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Programming help needed for LED display
Kevin Mullins:
This is probably one of those things that I'll have to do much more research and experimenting before I even figure out which way to go with it.
I think getting the display to function as a simple keypress indicator shouldn't be too difficult.
Basically picture yourself pushing numbers on a calculator, press a number and it shows up. For a total of a three digit number.
Then make it disappear shortly there after.
This could be controlled from a VB script type program that just recognizes which number key is being pressed and display the appropriate number and would not have to work from the jukebox software at all.
I'll have to check out the LED-Wiz and it's options from you.
This display only has 3 7-segment displays, so it would certainly handle it.
I've never worked with one of them yet.
I am using the Key-Wiz though to interface the original numeric keypad. ;)
Now the second part of it would definitly have to have a command coming from the jukebox software in some manner to display the "currently" playing song and such. Not sure how to figure that part out without help from the jukebox software author.
I'll try to get a chance to pull the original display from the jukebox and take some pics to show how it's setup. Not that many wires if I remember correctly.
This part of the project may go on the backburner until I can devote more time directly to it.
RandyT:
--- Quote from: Kevin Mullins on July 29, 2007, 03:33:49 am ---I think getting the display to function as a simple keypress indicator shouldn't be too difficult.
Basically picture yourself pushing numbers on a calculator, press a number and it shows up. For a total of a three digit number.
Then make it disappear shortly there after.
This could be controlled from a VB script type program that just recognizes which number key is being pressed and display the appropriate number and would not have to work from the jukebox software at all.
--- End quote ---
In regards to not having to work with the jukebox software, yes. Difficult? Maybe. If you want the jukebox program to be running at the same time as this VB utility, the program you write will need to hook the keyboard (ala keyloggers) to get the input and then allow it to continue on to the jukebox software. It can be done, but it might be a little tricky.
--- Quote ---Now the second part of it would definitly have to have a command coming from the jukebox software in some manner to display the "currently" playing song and such. Not sure how to figure that part out without help from the jukebox software author.
I'll try to get a chance to pull the original display from the jukebox and take some pics to show how it's setup. Not that many wires if I remember correctly.
This part of the project may go on the backburner until I can devote more time directly to it.
--- End quote ---
See if the author will add a non-visible window (form) to his application with something like "Last Keypress=<key> Now-Playing=<SongNumber)" set as the caption of that window. You might have to work out some kind of "clear" display code as well so things stay in sync with what the program is doing, but you'll need to examine how the jukebox software accepts user input to decide on an approach for that one.
It's quite easy to monitor window titles from a concurrently running application, so if they could accommodate this pretty simple code addition in their software, you'd have the tools you needed to get it done.
RandyT
rockin_rick:
While I don't fully understand this, perhaps Mamehooker could be used to help you with this. I was checking it out some, and it has the ability to send serial data out the com port. If you were to use one of those modules that I linked to, connected it to the serial (com) port, then use mamehooker to send/pass data to it, the only thing left would be to get the juke software to output data that the mamehooker can intercept/read/send. I wonder if the window/form info that Randy was referring to is the same as what mame uses that mamehooker intercepts? (the comms between mame and mamehooker are what I don't understand)
Since you need the jukesoftware to make changes to output data, perhaps trying to get them to use the method that mamehooker can read would be best. Then you can outline to the juke programmer that if he were to do this, that one could use mamehooker and a serial module and then his software would support a LED display of the song number like a real jukebox. I'd bet that a juke software designer would find that ability cool and worth their time. Especially since the mamehooker software is freely available, and the serial module is a plug and play solution.
Rick
Kevin Mullins:
--- Quote from: rockin_rick on July 30, 2007, 01:41:31 am ---I was checking it out some, and it has the ability to send serial data out the com port.
--- End quote ---
That is definitly one of the most common options I have found for running this kind of display. I did a bit of research on some of the chips that I have on similar displays and they all seemed to accept a serial comm type signal. So I'm thinking that's the route to go. Especially if I can use stuff that I already have laying around, kinda fits the BYOAC code. ;)
--- Quote from: rockin_rick on July 30, 2007, 01:41:31 am ---I'd bet that a juke software designer would find that ability cool and worth their time.
--- End quote ---
They were very interested at one time, but then both them and I took a short hiatus on the subject. So hopefully I can convince them to look into it some more with me.
Will certainly take a look at the mamehooker software and see what all I can fanagle with it. This is all new to me, like I said.... I'm good with the hardware, but the software thing I have to piece together bit by bit. :P
I appreciate all the inputs thus far for sure. :cheers:
headkaze:
Forgive me for not reading every post in this thread. But I will reply to the original question.
I think Randy mentioned that you will need the Jukebox software to output the information, rather than write software yourself. So contacting the author is probably the best way to go.
Check out LCDSmartie which is a free open source software to communiate to LCD devices.
I'm not sure if it works with LED displays though. I have example source code in VB6 together with the CommIO.dll used in Mamehooker than you can interface with directly. Or you can of course use Mamehooker, but you still need to find out the protocol used to communicate with the device via comm port. You will have to look up your device on the Net to find such documents or contact the manufacturer.
I've written software to communicate to several different types of LED and LCD devices and they all have their own methods of communication. All of them use the comm port (even USB style interfaced use virtual comm ports) to communicate.
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