LED VISUALIZATION

This dataset and software package provides a visualization-integrated microcontroller-based experiment designed to support learning of Light Emitting Diode (LED) concepts through real-time measurement and interactive visualization. The system combines an Arduino-based data acquisition module with a Python visualization application to link electrical measurements (macroscopic level) with a conceptual model of electron movement and recombination in semiconductor energy bands (microscopic level), and with circuit representations (symbolic level).

The Arduino program reads analog voltage signals from a voltage-sensing interface during LED circuit operation and streams time-stamped measurement data via serial communication (USB). The Python application receives the serial data, performs basic preprocessing (e.g., parsing, filtering, and scaling), and visualizes the experiment in two synchronized modes: (1) a dynamic V–I data view that helps learners identify data patterns and quantitative relationships, and (2) a conceptual animation illustrating electron flow, band-gap transitions, and the onset of light emission once the forward voltage approaches the LED threshold region. This integration is intended to facilitate sensemaking in data interpretation, enabling learners to connect experimental evidence to causal-mechanistic explanations of LED behavior.

The package includes the Arduino sketch, the Python application/source code, and sample datasets exported from serial logs. Users can replicate the activity by uploading the Arduino sketch, connecting the LED circuit and voltage sensor to the microcontroller, and running the Python application to display real-time measurements and visualization. The provided materials are suitable for classroom demonstrations, inquiry-based laboratory activities, and research on students’ conceptual understanding and representational reasoning.