LED Strip Police Siren

Use the ‘Parts List’ image along with the component cards in your box to correctly plug in the electronic hardware to your Maker Board. The colorful dots next to the legs of the components match up to the ports where that leg should go on Maker Board’s ports.

Code

The code in the editor below is ready to run! Plug in the electronic components just like the Parts List card above, connect Maker Board to your computer's USB port with the cable, and hit 'Upload Your Code!'. Tinker with the code and change something! If you get stuck, you can hit the 'Restore' button to make the code go back to the working example.

/* Turn the entire LED Strip red, then blue, while playing a tone like a police siren */ #include "LEDStrip.h" //The LEDStrip.h library gives your code access to special functions exclusive to the LED Strip LEDStrip strip = LEDStrip(15, 13, 12); //Set up the strip by defining how many pixels (15) and where the wires are connected (green = 13, blue = 12) void setup() { pinMode(A5,OUTPUT); //Speaker } void loop() { strip.setPixel(strip.All, 100); //use strip.All to set all the pixels one color, then set the color value (100 is red) tone(A5,500); //Play a tone of 500 hertz strip.draw(); //Send the setPixel values to the LED Strip delay(1000); //Wait 1000 milliseconds (1 second) with the tone of 500 playing strip.setPixel(strip.All, 299); //A color value of 299 is blue on the LED strip tone(A5,100); //Play a tone of 100 hertz strip.draw(); //Send the setPixel values to the LED Strip delay(1000); //Wait 1000 milliseconds before restarting the loop } //(c)2019 Let's Start Coding. License: www.letsstartcoding.com/bsdlicense

Walkthrough Video

Watch the video for a line-by-line explanation of how the example program works. Then you'll be ready to make some changes of your own!

Use this spectrum to estimate the color values you'll need for your 'setPixel' arguments to achieve your favorite color!

Challenges

Can you complete the challenges? Change the code in your code editor above. Upload your code to see the effect when you're finished. Complete a challenge? Check it off the list!

Change the siren colors using the setPixel( ) function.

Change the delays to change how fast the siren toggles back and forth. Which delays make the siren the most realistic? How fast can the code run and still show the siren change color?

Change the tones that the siren plays. What tone values sound the most realistic? What tone values sound like an alien siren?

Add a third siren tone and a third color that shows on the LED strip. Hint: Look for the pattern in the code. There are different 'sections' broken up by blank lines in the void loop.

Concepts

These are the new code concepts covered in this example program. To become a great coder, read through these concepts to learn new vocabulary.

Quiz

If you're having trouble, try to run an experimental program or look at the example code to help you find the answer.

1. Which syntax ends the entire 'void loop' function?

semicolon ;
parentheses )
closing curly brace }

2. Which syntax ends a single code command?

semicolon ;
closing curly brace }
period .

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