Al Stark – LCD Challenge

This question comes from Al Stark:

Question

For the graphical Interface with buttons challenge, I have tried for many evenings to take up and to complete the challenge  at the end of “Graphical User Interface With Buttons. I seem to be missing something. 
There are two different switchcase parts to this sketch. I can only run one them at a time. How Can I create and run them both at the same time? A condition that will know when to separate these LCD lines?
I have separated this sketch into sections just remove and add the appropriate “/*, */ to make each section work. I would like to fix this. What am I missing? What have I overlooked?

Code

/**LCD Graphical User Interface Using Buttons

  Created 1 AUGUST 2014

  By Michael James

  http://www.peacademy.wpengine.com

  This example code is in the public domain.

*/
//This sketch was recreated by Al Stark (FerrusMan) june 22/19
//The purpose was to add another switchcase button press called "x"
//and to add two more buton presses for buttons "6" and "7" on
// the second line of the LCD.


// include the library code:
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

// initialize the library with the numbers of the interface pins
LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);
//set the pins of the LEDs and Buttons
int LED_1 = 6;
int LED_2 = 7;
int LED_3 = 8;
int LED_4 = 9;
int LED_5 = 10;
int LED_6 = 13;
int Button_Left = A0;
int Button_Right = A1;
int Button_Select = A2;

//set pin states
boolean LED_1_State = LOW;
boolean LED_2_State = LOW;
boolean LED_3_State = LOW;
boolean LED_4_State = LOW;
boolean LED_5_State = LOW;
boolean LED_6_State = LOW;

//this variable adjusts the horizontl location of the cursor
int Cursor_Position_Horizontal = 1;
int Cursor_Position_Horizontal_2 = 6;
int Cursor_Position_Horizontal_3 = 1; //a spare
int Cursor_Position_Horizontal_4 = 3;  //a spare just in case

void setup() {
  // set up the LCD's number of columns and rows:
  lcd.begin(16, 2);
  lcd.setCursor(Cursor_Position_Horizontal, 1);
  lcd.print("Choose an LED    ");
  delay(2000);
  for (int i = 0;  i < 15; i++) {
    lcd.scrollDisplayLeft();
    delay(500);
  }

  // set up the LCD's number of columns and rows:
  lcd.begin(16, 2);

  lcd.setCursor(Cursor_Position_Horizontal, 0);
  // Print a message to the LCD
  lcd.print("1[2]3[4]5[x]");
  lcd.setCursor(Cursor_Position_Horizontal_3, 1);
  //continue message on next line
  lcd.print("    [6][7]");//spaces used to position LCD message


  //lcd.setCursor(Cursor_Position_Horizontal_4,1); //cursor at option #6
  lcd.setCursor(Cursor_Position_Horizontal_2 , 1);
  //Make the Cursor visible
  //the above lcd.setCursor choice is not necessary because void loop
  //has the last word in lcd.setCursor command, but. It's a good back up though.
  lcd.cursor();
  lcd.blink();
  //Note the cursor position here is subject to the cursor position in void loop()


  //set the modes of all pins
  pinMode(LED_1, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(LED_2, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(LED_3, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(LED_4, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(LED_5, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(LED_6, OUTPUT);


  pinMode(Button_Right, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(Button_Left, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(Button_Select, INPUT_PULLUP);


  Serial.begin(9600);

}//close setup


void loop() {
  // there are two different switchcase parts to this sketch
  //I can only run one them at a time. How Can I create and run
  // them both at the same time?
  //a condition that will know when to seperate these LCD lines?
  // I have seperated this sketch into sections just remove and
  //and add the appropriate "/*, */ to make each section work.
  // I would like to fix this. What am I missing? What have I overlooked?
  //  /*
  ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
  // This is the top line on LCD.

