V. Eight-digit display
    Power it from 5 V with a 10 uF cap and a 0.1 uF cap near the chip. Keep ISET resistor values as the datasheet says, about 10k for a standard LED display.
  • The input reads random HIGH and LOW when the button is not pressed. Pushbutton
    A floating pin picks up noise. Add a 10 k pull-down or pull-up resistor, or use INPUT_PULLUP and wire the button between the pin and GND. Then pressed reads LOW.
  • The button seems always pressed, or never changes. Pushbutton
    A 4-leg tactile switch has legs joined in pairs. Place it across the breadboard center gap so the pairs sit on different rows. Wired along one side, the legs are already connected.
  • Upload fails or nothing runs after wiring pins 0 and 1 to a module. Arduino Uno R3
    Pins 0 and 1 are the USB serial port. Move the module to other pins, or unplug it while uploading. Also check the right board is selected.
  • Pins misbehave or the board resets when you power motors or servos from it. Arduino Uno R3
    Each I/O pin gives about 20 mA, 40 mA max. Power motors and servos from their own supply and join its ground to the Uno's GND.

Change it and keep it

Open it in the editor, change the circuit or the code, and keep your version in a free account.