Vertical LED dot displays are not a common requirement, but they can be created using the standard library with a few tweaks to the software.
As I get questions about vertical displays from time to time, I will cover the basic process of how this is done in this short article. Continue reading “Parola A to Z – Vertical Displays”
A very powerful feature of the Parola library is the ability to separate a display into a number of zones. This allows the implementation of sophisticated animations schemes and is a key part of being able to create double height displays.
This post explains what they are, how they are set up, and how to manage them.
An ongoing question on many Arduino forums is the adaptation of software to the different types of matrix modules. Usually the poster has tried some LED matrix software and the display is reversed or upside down, or animations are disjointed across the module boundaries.
There are clear reasons this happens, and the Parola library has software configuration parameters that allow you to adapt how the software operates to suit your hardware module.
Continue reading “Parola A to Z – Adapting for Different Hardware”
Using the Parola library for double height displays is becoming increasingly popular with library users. Setting up the hardware and the library is not difficult, but it can cause problems if not done correctly. This article will explain the hardware and software setup considerations for trouble-free double height displays.
As the main function of the Parola library is to enable text animations, it is important to understand how these are set up and managed to completion from user code.
From a user perspective, Parola animation consist of 3 parts – setting up, running and resetting the animation. The process is not complex and is illustrated in the numerous library examples. This article breaks these down and explains how the Parola class methods apply in each phase.
The key function of the Parola library is to display text using different animations. These animations are built around a core supporting framework and largely follow the same patterns. This article explores how Parola animations code is constructed so that advanced users of the library have enough information to be able to write (and contribute!) their own new animations.
Managing fonts in the is a key factor in the Parola/MD_MAX72xx libraries to being able to support multiple languages and diverse alphabets.
In the first part we looked at how fonts are defined and the tools used to create the bitmaps for each character. In this part we will look at the Parola and MD_MAX72xx library methods that access and manage font data in the library code.
The Parola library allows you to display text on MAX72xx controlled LED matrices using a wide range of text effects. One of the base components for this flexibility are the replaceable fonts and the utilities that allow new fonts to be designed and implemented in the library code.
I get repeated requests for the ‘circuit’ of the Parola controller shield in the YouTube video.
The controller is basically a testing tool that I use for Parola/MD_MAX72xx where I need a few buttons and/or an analog value. Continue reading “Parola Controller Shield”
