MobaLedLib

Arduino library for controlling LEDs and other components on a model railway.

New in release 3.3: LNet protocol, new macros: Set_LEDNr, CopyNLEDs, Include, SingleLedSignal, SingleLedSignalEx

Excel user interface to configure the LEDs without programming at all improved by the engagement of Pattern Configurator and Program Generator!

To start the excel program press the Win+r key together and copy the following line into the "Run" dialog and press enter: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Arduino\libraries\Mobaledlib\extras\Prog_Generator_MobaLedLib.xlsm

The use of RGB LEDs offers fascinating possibilities for lighting a model railway:

• Infinite number of lighting effects - Brightness and color of each LED can be set individually and dynamically
• Easiest cabling - The objects (houses, traffic lights, ...) are simply plugged into a multiple socket
• Extremely affordable - 100 LEDs for the price of three "normal" lights
• Up to 256 RGB LEDs (768 channels) can be controlled by an Arduino
• Up to 16384 RGB LEDs (49152 channels) can be controlled by an ESP32
• Controlling other components is just as easy
  • Sound modules
  • Servo and stepper motors
  • Charlieplexing light signals
  • Power devices
  • DMX
• Control with DCC, CAN, Selectrix or LNet protocol
• Additional module to read 80 and more switches with 10 signal wires
• Stand-alone operation or networked with other components possible

The lighting and some additional functions are controlled via the WS2812 / WS2811 chips. For this, only a single signal is required which is forwarded from one chip to the next. This makes the wiring extremely easy.

A lot of examples show the usage of the library. They could be use as startup for own programs.

A huge wiki describes the complete MobaLedLib in detail: https://wiki.mobaledlib.de/doku.php
This library is used and supported by a big community, see https://www.stummiforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=165060. All software and hardware parts are free of license and available for download.

Several videos demonstrate the possibilities of the library. You will find a lot of articles when searching for MobaLedLib in the internet.

ATTENTION: Always use the Arduino IDE 1.8.x (Old versions 1.6.x and below or versions 2.x don't support the directory structure used in the library examples)

Installation from the Arduino IDE: Sketch / Include library / Manage libraries Type "MobaLedLib" in the "Filter your search..." field Select the entry and click "Install"

Installation in der deutschen Arduino IDE: Sketch / Bibliothek einbinden / Bibliothek verwalten "FastLED" in das "Grenzen Sie ihre Suche ein" Feld eingeben Gefundenen Eintrag auswaehlen und "Install" anklicken

Questions / suggestions / praise / ... [email protected]

Revision History:

Ver.: 3.3.2 19.12.23:

Features

• LNet support for Arduino platform (main board >= 1.8.0 mandatory)
• New macros: Set_LEDNr, CopyNLEDs, Include, SingleLedSignal, SingleLedSignalEx
• New icons
• Support of input type "feedback", process CAN messages from ATTiny_CAN_GBM module
• Store_Status: support SwitchB, extend max. InCnt to 63
• Support of DCC/CAN/LNet momentary buttons (GEN_BUTTON_RELASE mode are now setable in config sheet)
• Experimental support of MobaLedLib stored in OneDrive folder
• ATMega328PB support

Bugfixes

• fix SwitchC issue with ESP32
• fix issue that AVR build fails caused by vbcr in LEDs_Autoprog.h -> replace by vbcrlf
• add missing macros InCh_to_LocalVar, InCh_to_LocalVar1 and Bin_InCh_to_TmpVar1 to sheet Lib_Macros
• fix #10763: include marco counts LEDNr wrong
• fix #10159: wrong line endings in fastbuild.cmd
• ensure that included sheet uses same protocol as the main sheet

Ver.: 3.2.1 09.08.22:

Features

• LED simulator
• Selectrix support for ESP32
• ColorPicker for Const Makro
• Macro RGB_Heartbeat_Color
• MobaLedLib Extensions support
• "Virtual pin" feature
• Retrigger support for patterns using GOTO mode
• DCC signal state signaled with ESP32 onboard LED

Bugfixes

• fix CAN baudrate issue with ESP32 V1 chips
• fix ESP32 build issue with non-default Arduino home directory
• fix issue in case Arduino home directory doesn't exist
• add missing macros InCh_toTmpVar1 and BinCh_toTmpVar1
• fix RandMux bug on ESP32
• fix Set_ColTab bug on ESP32
• fix issue that Analog Pattern flags were ignored in Goto mode

Ver.: 3.1.0 28.11.21:

Features

• New TreeView based macro selection dialog with grouping and icons
• Add feature to control sound modules attached to the mainboard
• Add ServoMP3 feature - sound modules are attached to the servo board and controlled via serial line
• Add feature Pin_Alias
• Add #define SWITCH_DAMPING_FACT to the Lib_Macros
• Add possibility to scroll with the mouse in the description box of the TreeView dialog
• UserForm_Other is resizable now

Enhancements

• Show please wait screen when loading/updating the tree view
• The macro filter is also activated by typing letters in the list box
• Remove NmraDCC library installation workaround as version 2.0.10 fixes the ESP32, no more need to install from private repository
• Add sheet Platform_Parameters containing all platform dependent settings
• Add Raspberry Pico Mainboard Leds, Mainboard Buttons, PushButtons
• Add experimental Raspberry Pico support
• Disable Autodetect when changing CPU type to ESP32 or Pico
• Change width of Form and new pos for Buttons at Form Other
• Splited the installation of several board packages into separate calls because otherwise the installation fails.
• Update the filter if a row is selected which already contains a macro to show the macro
• Improved the scrolling in the userform others
• Added a scroll bar to description in the TreeView dialog
• As ESP32 is no longer experimental set library U8g2 to mandatory
• Motorola II protocol for interface Arduino
• Allow relative path in ImageBoxAdder
• Reload all Icons when running GenReleaseVersion
• Support of BETA update directly from github
• Add the build date as a tooltip to the version information cell
• Add Excel version check
• Add library external command processing

Bugfixes

• Solved problem if the user has no additional board installed. In this case the "packages" directory has to be created in C:\Users<Name>\AppData\Local\Arduino15\
• Adapted the cmd files to work with 32 bit windows (Arduino is installed to "Program Files" and not to "Program Files (x86)")
• Corrected start focus and tab index of the Userform_Other (Prior sometimes the 'Abort' button had the focus)
• Added "On Error Resume Next" to prevent crash with Office 365 in EnableDisableAllButtons()
• Replaced ".Add2" by ".Add" in Sort_by_Column because this new function is not supported by Office 365
• (Hopefully) prevent formatting the "Start LEDNr" as date by setting the NumberFormat to "General" when importing files.
• Fixed bug when loadimg the Excel File. The Pattern Configurator icons in the lines have been deleted
• Fix issue on Scroll in UserForm_Other (focus lost)
• Prevent crash when the TreeView is closed with the 'x' button and reopened again
• Fix some typos in start page text
• Fix issue that load of old configuration was not started while a Beta update
• Fix issue #6894 BetaUpdate won't run with UserDir containing blank chars
• Fix LED_to_var - Led_Offs to 31. See #6899
• Fix VB6 FindWindow Issue #6914
• Fix another VB6 Issue in Userform_RunProgram
• Workaround for Excel 2007 isNumericBug
• Add missing EspSoftwareSerial library
• Fix Platform_Parameters: with AM328 SPI Pins are only usable if no CAN module is in use

Ver.: 3.0.0 21.04.21:

• Release support of ESP32 and up to 49152 single LEDs
• Support controling DMX512 devices (up to 300 per channel)
• Bootloader Update and "New Bootloader full Mem"
• Up to nine independent LED channels
• Search function in macro selection
• TinyUniProg improvements
• Fixed problem scaling the house dialog for small screens (1366x768)
• Added seven new railway signal macros
• Ability to switch the LED portocol to WS2811 where the Red and Green channel are swapped
• Faster method to download and execute the color test program
• Use only one column for start led number display, may be configured on config page
• Add Macro #define COMMANDS_DEBUG traces DCC messages
• Corrected the "fire" macro
• Fix issue where directory names contain blanks
• Fix DCC offset problem when sending simulated DCC commands
• Speed up ResetTestButtons function
• And many, many more features and bugfixes, ... Let yourself be surprised!

