Arduino Traffic Lights

By: Nabeela Merchant

Duration: 60 minutes

LEVEL SUBJECTS PROVINCES / TERRITORIES TOOL

Grades 9-12 Science and Across Canada Arduino

Technology; Applied
Design, Skills, and
Technologies

Overview Key Coding Concepts

In this activity, students will create a working model of

Variables
a traffic light using an Arduino Uno microcontroller
Functions
and some electronics.
Loops

Prep Work
● Complete the “Morse Code with Arduino” lesson
Terminology
first. Make sure your Arduino Create Editor Breadboard
account is set up and works with the Arduino A board used to build electric
Uno: circuit models.
https://www.canadalearningcode.ca/lessons/m
orse-code-with-arduino/ Resistor
● Read this primer on circuits: A component that regulates the
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/what-is-a-ci flow of an electric circuit.
rcuit
● Work through the example project to get LED
familiar with the hardware and software, and A light-emitting diode (LED)
ensure everything is working correctly: emits visible light when an
http://bit.ly/arduino-traffic-light-eg electric circuit passes through
● Go over the slides for the lesson: it.
http://bit.ly/arduino-traffic-light-slides
 ● Print the solutions sheet:
http://bit.ly/arduino-traffic-light-solution Curricular Connections
Text-based coding, digital
Materials (per pair):
output devices, electronics,
components of an electric
● Laptop with administrator permissions
circuit, electrical components,
● Arduino Create account
PCB (printed circuit boards),
● Arduino Uno
input/output devices,
● A B USB cable (USB printer cable) to connect the
microcontrollers,
the Arduino Uno to the laptop
communication, impacts of
● Some basic electronics:
technology on societies
○ Breadboard
○ Wires References
○ 1000 ohm resistors x3
○ A red, yellow, and green LED Arduino Create
https://create.arduino.cc/
Lesson
Arduino Uno
Use the following slides for this lesson:
https://store.arduino.cc/usa/ar
http://bit.ly/arduino-traffic-light-slides
duino-uno-rev3
Introduction
Arduino Reference
Traffic lights are used all over the world to control the
https://www.arduino.cc/referen
flow of traffic. The first traffic light was installed in
ce/en/
London in 1868, before cars were created, to control
the movement of horse carriages in the area, so
pedestrians could safely cross the road. These original
traffic lights had only two colours, red for stop and
green for go. The three coloured traffic lights we know
today weren’t introduced until 1920.

Traffic lights are great examples of simple robotic systems that have had profound effects
on society.

Using the Arduino Uno and a simple circuit, we will create a model of a three coloured
traffic light. The circuit will consist of three lights - green, yellow, and red - that are each
connected to the Arduino Uno. The traffic light will be green for 5 seconds, yellow for 1.5
seconds, and red for 3 seconds.

Code Along
Open up the example project and show learners the code and physical output (blinking LED
on a circuit board).
Point out the main elements of the circuit: breadboard, LED, resistor, wires, digital pin 8 for
power on the Arduino Uno, GND on the Arduino for the electrical ground.

Have the learners pair up. Assign each pair one of the elements of the circuit to research.
The learners have 5 minutes to research their electrical component and explain it to the
class.

Walk through each of the components with the class to ensure understanding.

Show the learners the code for the example project. Notice that the code is very similar to
the Arduino Lesson 1 example project, Blink. The main differences are the variable “light”
and the setup function. Instead of setting up the built-in LED on the Arduino Uno, we are
setting up digital pin 8, which is called “light”, where the LED from our circuit is connected.

Check for understanding by asking learners what would happen if you changed the value of
‘light’ from 8 to 9?

Demonstrate the effect of changing the value of the variable ‘light’ in the code. This should
result in no lights blinking in the circuit as we are now changing the value of digital pin 9,
which is not connected to anything. Don’t forget to verify and upload the code each time
you want to show learners the effect of the change.

Activity
In this activity you’ll create a working model of a traffic light.

Use the Solution Sheet (​http://bit.ly/arduino-traffic-light-solution​) to guide learners through

the following steps:

1. Gather the materials for the project.

2. Write out a detailed sequence of instructions of how each light should work.
 3. Build the circuit.
4. Connect the Arduino Uno to the computer.
5. Open up the Traffic Light project.
6. Fill out the remaining commands to turn on and off the lights in the right order.
7. Check the code.
8. Verify and upload the code to the Arduino Uno.

Assessment
● After reviewing the example project, co-construct success criteria with the class to
be used to evaluate their final projects.
● Have learners research the following programming concepts and explain how they
used them in their project: Variables, Functions, Loops.

