Arduino turns LEDs off when set 'high', opposite direction as coded

Question

I've got a function that decreases over time (1000 / 60 seconds) and by touching a softPotentiometer you can increase that value. By every increment of 200 a LED is lid. So for 0-200, 1 LED; 201-400, 2 LEDs; etc. And since it decreases over time while doing nothing, if it drops below a certain value, a LED is shut off.

However, I've got a (amateur) coded set up, but somehow it lids the LEDs in the opposite direction. In a way that, I've coded it that if it's above 800, lid 5 LED's. However, it will only lid one LED when it's dropped below the 800, in the area of 601-800.

That's exactly the opposite of what I want. So what am I doing wrong here?

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My code:
And with amateur, I mean that I didn't use arrays and therefor write everything multiple times..

int cleanCount = 1000;
int IsItWorkingLED = 13;
int softpotPin = A0; //analog pin 0
int LED1 = 1;
int LED2 = 2;
int LED3 = 4;
int LED4 = 5;
int LED5 = 7;
void setup () {
 Serial.begin(9600);
 digitalWrite(softpotPin, HIGH); //enable pullup resistor 
 pinMode(1, OUTPUT); 
 pinMode(2, OUTPUT); 
 pinMode(4, OUTPUT); 
 pinMode(5, OUTPUT); 
 pinMode(7, OUTPUT);
 digitalWrite(1, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(2, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(4, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(5, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(7, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
}
void loop() {
 int softpotReading = analogRead(softpotPin);
 if (softpotReading < 980) { // IF TOUCHED
 digitalWrite(IsItWorkingLED, HIGH); 
 ++cleanCount;
 Serial.println(cleanCount);
 delay(16); // Drain 5 times as fast
 }
 else if (softpotReading > 980) { // IF NOT DTOUCHED
 digitalWrite(IsItWorkingLED, LOW); 
 --cleanCount;
 Serial.println(cleanCount);
 delay(64); // 1000 / 60 seconds
 }
 else { // Als er een fout optreed..
 Serial.println("Something wrong!");
 digitalWrite(IsItWorkingLED, HIGH); 
 delay(250); 
 digitalWrite(IsItWorkingLED, LOW); 
 delay(250); 
 }
 if (cleanCount >= 0 && cleanCount <= 200) {
 Serial.println("Knal 1 LED aan");
 digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED2, LOW); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED3, LOW); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED4, LOW); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED5, LOW); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 }
 else if (cleanCount >= 201 && cleanCount <= 400) {
 Serial.println("Knal 2 LEDs aan");
 digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED2, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED3, LOW); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED4, LOW); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED5, LOW); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 }
 else if (cleanCount >= 401 && cleanCount <= 600) {
 Serial.println("Knal 3 LEDs aan");
 digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED2, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED3, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED4, LOW); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED5, LOW); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 }
 else if (cleanCount >= 601 && cleanCount <= 800) {
 Serial.println("Knal 4 LEDs aan");
 digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED2, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED3, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED4, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(LED5, LOW); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 }
 else if (cleanCount >= 801 && cleanCount <= 1000) {
 Serial.println("Knal 5 LEDs aan");
 digitalWrite(1, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(2, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(4, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(5, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 digitalWrite(7, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
 }
 else {
 Serial.println("Just..do nothing"); 
 }
}

• aaa: Ever thought of what would happen if the softpotReading is exactly 980? But what if you switch ++cleanCount and --cleanCount. Not sure why you're using those, but switching them around might cause it to work like you expected? There would be a way more efficient way to map your potentiometer reading onto the leds. Don't have time to explain it at the moment. And I don't have an arduino at the moment... Veel succes!
• aaa: I've coded it that if it's above 800, lid 5 LED's. doesn't really map onto if (softpotReading < 980) { // IF TOUCHED

Answer 1

If your LEDs are connected anode to +5, cathode to i/o pin, they would behave this way. Cathode to ground, anode to i/o would behave as you expect.

• BrettFolkins: @FuaZe His answer checks out to me, the LED is off when the IO pin matches the ground/power on the other side making the voltage diff 0, and on when the IO pin opposes the power connection making a voltage difference. Many LED's are wired so that they are lit when IO is LOW because of some electrical characteristics of the IO pins I couldn't fully explain.
• aaa: Yeah, I didn't get it at first glance as I was sure something wasn't 100% in the code. But current will flow from the 5V to the arduino. And indeed putting negative to ground and positive (with current limiting resistor) to arduino will work.
• Sander Schaeffer: Should I post a photo of my setup (wires and such?). Pretty sure it's correct. If there is software to create a schematic, tell me, else you've got to do it with a picture :)
• aaa: Basically it comes down to this: if one side of the LED is attached to 5V instead of GND/0V then it will be 'inverted'

Answer 2

Try reversing the if statements. You say:

I've coded it that if it's above 800, lid 5 LED's.

And your code is: (softpotReading < 980) { // IF TOUCHED

The code describes: IF softpotReading IS SMALLER THAN 980, DO{ code.. }

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In dutch (as OP is dutch, and to be honest his English somehow confuses me a bit, to be sure it's not the other way around also):

Ik denk dat je de IF statements verkeerd om hebt. Je beschrijft dat bij een waarde hoger dan 800 de ledjes aan gaan...

Echter staat in je code (softpotReading < 980) { // IF TOUCHED Wat dus zal betekenen dat de code wordt uitgevoerd als die < (kleiner dan) 980 is.

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 if (softpotReading > 980) { // IF TOUCHED
 digitalWrite(IsItWorkingLED, HIGH); 
 ++cleanCount;
 Serial.println(cleanCount);
 delay(16); // Drain 5 times as fast
}
else if (softpotReading <= 980) { // IF NOT DTOUCHED
 digitalWrite(IsItWorkingLED, LOW); 
 --cleanCount;
 Serial.println(cleanCount);
 delay(64); // 1000 / 60 seconds
}

• Sander Schaeffer: Yeah I'm Dutch ;) But I'll reply in English, for Site's sake. You really got to ignore the 'IF SoftpotReading < 980. Which is completely different. I've got a softPod module which reads out about 1000 if it's not touched. Once you touch it, it never goes above 980. You only have to look at the other statements. I could indeed reverse the IF statements. Thanks
• aaa: Sander you could also try to do int softpotReading = 1024-analogRead(softpotPin); This way, your softpot wil give 0 for low to 1024 for high
• aaa: Try to think of what your input is and what you want your output to be. Then you should use your code to bridge that gap.