How to Build an Arduino Candle Simulator

Candles bring a warm and cozy atmosphere to any room, but they come with the danger of an open flame. Fortunately, with a few components and an Arduino board, you can easily create a flickering LED light that simulates a real candle, without any risk.

Materials Needed

• Arduino Board
• LED
• Resistor
• Breadboard
• Jumper Wires

Step 1: Gather Materials and Tools

Start by gathering the required materials. You will need an Arduino board, an LED, a resistor, a breadboard, and some jumper wires.

Step 2: Connect the LED

Connect the anode (positive) of the LED to digital pin 9 of the Arduino board using a resistor and the breadboard. Connect the cathode (negative) of the LED to the ground (GND) pin on the Arduino board.

Step 3: Connect the Breadboard

Connect the positive rail on the breadboard to the 5V pin on the Arduino board and the negative rail to the GND pin on the Arduino board.

Step 4: Write the Code

To create the flickering effect, write an Arduino sketch that uses a random number generator to control the brightness of the LED and includes a delay to create the flickering effect. Here is Arduino code:

void setup() {
  // initialize pin 9 as output.
  pinMode(9, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
  // generate analog by random integer between 0 and 255
  int flicker = random(0, 255);
  // set the brightness of the LED based on the random number
  analogWrite(9, flicker);
  // delay for a random amount of time
  delay(random(10, 100));
}

Upload the code to the Arduino board by connecting it to your computer with a USB cable.

Step 6: Test the Simulator

Turn on the Arduino and observe the LED flickering, simulating the light of a candle. If everything is working properly, you should see a realistic flickering effect.

Building an Arduino candle simulator is a fun and easy project that anyone can do. The LED light provides a safe and low-cost alternative to traditional candles, making it a great addition to any room. Give it a try and enjoy the warm, flickering glow of a candle without any danger.

You can find Tinkercad Model and Code Here

https://www.tinkercad.com/things/bGyUQy4QhCq-arduino-candle-simulator/

Thanks for reading.