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Author Topic: LED-Wiz USB LED and Output Control Device now available. *Blinky lights*  (Read 100654 times)

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SirPoonga

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #40 on: May 24, 2005, 06:19:13 pm »
And one could use it in conjunction with the wiz49 to indicate what mode the interface is in....

Kremmit

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #41 on: May 24, 2005, 07:28:42 pm »
It would be nice if it would light up the controls used in each specific game when it's chosen from the frontend- to tip guests off as to which sticks & buttons are "live" for that game.

If one really wanted to go crazy, it might be possible to create a little "tutorial" video for each game, and flash the lights under the buttons/around the joysticks in conjunction with the character's movements on screen, showing guests not only which controls are live, but what they do.

SirPoonga

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #42 on: May 24, 2005, 08:23:19 pm »
also one could put 8 LEDs around the joys and light up which directions the game used.

gl.tter

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #43 on: May 24, 2005, 08:25:27 pm »
Quote
It would be nice if it would light up the controls used in each specific game when it's chosen from the frontend- to tip guests off as to which sticks & buttons are "live" for that game.

also one could put 8 LEDs around the joys and light up which directions the game used.

The LSE provides for all of that ...

... (well, not from a frontend - but frontends, or any app, will be able to add LSE support and send the necessary signals).
« Last Edit: May 24, 2005, 08:29:03 pm by gl.tter »
author of the Quake2 and Half Life Act Labs lightgun conversions:


brandon

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #44 on: May 24, 2005, 08:32:34 pm »
also one could put 8 LEDs around the joys and light up which directions the game used.

how would this be wired up?

RetroBorg

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #45 on: May 25, 2005, 05:21:03 am »
also one could put 8 LEDs around the joys and light up which directions the game used.

how would this be wired up?

eb

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #46 on: May 25, 2005, 08:52:21 am »
Oh yes. Looking forward to this. So many implementations!
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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #47 on: May 25, 2005, 09:21:25 am »
Gosh, I know I want it simple, but I just had an idea for those who like bling...

Imagine that for "spinners", you have a circle of LEDs and the hardware would cycle the LEDs in a way to look like the lights are rotating around the spinner...
NO MORE!!

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #48 on: May 25, 2005, 09:47:36 am »
Gosh, I know I want it simple, but I just had an idea for those who like bling...

Imagine that for "spinners", you have a circle of LEDs and the hardware would cycle the LEDs in a way to look like the lights are rotating around the spinner...


Now that's a cool idea.

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #49 on: May 25, 2005, 01:43:10 pm »
Not just a cool Idea, But A VERY COOL IDEA. I want one!!!

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #50 on: May 25, 2005, 03:19:21 pm »
Gosh, I know I want it simple, but I just had an idea for those who like bling...

Imagine that for "spinners", you have a circle of LEDs and the hardware would cycle the LEDs in a way to look like the lights are rotating around the spinner...


That's one of the cool things about gl.tter's LSE engine. Take tron as an example. You could use MAME's cheat engine to find out how to determine the orientation of Tron's arm, and light up that LED.

For tempest, you could use figure out when the spinner moves and change the LED pattern from that.

It would be pretty difficult, but doable. And it could be done independent of what LED controller you had.

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #51 on: May 25, 2005, 04:29:28 pm »
Oh dude, that's not what I meant. I don't see the point of linking the lights to the actual spinner movement (well, other than pure coolness factor). What I meant was, if we're going to light up certain controls to indicate that game X uses those controls, well, instead of just a light appearing next to the spinner, it would be cooler to have a circle of lights rotating around it...

 :)
NO MORE!!

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #52 on: June 22, 2005, 03:29:47 pm »
First post updated with early software screenshot.


RandyT

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #53 on: June 22, 2005, 03:32:57 pm »
Wondering when this thread was going to reappear at the top of the board!

Can't wait!!!!   8)

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #54 on: August 01, 2005, 09:18:29 am »
Eagerly waiting...
This opinion was created from 100% post consumed information.

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #55 on: August 31, 2005, 05:25:21 pm »
heh?

I just found this.

mccoy178

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #56 on: September 18, 2005, 12:40:20 am »
Randy,
How is it going? :)

RandyT

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #57 on: September 19, 2005, 01:03:05 pm »
Randy,
How is it going? :)

Well, development has stalled for a little while while we are looking for a new business location to expand into.  A recent HD crash where all the application source code was located didn't help either.  Fortunately, we recovered all of the important stuff so no setback other than time.