Extensions
Program a 4 stage traffic light with the following pattern:
● Red for 3 seconds
● Red and yellow for 1.5 seconds
● Green for 5 seconds
● Yellow for 1.5 seconds

These four stage traffic lights are used in Britain and use the same 3 colours while letting
drivers know when the light will turn green.
 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

Traffic Light: Example Project

STEP 1: Gather materials
1. For this project you will need:
a. Arduino Uno + cable x 1
b. Breadboard x 1
c. Wires x 3
d. 1k (1,000) ohm resistor x 1
e. LED x 1
f. Computer (with admin permissions) x 1

STEP 2: Get familiar with the circuit components

1. Breadboard: a prototyping tool that lets you connect electrical
components without having to make permanent metallic connections
(solder). A breadboard has 2 parts, a) the prototype area and b) the power
rails.

a. The prototype area is where the electrical components are placed

and connected to each other. The pins in the prototype area are
connected together vertically as shown above. That means anything
connected to line 10 from A to E will all be connected to each other.
The green line is not connected to the yellow line.
b. The power rail is where the electrical components connect for
power and ground. The red line is typically connected to a power
supply and the blue line is typically connected to a ground. All
components connected to the red line will get power from the
connected power source. Similarly, all components connected to

Created by Nabeela Merchant for ​Canada Learning Code​

More info on Arduino: ​https://www.arduino.cc/
 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

the blue line will be grounded through the common ground that is
connected to the blue line.
2. LED: a Light Emitting Diode emits lights when electricity passes through it.
It has a positive side (long side) and a negative side (short side).
Remember, electricity flows from positive to negative so the way you
connect the LED matters. If your LED won’t light up, try swapping the
connections.

3. Resistor: an electrical component that creates resistance inside a circuit.

Resistors can have different resistances, which are measured in ohms.
The higher the resistance, the lower the current in the circuit. Resistors
come with coloured stripes on them to distinguish what their value is.
Here is a handy chart to figure out what resistance your resistor has:
http://www.ohmslawcalculator.com/resistor-colour-chart

4. Wires: Pieces of metal that are used to connect the electrical components
together to build a circuit.

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More info on Arduino: ​https://www.arduino.cc/
 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

5. Arduino Uno: a microcontroller that can connect to electrical components

and program them using software. The Arduino Uno has a series of black
pins that connect to electrical components via wires. The pins have
different functions depending on what they’re labelled: a) power, b)
digital, and c) analog.

a. The power pins provide power and ground to the breadboard. The
3V3 and the 5V pin are 3 volt and 5 volt power supplies,
respectively. The GND pin is the ground. This is where the circuit
ends. There are two GND pins on the Arduino Uno. One is with the
power pins and the other is with the digital pins. We will be using
the GND pin near the digital pins.
b. Digital pins can only have two states, on or off. When a digital pin is
on (HIGH or 1), it’s supplying power. When it’s off (LOW or 0), it’s not
supplying power. We can control whether the pin is on or off using
software. The digital pins are labeled 0 - 13. They can act either as
an input, receive sensor information, or output, send instructions or
power to a component, in the circuit. We will be using the digital
pins as outputs in this project. They will be supplying the LED with
power based on our software instructions.
c. Analog pins can have a variety of values beyond just off or on. They
can be any fraction between 0 and 1. The analog pins are labeled
A0 - A5.

Created by Nabeela Merchant for ​Canada Learning Code​

More info on Arduino: ​https://www.arduino.cc/
 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

STEP 3: Build the circuit

1. Start with an empty breadboard.

2. Place the LED on the breadboard. The longer leg of the LED is the positive
side and is on the right side in the diagram.

3. Connect the resistor to the positive side of the LED.

Created by Nabeela Merchant for ​Canada Learning Code​

More info on Arduino: ​https://www.arduino.cc/
 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

4. Connect the resistor to digital pin 8 on the Arduino Uno.

5. Connect the LED to the ground rail of the breadboard.

6. Connect the ground rail of the breadboard to the GND pin on the Arduino
Uno.

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More info on Arduino: ​https://www.arduino.cc/
 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

STEP 4: Connect the Arduino Uno to the computer

1. Using the A B USB cable (USB printer cable) connect the Arduino Uno to a
USB port of a computer.

STEP 5: Open the example project

1. Open the example project: ​http://bit.ly/arduino-blink-circuit

2. Sign into Arduino Create.

3. Click the “Add to my sketchbook” button.
4. The Arduino Create Editor should open with the example project, called
Blink Circuit, open and ready to edit or upload.

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More info on Arduino: ​https://www.arduino.cc/
 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

STEP 6: Get familiar with the code

1. The code is very similar in structure to Arduino Lesson 1
2. The code consists of 3 main parts: a) the variable ‘light’, b) the setup
function, and c) the loop function.

a. A variable is a name for a value. In this example, we have a variable

called ‘light’ that is equal to the value 8. The word ‘int’ at the start of
the line stands for integer and signifies that the variable is a whole
number. Variables can be whole numbers, fractions, or even letters
or words.
b. The setup function is a special function that is run only once when
the Arduino Uno is powered. It’s where electronics or code are
initialized or set up.
c. The loop function is the main part of the code. It will continue to
run over and over again as long as the Arduino Uno is powered.
This is where the main instructions go.