  //set the cursor position. //this set cursor over rides set cursur in setup()
  lcd.setCursor(Cursor_Position_Horizontal, 0);

  //Scroll Cursor LEFT if the button is pressed
  //if the cursor is already, all the way left - do nothing
  if ( (digitalRead(Button_Left) == LOW) && (Cursor_Position_Horizontal != 1) ) {

    Cursor_Position_Horizontal -= 2 ;
    delay(200);

  }//close SCROLL LEFT if

  //Scroll Cursor RIGH if the button is pressed
  //if the cursor is already, all the way right - do nothing
  if ( (digitalRead(Button_Right) == LOW) && (Cursor_Position_Horizontal != 11) ) {

    Cursor_Position_Horizontal += 2 ;
    delay(200);

  }//close SCROLL RIGHT if

  //this is the end of the control for the top line

  //   */

  //}
  //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
  // /*
  // this is the control for the second line on the LCD

  //set the cursor position. //this set cursor over rides set cursur in setup()
  lcd.setCursor(Cursor_Position_Horizontal_2, 1);

  //Scroll Cursor LEFT if the button is pressed
  //if the cursor is already, all the way left - do nothing
  if ( (digitalRead(Button_Left) == LOW) && (Cursor_Position_Horizontal_2 > 6) ) {

    Cursor_Position_Horizontal_2 -= 3 ;
    delay(200);

  }//close SCROLL LEFT if

  //Scroll Cursor RIGH if the button is pressed
  //if the cursor is already, all the way right - do nothing
  if ( (digitalRead(Button_Right) == LOW) && (Cursor_Position_Horizontal_2  < 9) ) {

    Cursor_Position_Horizontal_2 += 3 ;
    delay(200);

  }//close SCROLL RIGHT if

  // this is the end of the control for the control of the second line

  //  */

  //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
  //  /*

  //Switchcase for row #2


  switch (Cursor_Position_Horizontal_2) {
    case 6: //this is the first option in the second row

      //if the select button is pressed we will switch the state of the LED
      if ( digitalRead(Button_Select) == LOW ) {

        //switch the state of the LED
        LED_1_State = !LED_1_State;
        LED_2_State = !LED_2_State;
        LED_3_State = !LED_3_State;
        LED_4_State = !LED_4_State;
        LED_5_State = !LED_5_State;


        //This delay is an easy way to debounce the button press
        delay(400);

        //turn the LED either ON or OFF
        digitalWrite(LED_1, HIGH);
        digitalWrite(LED_2, HIGH);
        digitalWrite(LED_3, HIGH);
        digitalWrite(LED_4, HIGH);
        digitalWrite(LED_5, HIGH);
        delay( 400);

        Serial.println( " We are on the second line toggle #6, all LEDs are ON!     ");
        Serial.println( " DO Not try to digitalWrite an LED that does not exist ");
        Serial.println (" If you do,  the cursor will disappear...");

      }//close if

      break;

    case 9: //this is the second option in the second row

      //if the select button is pressed we will switch the state of the LED
      if ( digitalRead(Button_Select) == LOW ) {

        //switch the state of the LED
        LED_1_State = !LED_1_State;
        LED_2_State = !LED_2_State;
        LED_3_State = !LED_3_State;
        LED_4_State = !LED_4_State;
        LED_5_State = !LED_5_State;


        //This delay is an easy way to debounce the button press
        delay(400);

        //turn the LED either ON or OFF
        digitalWrite(LED_1, LED_1_State);
        digitalWrite(LED_2, LED_2_State);
        digitalWrite(LED_3, LED_3_State);
        digitalWrite(LED_4, LED_4_State);
        digitalWrite(LED_5, LED_5_State);
        delay( 400);

        Serial.println( "Last in row '2' We are on button #7  in Switchcase 9");
        Serial.println("TOGGLE ALL LEDs OPPOSITE!");


        // break;
        //}
      }
  }  // block when running only one switchcase
  // need another '}'"} here or there will be an error message
  // "expected '}' at the end of the sketch when running whole
  //sketch
  // */

  // end of SwitchCase  row #2

  //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
  //  /*

  // SwitchCase for row #1

  switch (Cursor_Position_Horizontal) {
    case 1: //this is the first option

      //if the select button is pressed we will switch the state of the LED
      if ( digitalRead(Button_Select) == LOW ) {

        //switch the state of the LED
        LED_1_State = !LED_1_State;

        //This delay is an easy way to debounce the button press
        delay(400);

