displaystuff.ino

// Use the MD_MAX72XX library to Print some text on the display
//
// Demonstrates the use of the library to print text.
//
// User can enter text on the serial monitor and this will display as a
// message on the display.

#include <MD_MAX72xx.h>
#include <SPI.h>

#define PRINT(s, v) { Serial.print(F(s)); Serial.print(v); }

//MD_MAX72XX mx = MD_MAX72XX(HARDWARE_TYPE, DIN_PIN, CLK_PIN, CS_PIN, MAX_DEVICES);

// Text parameters
#define CHAR_SPACING  1 // pixels between characters

void printText(uint8_t modStart, uint8_t modEnd, char *pMsg)
// Print the text string to the LED matrix modules specified.
// Message area is padded with blank columns after printing.
{
  uint8_t   state = 0;
  uint8_t   curLen;
  uint16_t  showLen;
  uint8_t   cBuf[8];
  int16_t   col = ((modEnd + 1) * COL_SIZE) - 1;

  mx.control(modStart, modEnd, MD_MAX72XX::UPDATE, MD_MAX72XX::OFF);

  do     // finite state machine to print the characters in the space available
  {
    switch (state)
    {
      case 0: // Load the next character from the font table
        // if we reached end of message, reset the message pointer
        if (*pMsg == '\0')
        {
          showLen = col - (modEnd * COL_SIZE);  // padding characters
          state = 2;
          break;
        }

        // retrieve the next character form the font file
        showLen = mx.getChar(*pMsg++, sizeof(cBuf) / sizeof(cBuf[0]), cBuf);
        curLen = 0;
        state++;
      // !! deliberately fall through to next state to start displaying

      case 1: // display the next part of the character
        mx.setColumn(col--, cBuf[curLen++]);

        // done with font character, now display the space between chars
        if (curLen == showLen)
        {
          showLen = CHAR_SPACING;
          state = 2;
        }
        break;

      case 2: // initialize state for displaying empty columns
        curLen = 0;
        state++;
      // fall through

      case 3: // display inter-character spacing or end of message padding (blank columns)
        mx.setColumn(col--, 0);
        curLen++;
        if (curLen == showLen)
          state = 0;
        break;

      default:
        col = -1;   // this definitely ends the do loop
    }
  } while (col >= (modStart * COL_SIZE));

  mx.control(modStart, modEnd, MD_MAX72XX::UPDATE, MD_MAX72XX::ON);
}