[UNO Q] Add async led matrix sequence

[lucarin91]

It will be useful to have a way to run the LED matrix sequence in the background.

Currently, the void playSequence(bool loop = false) method of the Matrix LED library waits for the entire run of the animation, which could be forever if the loop parameter is true.

I think a possible implementation is to make the matrix library support this async behavior with a parameter in the begin function, i.e., begin(bool async = false). If async is true, the library will spawn a thread that will handle animation in the background. The user could start and stop the animation with the following method

• void playSequence(bool loop = false)
• void stopSequence()

[KurtE]

It am wondering if this is something that should be done within the library, or if you should just do it in your
own sketch?

That is up on the forum I put up a some examples for doing scrolling text without waiting:
https://forum.arduino.cc/t/i-would-like-to-display-a-text-on-arduino-uno-q-led-matrix/1422847/13
Note the one this link is to, may not currently compile on the released Q code, but will when the next
board release comes out. The one a few farther down in that thread does build on current release.

Edit: However if Arduino believes this should be done by the user sketch, would suggest that they add
an example that shows it.