Arduino Project
Breath LED
Course Introduction
In this project, we use a DHT11 sensor, an LCD, and a WS2812 LED strip.
The LCD shows temperature and humidity, while the LED strip breathes in blue, yellow, or red depending on the temperature.
Note
If this is your first time working with an Arduino project, we recommend downloading and reviewing the basic materials first.
1.1 Install Arduino IDE(Important)
1.2 Introduction of Arduino IDE
Wiring

Common Connections:
DHT11 Humiture Sensor Module
DATA: Connect to 7 on the Arduino.
GND: Connect to breadboard’s negative power bus.
VCC: Connect to breadboard’s red power bus.
I2C LCD 1602
SDA: Connect to SDA on the Arduino.
SCL: Connect to SCL on the Arduino.
GND: Connect to breadboard’s negative power bus.
VCC: Connect to breadboard’s red power bus.
LED Strip
Din: Connect to a 330Ω resistor then to 6 on the Arduino.
GND: Connect to breadboard’s negative power bus.
+5V: Connect to breadboard’s passive power bus.
Writing the Code
Note
You can copy this code into the Arduino IDE.
To install the library, use the Arduino Library Manager and search for Adafruit_NeoPixel and install it.
To install the library, use the Arduino Library Manager and search for LiquidCrystal_I2C and install it.
Don’t forget to select the board(Arduino UNO R4 WIFI) and the correct port before clicking the Upload button.
#include
#include
#include "DHT.h"
// -------------------- Pins & Devices --------------------
#define LED_PIN 6
#define NUM_LEDS 8
#define DHTPIN 7 // DATA pin of 4-pin DHT11 connected to D7
#define DHTTYPE DHT11
// I2C LCD: 16x2, common address 0x27 (if not displayed, try 0x3F)
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27, 16, 2);
Adafruit_NeoPixel strip(NUM_LEDS, LED_PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);
DHT dht(DHTPIN, DHTTYPE);
// -------------------- Breathing parameters --------------------
// One full breathing cycle (dim -> bright -> dim), unit: ms
const unsigned long BREATH_PERIOD = 3000;
// Sensor reading interval
const unsigned long SENSOR_INTERVAL = 2000;
unsigned long lastSensorRead = 0;
// LCD refresh interval
const unsigned long LCD_INTERVAL = 500;
unsigned long lastLcd = 0;
// Current sensor values
float curTemp = NAN;
float curHumi = NAN;
// Colors: Blue (≤25) / Yellow (between 25~30) / Red (≥30)
uint32_t colorBlue;
uint32_t colorYellow;
uint32_t colorRed;
// Current target color
uint32_t targetColor;
void setup() {
// Optional: enable pull-up on DHT data pin, more stable for raw sensors
pinMode(DHTPIN, INPUT_PULLUP);
// LED strip initialization
strip.begin();
strip.show(); // Clear
strip.setBrightness(0); // Start breathing from dark
// Preset colors
colorBlue = strip.Color(0, 0, 255);
colorYellow = strip.Color(255, 180, 0);
colorRed = strip.Color(255, 0, 0);
// Sensor/LCD
dht.begin();
lcd.init();
lcd.backlight();
// LCD initial message
lcd.clear();
lcd.setCursor(0, 0); lcd.print("WS2812 Breathing");
lcd.setCursor(0, 1); lcd.print("DHT11 + LCD Ready");
delay(800);
lcd.clear();
}
void loop() {
const unsigned long now = millis();
// ---- Timed DHT11 read ----
if (now - lastSensorRead >= SENSOR_INTERVAL) {
lastSensorRead = now;
curTemp = dht.readTemperature(); // Celsius
curHumi = dht.readHumidity();
// Select color based on rule:
// ≤25 -> Blue; ≥30 -> Red; (25,30) -> Yellow
if (!isnan(curTemp)) {
if (curTemp <= 25.0) {
targetColor = colorBlue;
} else if (curTemp >= 30.0) {
targetColor = colorRed;
} else {
targetColor = colorYellow;
}
} else {
// If read fails, keep last color or default to Yellow
targetColor = colorYellow;
}
}
// ---- Breathing brightness (non-blocking) ----
uint8_t brightness = breatheBrightness(now, BREATH_PERIOD);
strip.setBrightness(brightness);
// All LEDs same color
for (int i = 0; i < NUM_LEDS; i++) {
strip.setPixelColor(i, targetColor);
}
strip.show();
// ---- Timed LCD update ----
if (now - lastLcd >= LCD_INTERVAL) {
lastLcd = now;
lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
lcd.print("T:");
if (isnan(curTemp)) lcd.print("--.-");
else printPadded(lcd, curTemp, 4, 1); // width=4, 1 decimal place
lcd.print("C H:");
if (isnan(curHumi)) lcd.print("--");
else printPadded(lcd, curHumi, 2, 0);
lcd.print("% ");
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
lcd.print("Mode:");
if (targetColor == colorBlue) lcd.print("BLUE ");
else if (targetColor == colorRed) lcd.print("RED ");
else lcd.print("YELLOW ");
}
}
// Calculate 0..255 breathing brightness (sine wave: 0->255->0)
uint8_t breatheBrightness(unsigned long t, unsigned long period) {
float phase = (2.0f * PI) * ( (t % period) / (float)period );
float s = (sinf(phase) + 1.0f) * 0.5f; // 0..1
int val = (int)(s * 255.0f);
if (val < 0) val = 0;
if (val > 255) val = 255;
return (uint8_t)val;
}
// Print value to LCD with fixed width/decimals (pad with spaces to avoid ghosting)
void printPadded(LiquidCrystal_I2C &lcdRef, float value, int width, int decimals) {
char buf[16];
dtostrf(value, width + (decimals ? (decimals + 1) : 0), decimals, buf); // width includes decimal point
lcdRef.print(buf);
}
