Exercise - Create an LED Component

• Open a new Flowcode flowchart.

• Make sure that the System Panel and Properties Panel are visible.

• If they are not, then select them in the View Menu.

• Click on the hemisphere shape in the Shapes menu and drag one onto the Systems Panel.

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• The blue dotted square around it shows that this object is currently selected.

• Right-click and select 'Center all objects' from the menu.

• Change the name of the component to 'LEDcomponent'.

To do this:

• Find the 'handle' of the component at the top of the Panel Properties.
• Click on the name 'shape' (the default name).
• Change it to 'LEDcomponent'.

• Next, add two properties to the LED. The first allocates a color. The second sets up a connection from the LED to the controlling microcontroller.

• First add a default color to the component, using a new property called 'color'.

To do this:

• De-select the hemisphere by clicking anywhere outside it in the Systems Panel.
• Hover over the icon to the right of the 'Properties' label.
• Click on the down-arrow that appears.
• Click on 'Add new'.
• In the 'Cosmetic name' box type "LEDcolor".
• Select 'Color picker' for the 'Property type'.
• Type "color" for the 'Property variable' name.

• In the same way, then add another new property to specify the default connection. Give it a Cosmetic name "Connection", with Property type 'Single digital pin' and a Property variable name "pin".

• Finally, configure these properties. To do this:

• Click on the color shown for the 'color' property.
• Select a color from the color chart that appears.
• Click on the word 'Unconnected', alongside the 'pin' property.
• Select an appropriate pin, such as RA0, from the chip pin layout.