Mega and 2 FC-16 Modules

Without looking at the code, just copy/paste then change any pin assignments for the second FC-16 and name it differently, then send different msg to that. Conceptually that is what is required. If you want line by line code then someone else with the code can help.

Thanks Ron. Sounds simple but not for me just learning all this. Both FC-16 modules will be on one SPI bus so I guess I need to research how to steer the data to the proper FC-16 module. Have not figured that out yet! 🙂

@alan-l Is the code from the arduino examples menu?

If it was me, I would look at the code looking for words with SPI in them. Somewhere the code has to 'connect' a pin on the arduino SPI bus to your code. Put the similar wire from the other FC-16 on another similar pin (they are marked on the board, either Dx for digital or Ax for analog). If I could see the code I could help better, but don't post a lot of it here except via the 'source code' widget above {;}

Ron - yes I am using an example code. Not sure but I think the pin you are referring to is the CS pin. ( Chip Select ?? ) I will look.

Not familiar with the source code widget. New to this site.

Thanks!

@alan-l Where did you get the sample code, is it one of the builtin arduino examples? NOT A pin, probably a bunch, that's why you have a mega, lots of pins. The source code widget is just above the o in above and looks like {;}. A box will pop up, paste the code.

Code is not one of the built in Arduino scripts. Found it on one of the learning sites.

Sorry - do not see the 0 above.    Above where or what?

@alan-l When making a reply there is a toolbar directly above where I am typing^^ there is the source code tool. You only see it when replying.

@alan-l Your code will probably have something like what is in the attached image. I suspect the only one that has to be different is the DIN pin. I don't have the full source code so do not know how DIN is used, but it will undoubtedly be an arg to a subroutine call. 

Do not see what is in your image however I bet it is included in one of the required libraries. spi.h ?

@alan-l Not likely for a couple reasons. Again, paste the code into the source widget. Just reply to this message, and click the {;} that is 3rd from right after X and happy face.

// Including the required Arduino libraries
#include <MD_Parola.h>
#include <MD_MAX72xx.h>
#include <SPI.h>

// Uncomment according to your hardware type
#define HARDWARE_TYPE MD_MAX72XX::FC16_HW
//#define HARDWARE_TYPE MD_MAX72XX::GENERIC_HW

// Defining size, and output pins
#define MAX_DEVICES 4
#define CS_PIN 3

// Create a new instance of the MD_Parola class with hardware SPI connection
MD_Parola myDisplay = MD_Parola(HARDWARE_TYPE, CS_PIN, MAX_DEVICES);

@alan-l No. I have never had to use it so let me try to see what it does.

// the setup function runs once when you press reset or power the board void setup() { // initialize digital pin LED_BUILTIN as an output. pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT); } // the loop function runs over and over again forever void loop() { digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level) delay(1000); // wait for a second digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW); // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW delay(1000); // wait for a second }

Well that doesn't impress me, I was hoping it kept the formatting. I don't know why yours didn't show up

@alan-l Ok, that is NOT an OLED, that is a LED matrix. You string together as many as you want (not sure what linit is) and it is usually scrolling left to right. Your data will be text. That means if you are reading it from some place, then you put some text in a buffer and make the appropriate library call to send it out. If you want two of these displays, then I am out of my wheelhouse. I see 3 pins in addition to G and 5V. CLK is probably the same, CS will be different I suspect to select which display will receive the next chunk of data but maybe not as the last pin is the DIN (Data In) so perhaps that is the only pin you change. The code is very conceptually

Fill buffer 1 with msg 1

write to D1

fill buffer 2 with msg 2

write to D2

in a loop with a read of some sort to get fresh data.