Potentiometer Controlled LED Brightness Using Arduino

The objective of this project is to control the brightness of an LED using a potentiometer. As the potentiometer is rotated, the LED brightness changes accordingly.

DESHBOT SHIELD

UNO NANO

POTENTIOMETER

LED ( INBUILD IN SHIELD)

ComponentArduino PiN

Potentiometer middle pin A0

Potentiometer side pin 5V

Potentiometer other side pin GND

LED D13

The potentiometer produces an analog voltage between 0V and 5V. The Arduino reads this voltage using analog pin A0.

The analogRead() function gives a value between 0 and 1023. This value is converted to 0–255, representing the desired LED brightness.

The Arduino then uses software PWM to rapidly switch the LED ON and OFF. Changing the ON time changes the apparent brightness of the LED.

Working Flow

Rotate Potentiometer → A0 reads value → Value converted to brightness → Software PWM → LED brightness changes

This project demonstrates how an Arduino can read an analog input from a potentiometer and use the value to control the brightness of an LED. It is a simple project for understanding analog input, mapping values, and software PWM.