4x4x4 LED Cube using 08M2 and MAX7219

PaulRB

Senior Member
I've tried to design a 4x4x4 LED cube in as simple a way as possible, using as few components as possible. Hopefully this will provide inspiration for others wanting to build their first cube!

At the time of starting this thread, the cube is constructed, but connected on a breadboard. I am working on a stripboard to connect it to permanently.

First of all, here is the schematic:
Cube7219_schem.jpg

Obviously, only one layer of 16 LEDS is shown. The other layers share the J1 to J8 connections, but layer 1 uses J9 & J10, layer 2 uses J11 & J12 and so on.

The construction is slightly different to what some would call "standard", in that the cube is constructed in 2 halves, a left half and a right half, each half having 8 LEDS on a layer, by 4 layers high. This layout suits the max7219 driver chip, which was originally designed to drive 8 7-segment displays (8-segment if you include the decimal point). 8 digits x 8 segments = 64 LEDs, but here they form a cube!

And here is the code as it stands, with 3 animated patterns:
Code:
'08m2 4x4x4 LED Cube using MAX7219 Driver IC
'P. Beard Aug 2012

#picaxe 08m2

'These variables (w2 to w5) hold the current patterns for each layer in cube.
symbol	LAYER1 = w2
symbol	LAYER1LEFT = b4
symbol	LAYER1RGHT = b5
symbol	LAYER2 = w3
symbol	LAYER2LEFT = b6
symbol	LAYER2RGHT = b7
symbol	LAYER3= w4
symbol	LAYER3LEFT = b8
symbol	LAYER3RGHT = b9
symbol	LAYER4= w5
symbol	LAYER4LEFT = b10
symbol	LAYER4RGHT = b11

symbol	RANDSEED = w6
symbol	SPEED = w7
symbol	ANIM_LOOP = b16
symbol	SUB_LOOP = b17

'Pins for serial communications with the MAX7219 IC
symbol	M7219DATA = PinC.0
symbol	M7219CLK = C.4
symbol	M7219LOAD = C.1

symbol	LDR = C.2

main:

	setfreq m32
	
	w0 = $0C01 : gosub send7219 'Switch on LED Driver
	w0 = $0900 : gosub send7219 'Set no decoding on any digits

	w0 = $0B07 : gosub send7219 'Scan all 8 digits
	w0 = $0F01 : gosub send7219 'Display test mode on
	pause 10000
	w0 = $0F00 : gosub send7219 'Display test mode off
	
	RANDSEED = 1234
	Do

		'Rotation
		SPEED = 500
		gosub randomcolumn : LAYER1 = w1
		gosub randomcolumn : LAYER2 = w1
		gosub randomcolumn : LAYER3 = w1
		gosub randomcolumn : LAYER4 = w1
		gosub randomcolumn : LAYER1 = LAYER1 | w1
		gosub randomcolumn : LAYER2 = LAYER2 | w1
		gosub randomcolumn : LAYER3 = LAYER3 | w1
		gosub randomcolumn : LAYER4 = LAYER4 | w1

		For ANIM_LOOP =  1 to 200
			w0 = LAYER1 : gosub rotateclockwise : LAYER1 = w0
			w0 = LAYER2 : gosub rotateclockwise : LAYER2 = w0
			w0 = LAYER3 : gosub rotateclockwise : LAYER3 = w0
			w0 = LAYER4 : gosub rotateclockwise : LAYER4 = w0
			'inc LAYER1
			gosub updatecube
		Next


		'Random rise & fall
		random RANDSEED
		LAYER1 = RANDSEED 'Start off with all bottom layer lit
		LAYER2 = 0
		LAYER3 = 0
		LAYER4 = LAYER1 ^ $FFFF
		SPEED = 500
		For ANIM_LOOP =  1 to 33
			Do
				'Pick an led on the bottom row that is lit
				gosub randomcolumn : w0 = LAYER1 & w1
			Loop until w0 <> 0
			'Move that led up to the top layer
			LAYER1 = LAYER1 ^ w1 : LAYER2 = LAYER2 ^ w1 : gosub updatecube
			LAYER2 = LAYER2 ^ w1 : LAYER3 = LAYER3 ^ w1 : gosub updatecube
			LAYER3 = LAYER3 ^ w1 : LAYER4 = LAYER4 ^ w1 : gosub updatecube
			Do
				'Pick an led on the top row that is lit
				gosub randomcolumn
				w0 = LAYER4 & w1
			Loop until w0 <> 0
			'Move that led down to the bottom layer
			LAYER4 = LAYER4 ^ w1 : LAYER3 = LAYER3 ^ w1 : gosub updatecube
			LAYER3 = LAYER3 ^ w1 : LAYER2 = LAYER2 ^ w1 : gosub updatecube
			LAYER2 = LAYER2 ^ w1 : LAYER1 = LAYER1 ^ w1 : gosub updatecube
		Next
		
