Kitchen Timer project using 16x LEDs and 2x 74HC595
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2025 5:03 pm
Hi,
I am working to learn FC11 and am stuck on a project that involves a Click Ring from Mikroe with 32x LEDs (of which I am using only 16x LEDs), connected to an Arduino Nano 328 at 115200 baud. The schematic involves the following block components:
I had to do the mapping of the segments via ChatGPT, and I received the following, which I tested, and it works:
Now I am stuck with the Main macro, on which I need to work with variables, the pushbutton(s) PB1 (and eventually PB3), and time counting.
The way I thought the project was straightforward. They are the following times are pre-configured in Macros:
1 minute
2 minutes
3 minutes
4 minutes
5 minutes
6 minutes
7 minutes
8 minutes
9 minutes
10 minutes
15 minutes
20 minutes
25 minutes (Pomodoro cycle)
30 minutes
45 minutes
60 minutes
How should the timer work? I will explain below:
When I press PB1 once, the timer starts for 1 minute, and after 2 seconds, it begins blinking, indicating it will count 1 minute.
For the 1-minute configuration, I have used "solid" via "T_01min_indicator", and "blinking" state via "T_01min_blink".
When I press PB1 once, the timer starts for 2 minutes, and after 2 seconds, it begins blinking, indicating it will count 2 minutes.
For the 2-minute configuration, I have used "solid" via "T_02min_indicator", and "blinking" state via "T_02min_blink".
For the 2-minute indication, it needs to start with "T_02min_indicator", "T_02min_blink" and then "T_01min_blink".
... and so on. The problem with this approach is that if I am making a mistake in one "minutes" loop, the whole program will not work as expected. Shall I use a different approach instead? Below is what I have created:
The kitchen timing in minutes is calculated by looping through the Macros associated with the counted time.
The challenges that I am experiencing are:
- The "Switch" option only has 10x possible states, while I have 16x.
- I do not know if I should use "Switch" or "Decision" while I am pressing the button and toggling through the minutes that I need to have counted.
- Shall I use only the "Buzzer" component, or "PWM", to generate sound on the buzzer with various intensities? (medium or high)
- Shall I use "Keyboard interrupt" for something, given the simplicity of the whole design?
Can someone please help me with this project?
Regards,
Andreas
I am working to learn FC11 and am stuck on a project that involves a Click Ring from Mikroe with 32x LEDs (of which I am using only 16x LEDs), connected to an Arduino Nano 328 at 115200 baud. The schematic involves the following block components:
I had to do the mapping of the segments via ChatGPT, and I received the following, which I tested, and it works:
Now I am stuck with the Main macro, on which I need to work with variables, the pushbutton(s) PB1 (and eventually PB3), and time counting.
The way I thought the project was straightforward. They are the following times are pre-configured in Macros:
1 minute
2 minutes
3 minutes
4 minutes
5 minutes
6 minutes
7 minutes
8 minutes
9 minutes
10 minutes
15 minutes
20 minutes
25 minutes (Pomodoro cycle)
30 minutes
45 minutes
60 minutes
How should the timer work? I will explain below:
When I press PB1 once, the timer starts for 1 minute, and after 2 seconds, it begins blinking, indicating it will count 1 minute.
For the 1-minute configuration, I have used "solid" via "T_01min_indicator", and "blinking" state via "T_01min_blink".
When I press PB1 once, the timer starts for 2 minutes, and after 2 seconds, it begins blinking, indicating it will count 2 minutes.
For the 2-minute configuration, I have used "solid" via "T_02min_indicator", and "blinking" state via "T_02min_blink".
For the 2-minute indication, it needs to start with "T_02min_indicator", "T_02min_blink" and then "T_01min_blink".
... and so on. The problem with this approach is that if I am making a mistake in one "minutes" loop, the whole program will not work as expected. Shall I use a different approach instead? Below is what I have created:
The kitchen timing in minutes is calculated by looping through the Macros associated with the counted time.
The challenges that I am experiencing are:
- The "Switch" option only has 10x possible states, while I have 16x.
- I do not know if I should use "Switch" or "Decision" while I am pressing the button and toggling through the minutes that I need to have counted.
- Shall I use only the "Buzzer" component, or "PWM", to generate sound on the buzzer with various intensities? (medium or high)
- Shall I use "Keyboard interrupt" for something, given the simplicity of the whole design?
Can someone please help me with this project?
Regards,
Andreas