STEP 6: Run the example project

1. Click the button to verify the code.
2. Once verified, click the button to upload the code to the Arduino Uno.
3. Check the progress bar at the bottom to ensure the code was successfully
uploaded.

4. The LED on the breadboard should be flashing on for 1 second and off for
1 second. (see example in slides)

Created by Nabeela Merchant for ​Canada Learning Code​

More info on Arduino: ​https://www.arduino.cc/
 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

Traffic Light: Solution Sheet

STEP 1: Gather materials
1. For this project you will need:
a. Arduino Uno + cable x 1
b. Breadboard x 1
c. Wires x 7
d. 1k (1,000) ohm resistor x 3
e. LEDs x 3 (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green)
f. Computer (with admin permissions) x 1

STEP 2: Write out steps for traffic light operation

1. Write down a detailed sequence of instructions to turn on and off the
lights in the right order.
2. There should be separate instructions to turn a light on, to wait for the
designated period of time, and to turn a light off.
3. The more detailed the instructions, the better.

STEP 3: Build the circuit

1. Start with an empty breadboard.

2. Place the LED on the breadboard. The longer leg of the LED is the positive
side and is on the right side in the diagram.

Created by Nabeela Merchant for ​Canada Learning Code​

More info on Arduino: ​https://www.arduino.cc/
 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

3. Connect the resistor to the positive side of the LED.

4. Connect the resistor to digital pin 11 on the Arduino Uno.

5. Connect the LED to the ground rail of the breadboard.

6. Place the yellow LED on the breadboard. The yellow LED should not be in
the same line as either the red LED or its corresponding resistor. The
longer leg of the LED is the positive side and is on the right side in the

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More info on Arduino: ​https://www.arduino.cc/
 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

diagram.

7. Connect a 1,000 ohm resistor to the positive side of the yellow LED. The
resistor’s contacts shouldn’t be in the same line as the red LED or its
corresponding resistor.

8. Connect the resistor to digital pin 10

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 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

9. Connect the yellow LED to the ground rail

10.Place the green LED on the breadboard. The green LED should not be in
the same line as the red or yellow LEDs or their corresponding resistors.
The longer leg of the LED is the positive side and is on the right side in the
diagram.

11.Connect a 1,000 ohm resistor to the positive side of the green LED. The
resistor’s contacts shouldn’t be in the same line as the red or yellow LED

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 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

or their corresponding resistors.

12.Connect the resistor to digital pin 9

13.Connect the green LED to the ground rail

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 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

14.Connect the ground rail to the GND pin on the Arduino Uno.

STEP 4: Connect the Arduino Uno to the computer

1. Using the A B USB cable (USB printer cable) connect the Arduino Uno to a
USB port of a computer.

STEP 5: Open the Traffic Light project

1. Go to: h
​ ttp://bit.ly/clc-arduino-2
2. Log in to Arduino Create.

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 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

3. Select ‘Add to my sketchbook’.

STEP 6: Add the code

1. The variables for the project have already been created.
2. Learners have to add code to the setup and loop function in order to get
the green, yellow, and red lights turning on and off in order.
3. Initialize each LED’s digital pin as an output pin in the setup function.
4. Use the sequence of instructions to program the LEDs to turn on and off
in the loop function.
5. Learners need to use the following four commands, with the appropriate
variables (green, yellow, and red) and the appropriate delays in order to
complete the code:
a. pinMode(green, OUTPUT); // sets the green LED pin as OUTPUT
b. digitalWrite(green, HIGH); // turns the green LED on.
c. digitalWrite(green, LOW); // turns the green LED off.
d. delay(1000); // creates a pause of 1 second.
6. Use the comments below as hints for the sequence of operations if
learners are finding it challenging to figure out where to place the code.

Created by Nabeela Merchant for ​Canada Learning Code​

More info on Arduino: ​https://www.arduino.cc/
 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

Created by Nabeela Merchant for ​Canada Learning Code​

More info on Arduino: ​https://www.arduino.cc/
 Arduino​ | Solution Sheet

STEP 7: Final version of the code

STEP 8: Run the code

7. Click the button to verify the code.
8. Once verified, click the button to upload the code to the Arduino Uno.
9. Check the progress bar at the bottom to ensure the code was successfully
uploaded.

10.The lights on the breadboard should be turning on and off sequentially:

the green light for 5 seconds, the yellow light for 1.5 seconds, and the red
light for 3 seconds, repeatedly.

Created by Nabeela Merchant for ​Canada Learning Code​

More info on Arduino: ​https://www.arduino.cc/