		'Random Rain
		SPEED = 1000
		For ANIM_LOOP =  1 to 100
			LAYER1 = LAYER2 : LAYER2 = LAYER3 : LAYER3 = LAYER4 : gosub randomcolumn
			LAYER4 = w1 : gosub randomcolumn
			LAYER4 = LAYER4 | w1 : gosub updatecube
		Next

	loop
				
		
	
send7219: 'Send contents of w0 to the MAX7219 Driver IC

	pulsout M7219CLK, 1 'Bits 15 to 12 are not used
	pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	M7219DATA = bit11 : pulsout M7219CLK, 1 'Bits 11 to 8 are the command
	M7219DATA = bit10 : pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	M7219DATA = bit9 : pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	M7219DATA = bit8 : pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	M7219DATA = bit7 : pulsout M7219CLK, 1 'Bits 7 to 0 are the data
	M7219DATA = bit6 : pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	M7219DATA = bit5 : pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	M7219DATA = bit4 : pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	M7219DATA = bit3 : pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	M7219DATA = bit2 : pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	M7219DATA = bit1 : pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	M7219DATA = bit0 : pulsout M7219CLK, 1
	pulsout M7219LOAD, 1
	return
	
updatecube: 'Update the cube LEDs

	b0 = LAYER1LEFT : b1 = $01 : gosub send7219
	b0 = LAYER1RGHT : b1 = $02 : gosub send7219
	b0 = LAYER2LEFT : b1 = $03 : gosub send7219
	b0 = LAYER2RGHT : b1 = $04 : gosub send7219
	b0 = LAYER3LEFT : b1 = $05 : gosub send7219
	b0 = LAYER3RGHT : b1 = $06 : gosub send7219
	b0 = LAYER4LEFT : b1 = $07 : gosub send7219
	b0 = LAYER4RGHT : b1 = $08 : gosub send7219
	readadc LDR, b0
	b0 = 255 - b0 / 16
	b1 = $0A : gosub send7219 'Set intensity
	pause SPEED

	return
	
randomcolumn:

	'Pick a column at random and return in w1
	random RANDSEED
	w0 = RANDSEED & 15
	lookup w0, (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16384, 32768), w1
	return
	
rotateclockwise:

	'Rotate w0 clockwise
	'04	05	06	07
	'03	02	01	00
	'12	13	14	15
	'11	10	09	08
	bit16 = bit8
	bit8 = bit15
	bit15 = bit0
	bit0 = bit7
	bit7 = bit6
	bit6 = bit5
	bit5 = bit4
	bit4 = bit3
	bit3 = bit12
	bit12 = bit11
	bit11 = bit10
	bit10 = bit9
	bit9 = bit16
	bit16 = bit14
	bit14 = bit1
	bit1 = bit2
	bit2 = bit13
	bit13 = bit16
	return

end
I'll add more pictures & videos below.
 
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PaulRB

Senior Member
Here is the stripboard construction so far. The ICs will be beneath the bottom layer of leds, but still just about accessible because the cube is in two halves.

IMAG0644.jpg

The holes marked green will be where the cathode columns connect to the stripboard.
 
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PaulRB

Senior Member
Thanks to everybody on this excellent forum who has guided and advised me in this little project!

Paul
 
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toto1962

New Member
Hi Paul
I hope this thread is still active. I have successfully build my first cube following your 4x4x4 layout and the 08m2 basic program.
My only difficulty is that once I download to the 08m2, I can no longer re-download since the error message comes up as if the chip is duff or something else. I have download 5 chips so far with your program but can reload.

Could you or any one else help resolve this since I want to addapt and test your program to some other display sequences?
Keep up the good work.
Regards

**Removed email address to avoid spammers **
Eclectic
 
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Bill.b

Senior Member
Have tryed a cold boot.

Remove power from the 08m2 then start the down load from PE, apply power while the download bargraph is
on screen.

Bill
 

PaulRB

Senior Member
Hi toto1962,

This is the completed projects area, all the discussions go on in the active forum, hence why I only just read your question. You would do better to start a new thread there and include a link to this thread.

Things to try:
1 try doing the hard reset suggested by bill, worth a try, but don't remember having to do this myself at all with this circuit/code.
2 check you can still download to the picaxe on another circuit.
3 chech your download circuit on the cube is wired correctly. Remove the picaxe from its socket and use a dmm to check the voltages.
4 Did you make any code changes at all yet? If so, please post on the active forum using code tags.

Paul
 

PaulRB

Senior Member
Hi,

It has been pointed out that my schematic diagram in the first post is confusing, so I will try to explain it better.

In the diagram, connections j1 to j8 connect to the seg a to seg g and seg dp pins on the 7219.

J9 and j10 connect to dig 0 and dig 1 for the first layer in the cube. In the second layer they should connect to dig 2 and dig 3. In the third layer dig 4 and 5 and in layer 4 to dig 6 and 7.

I hope this helps, but if not please contact me.

Paul
 
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