Summary of Arduino Police Lights (ATMega 2650 Version) **New Flash Patterns!**
This article details an Arduino-based police light project using the ATMega 2650 microcontroller. The author updated the code for efficiency, reduced LED count to eight, and added new flash patterns. The guide explains hardware assembly on a breadboard without a schematic, relying on visual wiring examples. It also suggests optional upgrades like transistors or shift registers to expand lighting capabilities.
Parts used in the Arduino Police Lights:
- 4x red LED's (high brightness)
- 4x blue LED's (high brightness)
- 8x 100 ohm resistors
- 1x ATMega 2650
- 22AWG wire
- 1x breadboard
**DISCLAIMER**
I do not and will not take responsibility for anyone who gets in trouble for this, by either imitating emergency personnel, or using without a permit/lisence.
Updates!
-I have shortened the code
-Changed 16 LED’s to 8
-Changed/added more flash patterns
-Renamed variables
As promised, this is the ATMega 2650 version of the police lights I originally did on my Duemilanove.
What you will need:
4x red LED’s (high brightness) You will want extra bright red LED’s because the ones I used are not very bright compared to the blue
4x blue LED’s (high brightness)
8x 100 ohm resistors
1x ATMega 2650 (The revision version does not matter)
22AWG wire
1x breadboard
Optional:
You can use transistors to use a lot of lights and not have to have as much code, or as many outputs being used. Just replace the LED’s with the transistors you want to use. I plan on using blue LED light strips with transistors to make this as easy as possible.
Or even use shift registers and have a HELL of a lot of LED’s hooked up.
Step 1: The Hardware
Considering you have installed the MEGA drivers and can program it, I will show you how to make awesome looking police lights.
First, you want to grab your breadboard, and some wire. You want to have it hooked up similar to the way I have it hooked up I the first picture. This makes it look better, stay together better, and make it easier to hook it up.
You will notice that the way I hooked it up looks a little weird, don’t fret. I have it programmed to use these pins so you don’t have to figure them all out.
I know I don’t provide a schematic, but it would be a HUGE pain to draw one up, and it would not look very good or understandable with this many outputs. I figured you can see how to hook it up enough to actually hook it up. Follow my Duemilanove version if you can’t figure this out. This is just double the outputs of what that is.
For more detail: Arduino Police Lights (ATMega 2650 Version) **New Flash Patterns!**
- What changes were made in this update?
The code was shortened, the number of LEDs was changed from 16 to 8, more flash patterns were added, and variables were renamed. - How many red LEDs are required for the project?
You need 4 high brightness red LEDs because the ones used are not very bright compared to the blue ones. - Does the revision version of the ATMega 2650 matter?
No, the revision version does not matter as long as you have one ATMega 2650. - What is the best way to connect the hardware components?
Use a breadboard and 22AWG wire hooked up similar to the first picture provided to make it look better and stay together. - Can I use transistors instead of direct LED connections?
Yes, you can use transistors to control a lot of lights without using as much code or as many outputs. - What is an alternative method to hook up many LEDs?
You can use shift registers to hook up a huge number of LEDs. - Why is there no schematic provided?
A schematic would be a huge pain to draw and would not look good or understandable with so many outputs. - Where can I find help if I cannot figure out the wiring?
You should follow the author's Duemilanove version instructions if you cannot figure out the current setup.
