Joystick LED

Note

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Kit purchase

Looking for parts? Check out our all-in-one kits below — packed with components, beginner-friendly guides, and tons of fun.

Name	Includes Arduino board	PURCHASE LINK
Ultimate Sensor Kit	Arduino Uno R4 Minima	BUY
Elite Explorer Kit	Arduino Uno R4 WiFi	BUY
3 in 1 Ultimate Starter Kit	Arduino Uno R4 Minima	BUY
Universal Maker Sensor Kit	×	BUY

Course Introduction

In this lesson, you will learn how to use Arduino along with Joystick Module, LEDs, and resistors to create a light play.

Note

If this is your first time working with an Arduino project, we recommend downloading and reviewing the basic materials first.

Required Components

In this project, we need the following components:

SN	COMPONENT INTRODUCTION	QUANTITY	PURCHASE LINK
1	Arduino UNO R4 Minima	1	BUY
2	USB Type-C cable	1
3	Breadboard	1	BUY
4	Wires	Several	BUY
5	1kΩ resistor	Several	BUY
6	LED	Several	BUY
6	Joystick Module	1	BUY

Wiring

Common Connections:

LED
- Connect the LEDs cathode to a 1kΩ resistor then to the negative power bus on the breadboard, and the LEDs anode to 2 to 5 on the Arduino.
Joystick Module
- VRY: Connect to A1 on the Arduino.
- VRX: Connect to A0 on the Arduino.
- GND: Connect to breadboard’s negative power bus.
- VCC: Connect to breadboard’s red power bus.

Writing the Code

Note

You can copy this code into Arduino IDE.
Don’t forget to select the board(Arduino UNO R4 Minima) and the correct port before clicking the Upload button.

// LED pin definitions
const int redLED = 4;    // Represents negative X direction (X low)
const int yellowLED = 2; // Represents negative Y direction (Y low)
const int greenLED = 3;  // Represents positive X direction (X high) →
const int blueLED = 5;   // Represents positive Y direction (Y high)

// Joystick pin definitions
const int xPin = A0;
const int yPin = A1;

// Define the range for analog values and midpoint
const int MID_VAL = 512;
const int DEAD_ZONE = 100;  // Dead zone range (adjust as needed)

void setup() {
  pinMode(redLED, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(yellowLED, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(greenLED, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(blueLED, OUTPUT);

  // Initialize all LEDs to OFF
  digitalWrite(redLED, LOW);
  digitalWrite(yellowLED, LOW);
  digitalWrite(greenLED, LOW);
  digitalWrite(blueLED, LOW);

  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  int xVal = analogRead(xPin);
  int yVal = analogRead(yPin);

  Serial.print("X: "); Serial.print(xVal);
  Serial.print("  Y: "); Serial.println(yVal);

  // Turn off all LEDs
  digitalWrite(redLED, LOW);
  digitalWrite(yellowLED, LOW);
  digitalWrite(greenLED, LOW);
  digitalWrite(blueLED, LOW);

  // Calculate the offset from the midpoint
  int dx = xVal - MID_VAL;
  int dy = yVal - MID_VAL;

  // If the offset is within the dead zone, do not light up any LED
  if (abs(dx) < DEAD_ZONE && abs(dy) < DEAD_ZONE) {
    // No LEDs are turned on
  } else {
    // Consider both X and Y; select the direction with the larger offset
    if (abs(dx) > abs(dy)) {
      // X-axis has a larger offset, determine the direction
      if (dx > 0) {
        // Positive X direction => Turn on green LED (right)
        digitalWrite(greenLED, HIGH);
      } else {
        // Negative X direction => Turn on red LED (left)
        digitalWrite(redLED, HIGH);
      }
    } else {
      // Y-axis has a larger offset, determine the direction
      if (dy > 0) {
        // Positive Y direction => Turn on blue LED (up)
        digitalWrite(blueLED, HIGH);
      } else {
        // Negative Y direction => Turn on yellow LED (down)
        digitalWrite(yellowLED, HIGH);
      }
    }
  }

  delay(100);
}