I've been sitting on this one for quite a while now, but it's probably a good time to show it.  The hardware is pretty much ready, just finalizing the firmware and software application.  Once the firmware is finalized, I may offer a pre-sale of the units with the basic control software and bring out the fancy animating stuff to follow shortly thereafter.

Here's a preliminary product shot:


I'm going to try to get back onto this one very shortly.

Thanks again to everyone who continue to support our endeavors through their purchases from us.  We couldn't keep this up if it weren't for all of you!

RandyT

« Last Edit: September 19, 2005, 01:04:58 pm by RandyT »

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #58 on: September 19, 2005, 04:30:56 pm »
Sweet! Now if the Mame devs would be so kind as to integrate support for the numlock, scroll and caps lock lights to work with this!

(We don't all want an I-Pac, or keyboard controller)

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #59 on: September 20, 2005, 04:46:23 am »

Thanks again to everyone who continue to support our endeavors through their purchases from us.  We couldn't keep this up if it weren't for all of you!

RandyT


You got it mang!

Let us know when those preorders start up buddy.
 

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #60 on: September 21, 2005, 07:30:08 pm »
Mame devs should jump on this.  I've already set up my mame development environment so I can do blinking LED's when Pac-man ghosts turn blue and then blink.  But it only takes one person to add support, and I'm sure that someone will go in there and set up an interface to support more than 3 LED's.

I should point out that you can't and don't want it to have anything to do with the keyboard led's since you only have 3 of those.  What Randy has done is way better than what the keyboard LED's can do.

Well technically mame devs should only really be interested in it - imho - for games that actually flashed led's - I'm thinking flashing start buttons when you coin-up, or when the weapons van light blinks during spy hunter. The flashy frontendstuff so you can figure out which buttons to use on your panel is not really something that falls under mame. (Although it sounds like a rather perfect use for Controls.dat and various frontends).

As for in-game stuff - well mame already uses keyboard leds which is just as far from the the original as external leds so ideally, incorporating the LSE engine sounds like a good move which would hopefully be accepted as it provides more freedom for authentic emulation than just the keyboard leds. Any flash stuff would probably have to stored seperately like the cheat info (as this seems to rely on memory location....

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #61 on: September 21, 2005, 10:08:30 pm »
I just mean I would like support for what MAME does now - blink those three lights. Also, have the cool flashy stuff for my own config. And, perhaps even add the detect an event in the game and flash however, and light up just the controls for that game, and..

... Must stop... The possibilities are endless. Randy - you are doing great things!

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #62 on: September 21, 2005, 10:14:38 pm »
Sweet peat! If this comes with a easy-to-use compiler package, this may be a great alternative for making LED light Marquees or even the most holy Dragon's Lair scoreboard ? That would require programming on our part to make the leds line up with all the port requirements and must be on parrallel port for the Daphne emulator I think. If it could do that..... o wow.

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #63 on: September 21, 2005, 10:27:07 pm »
Sweet peat! If this comes with a easy-to-use compiler package, this may be a great alternative for making LED light Marquees or even the most holy Dragon's Lair scoreboard ? That would require programming on our part to make the leds line up with all the port requirements and must be on parrallel port for the Daphne emulator I think. If it could do that..... o wow.

There was a repro DL scoreboard made at one time, I don't think they are made anymore though.

Daphne supports parallel port output for the scoreboard. In fact, I thieved the Daphne code for my own controller.


Here's a page with schematics on how to build your own.

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #64 on: September 21, 2005, 11:01:55 pm »
I just want to communicate something about the way the LED-Wiz will work, so there are no misunderstandings.

Each LED will need to have its own current limiting resistor, or have one built into the LED.  The wiring scheme will be "common anode"

While this isn't as convenient as having software controlled current limiting (ie. no resistor required) there is a real advantage to this approach.  That advantage is the ability to power just about anything up to 500ma per output (with the possible exception of inductive loads.)  So theoretically, you could hang about 25 LEDS, with their appropriate resistors,  off of each output.  This can come in handy if you have duplicate controls and want to save outputs by making each set the same, or for creating simple chase light sequences using only 3 or 4 outputs for a large string of LEDs.

