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Arduino Display Changing Text on MAX7219 8-digit LED Display Using Seque

2026-05-04 | By Ron Cutts

License: GNU Lesser General Public License Displays Microcontrollers Arduino ESP32

In this tutorial, we will learn how to display a Changing text on the MAX7219 8-digit Digital LED Display using Visuino and a Sequence component.

Watch the video.

Learn more about Visuino: What is Visuino

What You Will Need

What You Will Need

What You Will Need photo 2

What You Will Need photo 3

What You Will Need photo 4

The Circuit

  • Connect LED module pin[VCC] to Arduino pin[5V]

  • Connect LED module pin[GND] to Arduino pin[GND]

  • Connect LED module pin[DIN] to Arduino digital pin[11]

  • Connect LED module pin[CS] to Arduino digital pin[10]

  • Connect LED module pin[CLK] to Arduino digital pin[13]

The Circuit

Start Visuino, and Select the Arduino UNO Board Type

The Visuino: https://www.visuino.eu also needs to be installed. Download the free version or register for a Free Trial.

Start Visuino as shown in the first picture. Click on the "Tools" button on the Arduino component (Picture 1) in Visuino. When the dialog appears, select "Arduino UNO" as shown in Picture 2

Start Visuino, and Select the Arduino UNO Board Type

Start Visuino, and Select the Arduino UNO Board Type photo 2

In Visuino Add, Set & Connect Components

  • Add "Maxim LED Display Controller SPI MAX7219/MAX7221" component

  • Add "Sequence" component

  • Add "Text Value" component

  • Double click on the "Sequence1" and in the "Elements window" drag "Period" to the left side and in the properties window set "Delay" to 1000

  • in the "Elements window" drag another "Period" to the left side, and in the properties window, set "Delay" to 2000

  • in the "Elements window" drag another "Period" to the left side, and in the properties window, set "Delay" to 3000

  • in the "Elements window" drag another "Period" to the left side, and in the properties window, set "Delay" to 4000

  • Select "Sequence1" and in the properties window set "Repeat" to Tue

  • Double click on the "TextValue1" and in the "Elements window" drag "Set Value" to the left side and in the properties window set "Value" to HELLO

  • in the "Elements window" drag another "Set Value" to the left side, and in the properties window, set "Value" to HOUU
    -because the LED display can not show "W" we must use 2"U U".

  • in the "Elements window" drag another "Set Value" to the left side, and in the properties window, set "Value" to ARE

  • in the "Elements window" drag another "Set Value" to the left side, and in the properties window, set "Value" to YOU

    Note: Text on this Display is limited to a certain characters, so play with it to see what kind of words you can display.

  • Close the "Elements window

  • Double click on the "LedController1" and in the "PixelGroups window" drag "Text Display 7 Segments" to the left side

  • Close the "PixelGroups window"

  • Connect "Sequence1 > Period1" Pin[Out] to "TextValue1 > SetValue1" pin [In]

  • Connect "Sequence1 > Period2" Pin[Out] to "TextValue1 > SetValue2" pin [In]

  • Connect "Sequence1 > Period3" Pin[Out] to "TextValue1 > SetValue3" pin [In]

  • Connect "Sequence1 > Period4" Pin[Out] to "TextValue1 > SetValue4" pin [In]

  • Connect "TextValue1" pin [Out] to "LedController1" pin [Clock]

  • Connect "TextValue1" pin [Out] to "LedController1" > "Text Display 7 Segments1"pin [In]

  • Connect "LedController1" pin Out SPI to Arduino Pin SPI [In]Connect "LedController1" pin Chip Select to Arduino Digital Pin [10]

In Visuino Add,Set & Connect Components

In Visuino Add,Set & Connect Components photo 2

In Visuino Add,Set & Connect Components photo 3

In Visuino Add,Set & Connect Components photo 4

In Visuino Add,Set & Connect Components photo 5

In Visuino Add,Set & Connect Components photo 6

In Visuino Add,Set & Connect Components photo 7

In Visuino Add,Set & Connect Components photo 8

In Visuino Add,Set & Connect Components photo 9

In Visuino Add,Set & Connect Components photo 10

In Visuino Add,Set & Connect Components photo 11

Generate, Compile, and Upload the Arduino Code

In Visuino, at the bottom, click on the "Build" Tab, make sure the correct port is selected, then click on the "Compile/Build and Upload" button.

Generate, Compile, and Upload the Arduino Code

Play

If you power the Arduino module, the LED Display will start to display changing Text.

Congratulations! You have completed your project with Visuino. Also attached is the Visuino project that I created for this. You can download it and open it in Visuino: https://www.visuino.eu

Downloads

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