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4-Digit Countdown Timer (Minutes and Seconds) - Arduino Tutorial

2026-10-27 | By Ron Cutts

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License: GNU Lesser General Public License Displays Microcontrollers Arduino ESP32

We will learn how to make a 4-Digit Countdown Timer displaying Minutes and seconds using Arduino.

Watch the Video!

Learn more about Visuino: What is Visuino

What You Will Need

What You Will Need

What You Will Need photo 2

What You Will Need photo 3

What You Will Need photo 4

What You Will Need photo 5

Circuit

  • Connect LED Display pin[CLK] to Arduino digital pin[10]

  • Connect LED Display pin[DI0] to Arduino digital pin[9]

  • Connect LED Display pin[GND] to Arduino pin[GND]

  • Connect LED Display pin[VCC] to Arduino pin[5V]

Circuit

Start Visuino, and Select the Arduino UNO Board Type

The Visuino: https://www.visuino.eu also needs to be installed. Download the free version or register for a Free Trial.

Start Visuino as shown in the first picture. Click on the "Tools" button on the Arduino component (Picture 1) in Visuino. When the dialog appears, select "Arduino UNO" as shown in Picture 2

Start Visuino, and Select the Arduino UNO Board Type

Start Visuino, and Select the Arduino UNO Board Type photo 2

In Visuino ADD Components

  • Add "TM1637 7 Segment Display 4 Digits Module + 2 Vertical Points (CATALEX)" component

  • Add "Up/Down Counter" component

  • Add "Pulse generator" component

  • Add "Divide Integer By Value" component

  • Add "Multiply Integer By Value" component

  • Add "Subtract Integer Value" component

In Visuino ADD Components

In Visuino ADD Components photo 2

In Visuino ADD Components photo 3

In Visuino ADD Components photo 4

In Visuino ADD Components photo 5

In Visuino ADD Components photo 6

In Visuino Set Components

  • Select "Display1" and in the properties window set "Points" to True

  • Double click on "Display1" component and in the "Digits" window

    • drag "Integer Display 7 Segments" to the left side

    • On the left side of the "Digits" window select "Integer Display 7 Segments1" and in the properties window set "Count Digits" to 2

    • drag another "Integer Display 7 Segments" to the left side

    • On the left side of the "Digits" window select "Integer Display 7 Segments2" and in the properties window set "Count Digits" to 2 and "Leading Zeroes" to True

  • Close the "Digits" window

  • Select "UpDownCounter1" and in the properties window set:

    • "Initial Value" to 300 <<< This is the Amount of seconds that it will Count Down, change it to your desired time

    • "Max > Roll Over" to False

    • "Min > Roll Over" to False

  • Select "DivideByValue1" and in the properties window set Value to 60

  • Select "MultiplyByValue1" and in the properties window set Value to 60

  • Select "SubtractValue1" and in the properties window select Value and click on the Pin Icon and select "Integer SinkPin"

In Visuino Set Components

In Visuino Set Components photo 2

In Visuino Set Components photo 3

In Visuino Set Components photo 4

In Visuino Set Components photo 5

In Visuino Set Components photo 6

In Visuino Set Components photo 7

In Visuino Set Components photo 8

In Visuino Connect Components

  • Connect "PulseGenerator1" pin Out to "UpDownCounter1" pin Down

  • Connect "UpDownCounter1" pin Out to "DivideByValue1" pin In and "SubtractValue1" pin In

  • Connect "DivideByValue1" pin Out to "MultiplyByValue1" pin In and "Display1" > "Integer Display 7 Segments1" pin In

  • Connect "MultiplyByValue1" pin Out to "SubtractValue1" pin Value

  • Connect "SubtractValue1' pin Out to "Display1" > "Integer Display 7 Segments2" pin In

  • Connect "Display1" pin Clock to Arduino digital pin 10

  • Connect "Display1" pin Data to Arduino digital pin 9

In Visuino Connect Components

In Visuino Connect Components photo 2

In Visuino Connect Components photo 3

Generate, Compile, and Upload the Arduino Code

In Visuino, at the bottom, click on the "Build" Tab, make sure the correct port is selected, then click on the "Compile/Build and Upload" button.

Generate, Compile, and Upload the Arduino Code

Play

If you power the Arduino module, the LED Display will start to Count Down.

Congratulations! You have completed your project with Visuino. Also attached is the Visuino project that I created for this; you can download it and open it in Visuino: https://www.visuino.eu

Downloads

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