Blink LED using Arduino

This example shows the simplest thing you can do with an Arduino to see physical output: it blinks an LED.

Arduino Blink LED

Circuit

To build the circuit, attach a 220-ohm resistor to pin 13. Then attach the long leg of an LED (the positive leg, called the anode) to the resistor. Attach the short leg (the negative leg, called the cathode) to ground. Then plug your Arduino board into your computer, start the Arduino program, and enter the code below.

 

Most Arduino boards already have an LED attached to pin 13 on the board itself. If you run this example with no hardware attached, you should see that LED blink.

image developed using Fritzing. For more circuit examples, see the Fritzing project page

Schematic

 

Code:

In the program below, the first thing you do is to initialize pin 13 as an output pin with the line

 

pinMode(13, OUTPUT);

 

In the main loop, you turn the LED on with the line:

 

digitalWrite(13, HIGH);

 

This supplies 5 volts to pin 13. That creates a voltage difference across the pins of the LED, and lights it up. Then you turn it off with the line:

 

digitalWrite(13, LOW);

Arduino Blink LED Schematic

That takes pin 13 back to 0 volts, and turns the LED off. In between the on and the off, you want enough time for a person to see the change, so the delay() commands tell the Arduino to do nothing for 1000 milliseconds, or one second. When you use the delay() command, nothing else happens for that amount of time. Once you’ve understood the basic examples, check out the BlinkWithoutDelay example to learn how to create a delay while doing other things.

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Hardware Required

  • Arduino Board
  • LED

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For more detail: Blink LED using Arduino


About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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