Ver.: 2.1.1 14.11.20:

• Removed the old Debug functions to simulate DDC commands TEST_PUSH_BUTTONS(), TEST_TOGGLE_BUTTONS() and TEST_BUTTONS_INCH()
• Experimental support for ESP32 added

Ver.: 2.1.0 02.11.20:

• 8% additional configuration memory by changing the reserved size of the fast bootloader from 2K to 512 byte
• Corrected the support for 64 time entries in the pattern_Configurator. Unfortunately the prior changes have been made in a wrong worksheet and not in the Main sheet => They have been lost when the release version was build ;-(
• Corrected the importing of data from old Prog_Generator
• Define at least 20 LEDs to be able to test them with the color test program
• Disabling the Event which is called when Enter is pressed when the workbook is closed. Hopefully this solves the problem that the Pattern_Config is opened sometimes unintentionally
• Prevent crash if a wrong formula is entered like "-Test"
• Updating the arduino type in the "Options" dialog if the USB Port detection is started
• Charlie_Buttons and Charlie_Binary control 3 channels (RGB) instead of 2 (GB)
• Corrected the maximal time for the Blinker function by adding PF_SLOW
• Disable the mouse scroll function for Office <= 2007 because here excel generates a crash

Ver.: 2.0.0 18.10.20:

• Support for the new buffer gate on mainboard version 1.7 added

Ver.: 1.9.6 K 16.10.20:

• Don't gray out the other rooms in the House/Gaslight dialog. Instead the important buttons use bold font
• User interface:
  • Corrected the entering of selextrix data and the position of the USB simulation buttons
  • Corrected the "Dialog" Button. The "Type selection" dialog was called twice in DCC mode.
• Disabled the "ENABLE_CRITICAL_EVENTS_WB" to hopefully get rid of the crash which is generated if lines are deleted in the Pattern_Configurator. By disabling this events the LED numbers are not updated if lines ade hidden or shown again.
• Corrected the NEON_DEF2D entry. Channel 1 was used instead of channel 2. This caused the occupation of a new RGB channel if NEON_DEF1D and NEON_DEF2D was used in a sequence
• Improve the detection probability in "DetectArduino()". Prior the arduino was not always detected at the first trial.
• Corrected the error detection for the ATtiny upload
• Increased the number of Time entries from 30 to 64 and corrected the entries 24-30
• New Charliplexing software which supports the 64 time channels

Ver.: 1.9.6 J 11.10.20:

• The Mainboard_LED function also acceppts the arduino pin numbers D2-D5, D7-D13 amd A0-A5

Ver.: 1.9.6 I 10.10.20:

• Possibilitiy added to ignore problems with the baud rate detection

Ver.: 1.9.6 H 10.10.20:

• Improved the loading of MLL_pgf files

Ver.: 1.9.6 G 10.10.20:

• Added additional pins to the Mainboard_LED function. Now nearly every pin could be used as LED pin (New channels 0, 5-16).
• New method "LED_to_Var()" to set variables controlled by the LED values.
• Improved the "Mainboard_Hardware_Test.MLL_pgf". Now the mainboard could be tested without the PushButton4017 board.

Ver.: 1.9.6 F 07.10.20:

• Programming of the fast bootloader added
• Jürgen has added "Update_Start_LedNr" to the end of Read_PGF_from_String_V1_0() because other wise NUM_LEDS is 0
• New function "Mainboard_LED(MB_LED, InCh)" which could be used to use the mainboard LEDs as status LEDs
• Added macro "WeldingCont()" which continuously flickers while the input is active.
• Don't use the Heartbeat LED at PIN A3 if the CAN bus is used AND the SwitchB or SwitchC is used.
• Generate an error message if Mainboard_LED(4..) is used together with SwitchB or SwitchC.
• Created an example file to test the MobaLedLib main board: "Mainboard_Hardware_Test.MLL_pgf" This file is stored in the directory "Prog_Generator_Examples" which is copied to the library destination at startup.
• Added DayAndNightTimer which could be used with then Scheduler function

Ver.: 1.9.6 E 07.08.20?:

• Deletted >100000 columns in the DCC sheet which slowed down the loading of .MLL_pfg files
• Added a status display when loading the .MLL_pfg files
• Don't read/save the "Examples sheet from/to .MLL_pfg file

Ver.: 1.9.6 D 04.08.20:

• Limit the maximal servo value to 210 (Old 220) to avoid promlems with measurement errors at 2kHz
• Additional Delay and check if the old directory has been deleted when updating the Beta version

Ver.: 1.9.6 C 28.07.20:

• Corrected Servo programming (Flash was erased when setting the Reset pin as output)
• Corrected decimal separator problem when loading pattern examples
• New macros for servo with SMD WS2811 Herz_BiRelais_V1...

