RGB Controll

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 ESP32 board	PURCHASE LINK
ESP32 Ultimate Starter Kit	ESP32 WROOM 32E +	BUY
Universal Maker Sensor Kit		BUY

Course Introduction

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use a potentiometer with the Arduino Nano ESP32 to control an RGB LED.

As you turn the knob, the LED color smoothly transitions through red, yellow, green, and blue, creating a dynamic color blending effect.

Note

If this is your first time working with an ESP32 project, we recommend downloading and reviewing the basic materials first.

• 1.1 Install Arduino IDE(Important)

• 1.2 Introduce of Arduino IDE

• 1.4 Install the Arduino Nano ESP32 Board (Important)

Required Components

In this project, we need the following components:

SN	COMPONENT INTRODUCTION	QUANTITY	PURCHASE LINK
1	Arduino Nano ESP32	1
2	USB Type-C cable	1
3	Breadboard	1	BUY
4	Wires	Several	BUY
5	Potentiometer	1	BUY
6	RGB LED	1	BUY

Wiring

Common Connections:

• RGB LED

  • R: Connect to D9 on the ESP32.

  • Y: Connect to D10 on the ESP32.

  • G: Connect to D11 on the ESP32.

  • GND: Connect to breadboard’s negative power bus.

• Potentiometer

  • OUT: Connect to A0 on the ESP32.

  • GND: Connect to breadboard’s negative power bus.

  • VCC: Connect to 3.3V on the ESP32 Extension Board.

Writing the Code

Note

• You can copy this code into Arduino IDE.

• Don’t forget to select the board(Arduino Nano ESP32) and the correct port before clicking the Upload button.

/*
  Arduino Nano ESP32 (ESP32-S3)
  RGB LED color blending with potentiometer (LEDC PWM)
*/

// RGB LED pins (use Dx labels)
const int redPin   = D9;
const int greenPin = D10;
const int bluePin  = D11;

// Potentiometer pin (ADC)
const int potPin = A0;

// PWM settings
const int PWM_FREQ = 5000;     // 5 kHz
const int PWM_RES  = 8;        // 8-bit resolution (0~255)

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  delay(200);

  // Attach PWM to pins (Arduino-ESP32 3.x style)
  ledcAttach(redPin,   PWM_FREQ, PWM_RES);
  ledcAttach(greenPin, PWM_FREQ, PWM_RES);
  ledcAttach(bluePin,  PWM_FREQ, PWM_RES);

  // Optional: Set ADC behavior (not required, but helps stability)
  analogReadResolution(12); // ESP32 ADC default is typically 12-bit (0~4095)
}

void loop() {
  // Read potentiometer value (ESP32 ADC: 0~4095)
  int potValue = analogRead(potPin);
  Serial.println(potValue);

  // Map ADC value to 0~765 for color blending
  int range = map(potValue, 0, 4095, 0, 765);

  int r = 0, g = 0, b = 0;

  // Blend RGB colors based on range
  if (range <= 255) {
    r = 255;
    g = range;
    b = 0;
  } else if (range <= 510) {
    r = 510 - range;
    g = 255;
    b = range - 255;
  } else {
    r = 0;
    g = 765 - range;
    b = 255;
  }

  // Output PWM (inverted for common-anode RGB LED)
  // If you are using common-cathode, remove the "255 -" inversion.
  ledcWrite(redPin,   255 - r);
  ledcWrite(greenPin, 255 - g);
  ledcWrite(bluePin,  255 - b);

  delay(20);
}