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An Arduino traffic light simulator can be a physical breadboard circuit or a virtual circuit in a browser. For a first project, build a three-LED model to learn output pins and timed states; add a pedestrian button only after the basic sequence works. If you want to try the idea without assembling hardware, a tutorial demonstrates a Wokwi virtual circuit, but its current features and account or pricing details are not established here.

Choose a physical build or a virtual circuit

A physical build lets you wire individual LEDs and see how Arduino output pins control them. A virtual circuit is useful for trying a design without assembling the LED circuit; the cited tutorial uses Wokwi, but does not establish current simulator capabilities or terms. The wiring and sketches below describe a physical model.

Approach Best for Trade-off
Separate LEDs on a breadboard Learning individual output pins and basic wiring Requires several connections and an appropriate series resistor for each LED. Check the board and component specifications.
Traffic-light LED module A compact, integrated display Check the exact module’s pinout and electrical requirements; the cited tutorial does not establish specifications for a particular module.
Virtual circuit simulation Trying a circuit without assembling the LED hardware The cited Wokwi tutorial does not verify current features, account requirements, or pricing.

Parts for a basic Arduino traffic light

One Arduino Project Hub example uses an Arduino Uno, red, yellow, and green LEDs, and one 220 Ω resistor per LED. Those are the documented choices for that build, not universal component values. SunFounder’s lesson also names an Arduino Uno R3, three colored LEDs, and a pedestrian button.

  • An Arduino board compatible with the wiring and sketch
  • A breadboard and jumper wires
  • One red, one yellow, and one green LED
  • A suitable series resistor for each LED, selected for your board and components

If you use a starter kit, verify that the exact kit includes a compatible board and the parts you need. The cited tutorials establish component categories, not the contents or compatibility of any particular retail listing.

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Wire the three LEDs

Connect each LED to a separate digital output through its own series resistor, following the LED polarity and your board’s specifications. The cited example documents this arrangement with an Arduino Uno and 220 Ω resistors. Its value should not be treated as a universal recommendation for other boards, LEDs, or modules.

Choose three digital pin numbers and use those same numbers in the sketch. For example, the code below assigns red to pin 2, yellow to pin 3, and green to pin 4. These pin assignments are an illustrative sketch choice, not a requirement of the cited wiring example.

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Run a basic timed sequence

A simple demonstration turns on one light at a time, waits, and advances to the next. Change the pin numbers to match your wiring. The durations below are illustrative values you can adjust for a tabletop model; they are not road-signal timing standards.

const int RED_PIN = 2;
const int YELLOW_PIN = 3;
const int GREEN_PIN = 4;

void setup() {
  pinMode(RED_PIN, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(YELLOW_PIN, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(GREEN_PIN, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  digitalWrite(RED_PIN, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(YELLOW_PIN, LOW);
  digitalWrite(GREEN_PIN, LOW);
  delay(3000);

  digitalWrite(RED_PIN, LOW);
  digitalWrite(YELLOW_PIN, LOW);
  digitalWrite(GREEN_PIN, HIGH);
  delay(3000);

  digitalWrite(RED_PIN, LOW);
  digitalWrite(YELLOW_PIN, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(GREEN_PIN, LOW);
  delay(1000);
}

This sequence repeats after the yellow interval. The delay() calls make it easy to follow, but block the loop while each wait is in progress. A button press or separate blinking task cannot be handled promptly during those waits.

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Add a pedestrian button and crossing signal

A pedestrian extension adds a push button and a crossing indication; an optional piezo buzzer can provide an audible cue. In one Arduino Project Hub build, the button connects between digital pin 12 and GND and uses INPUT_PULLUP, so that example needs no external button resistor. Its buzzer connects between digital pin 11 and GND. Follow the project’s diagram and verify your own board and components before adapting its wiring.

With INPUT_PULLUP, the input is normally HIGH and reads LOW when the button connects the pin to ground. The software can treat that LOW reading as a request, then progress through states such as vehicle green, yellow, vehicle red with pedestrian crossing, and return to green. The timing and sequence in a tabletop project are educational choices.

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A more responsive version can use a finite state machine and millis() instead of waiting with delay(). The newer Arduino Project Hub tutorial demonstrates enum-based states, a green-to-yellow transition, a red crossing interval, buzzer beeps, and a return to green. It also demonstrates a separate built-in LED blink continuing during the sequence. This pattern lets the loop keep checking the button and handling other tasks while time passes.

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When to use a state machine

Timing approach Use it when Trade-off
delay() You want a compact first sketch that shows a sequence clearly. The loop is blocked during each wait, making concurrent input and independent actions harder.
millis() with a finite state machine You need to keep checking a button, blink another LED, or coordinate a buzzer or display. You must track the current state and when its interval began.

For a two-way intersection, expand the state machine to coordinate both traffic stations and the pedestrian walk cycle. An Arduino Project Hub example demonstrates that kind of coordination, but its particular timings are only one demonstration, not a standard.

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Keep the model’s purpose clear

These projects demonstrate electronics and programming; they do not establish regulatory compliance, accessibility compliance, or suitability for controlling public-road signals. Do not use a tabletop sketch or simulator as a real traffic-control system. A seven-segment display, extra pedestrian or car lights, or a TM1637 four-digit display can be added as optional learning extensions, but none is needed for the basic three-LED sequence.

Sources and project examples

The cited material supports the example component choices and behaviors described above. It does not establish exact current simulator terms, specifications for a particular retail module, or real-road signal requirements.

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