Ardino Pushbutton Led Control

A simple Arduino project demonstrating LED control using a pushbutton input.

🎯 Introduction / Objective

This project demonstrates the basic concept of digital input and output using an Arduino.
When the pushbutton is pressed, the LED turns ON, and when released, the LED turns OFF.
It’s a simple yet fundamental project to understand how Arduino reads input signals and controls output devices.

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⚙️ Components Used

Component	Quantity	Description
Arduino UNO	1	Microcontroller board used to run the code
Breadboard	1	For connecting the circuit without soldering
LED (any color)	1	Visual output indicator
Pushbutton	1	Input device to control the LED
Resistor 220Ω	1	Limits current to the LED
Resistor 10kΩ	1	Used as a pull-down resistor for the button
Jumper Wires	As needed	For making connections

💡 Note: In my prototype, I used a 10 kΩ resistor for the LED because I didn’t have a 220 Ω one available.
The LED still worked but was very dim. Recommended value: 220 Ω.

🔌 Circuit Diagram / Wiring

Connections:

• Digital Pin 13 → Resistor (220Ω) → LED Anode (+)
• LED Cathode (–) → GND
• Pushbutton one side → +5V
• Pushbutton other side → Digital Pin 2
• 10kΩ resistor between Pin 2 and GND (pull-down resistor)

🔌 Circuit Diagram / Wiring

Breadboard View

Schematic View

⚙️ How It Works

This project demonstrates how a pushbutton switch can be used to control an LED using an Arduino.

When the button is pressed, the circuit is completed, and the LED turns ON.
When the button is released, the circuit breaks, and the LED turns OFF again.

Step-by-Step Explanation

1. The LED is connected to a digital pin (e.g., pin 13) through a 220 Ω resistor, which limits the current to protect the LED.
2. The pushbutton is connected to another digital pin (e.g., pin 2).
3. A 10 kΩ resistor is used as a pull-down resistor — it keeps the button’s input LOW (0) when the button isn’t pressed.
4. When the button is pressed, the input pin goes HIGH (1) because it connects to 5 V.
5. The Arduino code reads this signal:
   • If the input is HIGH, the LED is switched ON.
   • If the input is LOW, the LED is OFF.

In short:

🟢 Press button → LED ON
⚫ Release button → LED OFF

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🧠 Additional Note

In the prototype version, a 10 kΩ resistor was temporarily used for the LED due to component availability.
The LED still worked but was very dim.
The recommended resistor value for the LED is 220 Ω for normal brightness and safe operation.

🔄 Simple Logic Flow

Start -> Button Pressed? Yes → Turn ON LED : No → Turn OFF LED -> End

💻 Code Explanation

const int buttonPin = 2;    // Pushbutton pin
const int ledPin = 13;      // LED pin
int buttonState = 0;        // Variable for reading the button status

void setup() {
  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);      
  pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT);    
}

void loop() {
  buttonState = digitalRead(buttonPin);  

  if (buttonState == HIGH) {      
    digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);   // Turn LED ON
  } else {
    digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);    // Turn LED OFF
  }
}

🎬 Demo / Result

▶️ Watch Demo Video

🧩 Challenges and Learning

🔹 Challenges Faced:

• Understanding the pushbutton connections:
  Initially, it was confusing that the button has four pins, but only two are needed because each side is internally connected in pairs.
• Choosing the right resistor:
  Used 10kΩ resistors (instead of the typical 220Ω for the LED) and learned how resistor value affects current flow and LED brightness.
• Circuit not working at first:
  The LED didn’t light up until checking the breadboard connections and ensuring the button pins were placed across the central gap correctly.
• Understanding INPUT and OUTPUT pins:
  Learned how Arduino differentiates between reading a signal (INPUT) and sending a signal (OUTPUT).

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🔹 What I Learned:

• How a pushbutton switch works internally and how it controls the circuit.
• The importance of pull-up or pull-down resistors to get a stable button signal.
• How to use digitalRead() and digitalWrite() functions in Arduino.
• Practical understanding of digital input/output logic — when the button is pressed (HIGH), the LED turns ON; otherwise, it turns OFF.
• Improved confidence in wiring and debugging breadboard circuits.

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💡 This project helped me understand how basic input/output control works in Arduino and built a strong foundation for future sensor-based projects.

🚀 Next Steps / Enhancements

🔹 Future Improvements:

• Add a Buzzer for Sound Feedback:
  Connect a buzzer alongside the LED so that when the button is pressed, both light and sound activate simultaneously for better user feedback.

• Control Multiple LEDs:
  Use one or more buttons to control multiple LEDs, creating interactive effects or simple light patterns.

• Integrate Serial Monitor Output:
  Display the button state (e.g., “Button Pressed” / “Button Released”) on the Serial Monitor for real-time observation and debugging.