Ver.: 1.9.6 22.07.20:

• Preview LEDs in the Pattern_Configuarator could be moved on top of a picture or under a transparent picture (by Misha)
• Speedup building and uploading of the Arduino program 10 sec. instead of 23 sec. (by Juergen)

Ver.: 1.9.5 15.06.20:

• The versions 1.0.2 - 1.9.4 are not released test versions.
• Since there are a huge number of changes since version 1.0.1 all details are described here: https://www.stummiforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=165060&sd=a&start=2410

Ver.: 1.9.4 14.06.20:

• Added Misha's Multiplexer to the Prog_Generator

Ver.: 1.0.7 07.06.20:

• Corrected the LED Animation, the "Start LedNr" in combination with "HerzHerz_BiRelais()"

Ver.: 1.0.6 06.06.20:

• Added Mishas LED Previev and Mux functions to the Pattern_Configurator
• Using Harolds new pyProgGen_MobaLedLib
• Using the new USB port detection also in the Pattern_Configurator

Ver.: 1.0.5 31.05.20:

• Automatically install all libraries
• Using the Sketchbook path for the working directory

Ver.: 1.0.4 23.05.20:

• Automatically detecting COM port the Arduino is connected to
• Improved the HV_Reset() in the Tiny_UniProg according to Juergens tipp
• New macros InCh_to_TmpVar1() and Bin_InCh_to_TmpVar1() which start with state 1 instead of 0
• New macros for Servos and Herzstueck polarisation
• New Push Button macros which read DCC and hardware buttons
• Added macros Andreaskreuz with lamp test

Ver.: 1.0.3 01.05.20:

• Test of additional LED channels and EEPROM Storage

Ver.: 1.0.2 18.04.20:

• Test of switch and variables

Ver.: 1.0.1 17.01.20:

• Corrected the upload in version 1.0.0 because some files have not been update ;-(

Ver.: 1.0.0 16.01.20:

• New Charlieplexing program for the Servo_LED module which could be used to drive Viessmann and other "Multiplexed" light signals
• Configuration upload from the Pattern_Configurator over the LEDs "Bus" to the Charlieplexing module. The module is configured on the railway layout.
• Direct programming support for the Tiny_UniProg module from excel (One click to install the software)
• Flashing of the software for the Charlieplexing Module from excel (One click to install the software)
• Enhanced Color Test program with a lot of new features
• New Black and White TV simulation (configurable)
• Simulation of defective neon lights added
• 1001 of other small changes and improvements

Ver.: 0.9.3 08.12.19:

• Engagement of Pattern_Configurator and Program_Generator => Easy exchange between the tools
• CheckColors function: Live view of the colors and brightens of the LEDs
• Existing lines could be edited in the Prog_Generator

Ver.: 0.9.2 30.10.19:

• Corrected the XPattern function (used in the Light signals)
• Corrected the Excel Programs

Ver.: 0.9.1 06.10.19:

• Corrected the functions Flash(), RandWelding() and PushButton_w_LED_0_? in the Prog_Generator
• Corrected single LEDs in the House() and GasLights() function.

Ver.: 0.9.0 27.09.19:

• New Excel User interface to configure the LEDs
• Single LED functions for the House() macro
• Macros for Light signals, Construction lightning, ... added to the library

Ver.: 0.8.0 16.07.19:

• Added new assembly document for the main PCB from Alf and Armin

Ver.: 0.7.9 09.07.19: Moved the Pattern_Configurator to the "extras" directory and updated the excel version.

• Nice graphical display of the LED brightness and the Goto mode
• Reduced the size by extracting the examples
• Added a menu to save/load/delete example sheeds
• User interface is automatically switched to English (Example descriptions still German)

Ver.: 0.7.8 09.04.19:

• Added examples
  • 00.Overview
  • 25.Analog_Push_Button

Ver.: 0.7.7 17.02.19:

• Added Support for Sound modul JQ6500
• Corrected the random mode of the Counter() function
• Improved the serial input debug function
• Moved the Heartbeat function in own H-file"
• 12.03.19:
  • added ButtonNOff() macro

Ver.: 0.7.5 19.01.19:

• Added examples:
  • Burning house (Push button action with fire, smoke, sound and fire truck). Shown in the video: https://vimeo.com/311006857
  • DCC (Digital Command Control) decoder example with two Arduinos. Shown in the video: https://vimeo.com/311996452
• Added function Bin_InCh_to_TmpVar() and RGB_Heartbeat2()
• Added zip file with the RGB LED distribution PCBs
• Improved the fire algorithm
• Corrected the binary mode of the counter (CF_BINARY)
• Corrected the initialization of the Pattern function if the Goto mode is used.
• Updated the English documentation to the same state like the German.
• Using the correct version of the Pattern_Configurator.xlsb

Ver.: 0.7.0 20.12.18:

• First released version