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In this chapter, we will look at seven-segment displays and learn what they are and how they work. We will write a program to control the display on a single seven-segment display and then move on to a program to control a collection of four seven-segment displays. We will learn about the timers in a PIC and how to use them to create a variable delay. We will then move on to look at a simple stepper motor and write a program to drive it clockwise and anticlockwise. After reading this chapter, you will know how to use a delay and how to control and use a seven-segment display and drive a 5V DC stepper motor.

In this chapter, we’ll build a device library for a stepper motor driver. Stepper motors get used primarily in robotics projects, but it is not inconceivable they could be used in IOT projects.

Servo and stepper motors are used in a variety of applications, such as robotics, tracking systems, and positioning devices. Servo motors are used for fast movement to a given angle, while the stepper motors moves at a controlled speed in either continuous rotation or to a specific position. The servo motor has a feedback mechanism to determine location in contrast to the stepper motor that is moved incrementally. Servo motors are included in projects in Chapters 13, 22, and 24 with the stepper motor used in Chapter 9.

For years LEGO has produced their own computer based system known as Mindstorms. It gave a computer brain to the plastic LEGO bricks that had been around for decades. While Mindstorms has advanced in the 15 years since it was introduced, it was still limited based on the size of the LEGO Intelligent Brick and the available sensors and motors. An alternative to using the LEGO Mindstorms is the Arduino microprocessor, a small computer that can make use of any electrical components with some programming.