        //turn the LED either ON or OFF
        digitalWrite(LED_1, LED_1_State);
        delay( 200);
        Serial.println( "     Hey I,m in case 1 LED #1  ");


      }//close if

      break;



    case 3:

      //if the select button is pressed we will switch the state of the LED
      if ( digitalRead(Button_Select) == LOW ) {

        //switch the state of the LED
        LED_2_State = !LED_2_State;

        //This delay is an easy way to debounce the button press
        delay(400);

        //turn the LED either ON or OFF
        digitalWrite(LED_2, LED_2_State);
        delay( 200);

        Serial.println( "    Now I'm in case 4 LED #2  ");
      }//close if
      break;



    case 5: //this is the first option

      //if the select button is pressed we will switch the state of the LED
      if ( digitalRead(Button_Select) == LOW ) {

        //switch the state of the LED
        LED_3_State = !LED_3_State;

        //This delay is an easy way to debounce the button press
        delay(400);

        //turn the LED either ON or OFF
        digitalWrite(LED_3, LED_3_State);
        delay(200);

        Serial.println( "   This is case 7   LED #3   ");

      }//close if

      break;

    case 7: //this is the first option

      //if the select button is pressed we will switch the state of the LED
      if ( digitalRead(Button_Select) == LOW ) {

        //switch the state of the LED
        LED_4_State = !LED_4_State;

        //This delay is an easy way to debounce the button press
        delay(400);

        //turn the LED either ON or OFF
        digitalWrite(LED_4, LED_4_State);
        delay( 200);

        Serial.println( "    Here I am in case 10 with #4  ");

      }//close if

      break;

    case 9: //this is the first option

      //if the select button is pressed we will switch the state of the LED
      if ( digitalRead(Button_Select) == LOW ) {

        //switch the state of the LED
        LED_5_State = !LED_5_State;

        //This delay is an easy way to debounce the button press
        delay(400);

        //turn the LED either ON or OFF
        digitalWrite(LED_5, LED_5_State);
        delay( 200);

        Serial.println( "    Last LED in row  '0' I'm in case 13 LED #5  ");
        Serial.println( "   This is the last LED before we go to the next row with LED #6  ");
      }//close if

      break;


    case 11: //this is the first option

      //if the select button is pressed we will switch the state of the LED
      if ( digitalRead(Button_Select) == LOW ) {

        //switch the state of the LED
        LED_1_State = !LED_1_State;
        LED_2_State = !LED_2_State;
        LED_3_State = !LED_3_State;
        LED_4_State = !LED_4_State;
        LED_5_State = !LED_5_State;


        //This delay is an easy way to debounce the button press
        delay(400);

        //turn the LED either ON or OFF
        digitalWrite(LED_1, LOW);
        digitalWrite(LED_2, LOW);
        digitalWrite(LED_3, LOW);
        digitalWrite(LED_4, LOW);
        digitalWrite(LED_5, LOW);
        delay( 400);

        Serial.println( "    Last in row '0' I'm in case x TOGGLE ALL LEDs OPPOSIT  ");
        Serial.println( "   This is the last LED before we go to the next row with LED #6  ");
      }//close if

      break;

  }//close switch case

}//close loop

//   */
//}
// end of SwitchCase #1
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Your Challenge

Take on this challenge form the lesson!

Hints

Consider tracking the vertical position.

Solution

This isn’t the full solution, but should get you going…
[fvplayer src=”https://vimeo.com/349812036″ transcript=”auto” splash=”https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/800885547_1280x720.jpg?r=pad” caption=”Al Stark LCD Question”]

Your Thoughts

This is a really in-depth challenge.  There are many different situations that you need to check for.  It may help to write out the situations.  It helped me to draw out the LCD screen as a matrix, and think about the positions. 
Posted in Customer Question

1 Comment

  1. Kristien Harris on August 17, 2020 at 12:25 pm

    Thanks for the run through! And sharing Tinker Cads circuit emulator that was new for me. I resisted looking at your solution before trying and I cracked it in the same way. I rewrote my first try and managed to get the code a lot clearer. Thanks again.

    Reply

Leave a Comment