There will be a lot of possibilities.  But it's important to understand that a device like this one will manipulate low-voltage power, but with enough current to damage your motherboard or power supply, or even cause a fire if used improperly!   While it's unlikely for the latter to occur, I have seen a thin piece of copper wire glow brightly and vaporize when accidentally connected across +5 and ground on a USB device.  If that were sitting in a pile of shredded newspaper or sawdust, it could have ignited it. 

This shouldn't scare anyone off of using these types of devices, just to make sure everyone understands that the rules that applied to keyboard encoders don't apply here, outside of the application of good wiring practices.  And, I'd expect the (replacable) driver chip to pop before anything too awful happened, but it's always best to play it safe!

RandyT
« Last Edit: September 21, 2005, 11:43:39 pm by RandyT »

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #65 on: September 22, 2005, 10:24:05 am »
Yeah, yeah - fires, shorts, don't call me if you blow up your cab - the real information we want is WHEN CAN WE GET ONE!   ;D

I plan on getting a GP-wiz49 very soon - I'd like to order these together... are we looking at days? weeks?
Clones are people, two.

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #66 on: September 22, 2005, 10:59:28 am »
Like for lighting up buttons/controls that the game uses?

That's all I want something like this for. Too many times do I need to tell guests which buttons to use.

That can be done with MaLa and the MaLa hardware. There is no need for a specific mame version.
http://mala.arcadezentrum.com/hardware.htm

It's also possibele to create led animations and use them as attract mode on your control panel.

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #67 on: September 22, 2005, 11:12:26 am »
Like for lighting up buttons/controls that the game uses?

That's all I want something like this for. Too many times do I need to tell guests which buttons to use.

That can be done with MaLa and the MaLa hardware. There is no need for a specific mame version.
http://mala.arcadezentrum.com/hardware.htm

It's also possibele to create led animations and use them as attract mode on your control panel.

It also costs about twice what the LED-Wiz will. 

BTW, if it isn't considered bad taste to post about your product in a competitors thread, it should be.

RandyT

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #68 on: September 22, 2005, 11:17:55 am »
Quote from: RandyT

BTW, if it isn't considered bad taste to post about your product in a competitors thread, it should be.

RandyT

Sorry for this! Anyway good luck with your product.

SirPoonga

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #69 on: September 22, 2005, 11:52:17 am »
also one could put 8 LEDs around the joys and light up which directions the game used.

how would this be wired up?  1 output per LED or could you wire them in groups to save outputs?  I would think maybe several LEDs in parallel in different combinations.  Maybe 3 total outputs:
(1) 2 LEDs for horizontal 2-way mode
(2) 2 LEDs for for vertical 2-way more,
(3) 4 LEDs for diagonal 4-way. 
various combinations of those to make standard 4-way and 8-way..  wouldnt this work?   :-\

Actually, it you wire it right you will only have 8 LEDs indicating directions available.
You'd need one output for 2way horizontal, 1 for 2 way vertical, 1 for 4way, 1 for 4way diagonals, 1 for 8way.  Then you'd wire those outputs to the appropiate LEDS.  It'd be like if you used more than one button for a single input on a keyboard encoder.

See attached picture.  I did not indicate grounds as they all get daisy chaned together.  I alos am showing the LEDs in parallel assuming all negative side of LEDs are gorund.  But hte idea, and should be obvious from the pic, will work in series to.

All you need to do then is apply power to 2W-H, 2W-V, 4W, 4W-D, or 8W to light the appropiate LEDs.  It saves you 3 outputs instead of using 8 per LED.

Note, forgot to put the hump where the green wire goes over the blue wire.  They do not connect :)
« Last Edit: September 22, 2005, 11:53:48 am by SirPoonga »

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #70 on: September 22, 2005, 12:15:04 pm »
based formt he picture, the LEDWiz is going to be USB? 

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #71 on: September 22, 2005, 12:23:45 pm »
based formt he picture, the LEDWiz is going to be USB? 

Yes.  That means that this version will be for Windows only until someone decides to try to make a Linux driver. 

I'll consider a DOS version down the road, but seeing as the functionality of the device is so software dependant, it would probably only be a shadow of this one.

Randy

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #72 on: September 22, 2005, 12:31:37 pm »
SirP, look at brandon's post again.  He's right.  It's 8 LED's on 3 inputs: 2H, 2V, 4D.  4W=2H+2V; 8W=2H+2V+4D.

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #73 on: September 22, 2005, 02:11:18 pm »
Actually, it you wire it right you will only have 8 LEDs indicating directions available.
You'd need one output for 2way horizontal, 1 for 2 way vertical, 1 for 4way, 1 for 4way diagonals, 1 for 8way.  Then you'd wire those outputs to the appropiate LEDS.  It'd be like if you used more than one button for a single input on a keyboard encoder.
Except Kangaroo - Don't remember if it's 3 or 5 - way, there isn't a down, though.  And controls.ini has it wrong also, AFAICT.
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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #74 on: September 22, 2005, 02:21:01 pm »
SirP, look at brandon's post again.  He's right.  It's 8 LED's on 3 inputs: 2H, 2V, 4D.  4W=2H+2V; 8W=2H+2V+4D.
How can you do diagonal and regular 4 way with one input?

Wait, I get it.  You just turn on the colored wires that are running down for the appropiate directional.  Duh.  Basically I diagramed how it is to work with only 3 inputs :)  My little chart running down the side indicates which inputs to power.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2005, 02:23:18 pm by SirPoonga »

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #75 on: September 22, 2005, 02:28:34 pm »
Actually, it you wire it right you will only have 8 LEDs indicating directions available.
You'd need one output for 2way horizontal, 1 for 2 way vertical, 1 for 4way, 1 for 4way diagonals, 1 for 8way.  Then you'd wire those outputs to the appropiate LEDS.  It'd be like if you used more than one button for a single input on a keyboard encoder.
Except Kangaroo - Don't remember if it's 3 or 5 - way, there isn't a down, though.  And controls.ini has it wrong also, AFAICT.
Must be 5way as the mame driver indicates they used an 8way?  did they physically not allow down?

RandyT

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #76 on: September 22, 2005, 02:37:04 pm »
SirP, look at brandon's post again. He's right. It's 8 LED's on 3 inputs: 2H, 2V, 4D. 4W=2H+2V; 8W=2H+2V+4D.

You are correct.


But I'd still consider using an extra one, making each input a set of opposing LED's, to get a cool "pinwheel" effect around the stick ;)

RandyT

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #77 on: September 22, 2005, 02:41:37 pm »
Must be 5way as the mame driver indicates they used an 8way?
Nope, not the way I meant it - using cardinal directions -
NW - N - NE : 3 way
W - NW - N - NE - E : 5 -way.

Either uses diagonals, so either would be an 8-way stick (possibly restricted).
Quote
  did they physically not allow down?
My bad, just looked at the CP again.  They only don't use the downward diagonals, so it would be six way if it's restricted, but it probably isn't.

I'll go climb under my rock again now . . .
It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you, it's what you leave behind you when you go. - R. Travis.
When all is said and done, generally much more is SAID than DONE.

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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh?
« Reply #78 on: October 03, 2005, 11:40:29 am »
A quick update.

Firmware is 99.9% completed.  IE. nothing left but more testing.


Here's what I was able to accomplish:

USB port communication and power.

32 uniquely controllable outputs and up to about 500 Hi-Output LEDs per board (15+ per output, external power source required for this type of craziness :))

48 levels of intensity, individually assignable to each output  (after the hardware effects were added, I started to get flicker at 64.  So it was dropped back to 48, or 6-bit resolution)

Using RGB LEDs (common anode), theoretically 110,592 colors are possible.

Each individual output can be set to one of  the following hardware modes.  These modes are set by the computer, and after that the hardware handles them by itself.

1: Intensity
2: Sawtooth (gradual up and gradual down)
3: SquareWave (blink)
4: SawDown (full on, gradual down)
5: SawUp (gradual up, full on)

There is a global 7-level speed control for modes 2 through 5
 
The first release of the software will be basic.  Animation will follow, but for now it will just let you control all of the above through a couple of different means.

Hoping to have everything ready to go in a few days. ;)

RandyT


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Re: So, it's blinky lights you like, eh? - ALMOST READY!
« Reply #79 on: October 03, 2005, 01:17:28 pm »
Now that you are down to the finish, can you tell us a bit more about the software, and options you are considering?

I have a couple of questions, about your current or future plans. 

1. Will the software accept command-line changes?

2. And do so invisibly (as an option, etc)

3. Will there be the ability to load different configurations on the fly?

hm... that's it for now.
Raspberry Pi, AttractMode, and Skeletor enthusiast.