Help and Input for a Propeller-Based Repair Shop Universal Test Unit
kf4ixm
Posts: 529
Hi all,
I do part time appliance repair work at a christian thrift store, and we get alot of different stuff all the time and i test and repair all types of appliances and electronics.
What i have in mind is a propeller proto board that would allow me to test tv's with a video out showing standard color bars or something similar, a vga out to test monitors similar to the tv out. have a keyboard and mouse input that would display a test screen on either vga or tv, showing a keyboard layout, allow me to test each key by pressing each key and having the on screen keyboard inverse-toggle the color of·the charachter on the screen showing that the key had been pressed. same with the mouse buttons.
I would really like to have this all contained into one program, using a selector switch to enter different modes of test. (If possible regarding memory)
I have been looking over the objects in the obex, i'm thinking that the Text based GUI for VGA_HiRes_Text Driver (revised) would be a starting point, and have a switch to enable switching between·this and a tv output version. I really don't know where to start on this, im thinking it would be easier to use premade objects in the obex, but im not sure on how to interface the objects required to do what i need it to.
My second thought was to use a custom "made-from-scratch" program as to fit it all in memory on the proto board. (again, not even sure if this all would fit into memory).
I would like to implement more later, like some i/o, period timer with 4x20 lcd·display to show i/o status, etc, and maybe a·temp logger. But that is on down the road.
Right now i need input from the knowledgable forum members here on writing this program from scratch, OR·selecting the best objects to use and pointers on setting up the objects for my project. I am new to the prop, so all help is greatly appreciated.
·
I do part time appliance repair work at a christian thrift store, and we get alot of different stuff all the time and i test and repair all types of appliances and electronics.
What i have in mind is a propeller proto board that would allow me to test tv's with a video out showing standard color bars or something similar, a vga out to test monitors similar to the tv out. have a keyboard and mouse input that would display a test screen on either vga or tv, showing a keyboard layout, allow me to test each key by pressing each key and having the on screen keyboard inverse-toggle the color of·the charachter on the screen showing that the key had been pressed. same with the mouse buttons.
I would really like to have this all contained into one program, using a selector switch to enter different modes of test. (If possible regarding memory)
I have been looking over the objects in the obex, i'm thinking that the Text based GUI for VGA_HiRes_Text Driver (revised) would be a starting point, and have a switch to enable switching between·this and a tv output version. I really don't know where to start on this, im thinking it would be easier to use premade objects in the obex, but im not sure on how to interface the objects required to do what i need it to.
My second thought was to use a custom "made-from-scratch" program as to fit it all in memory on the proto board. (again, not even sure if this all would fit into memory).
I would like to implement more later, like some i/o, period timer with 4x20 lcd·display to show i/o status, etc, and maybe a·temp logger. But that is on down the road.
Right now i need input from the knowledgable forum members here on writing this program from scratch, OR·selecting the best objects to use and pointers on setting up the objects for my project. I am new to the prop, so all help is greatly appreciated.
·
Comments
I'd do it expandable. You will have a lot of other ideas for test-programs (cable testing, remote control testing .... ). So, I'd simply write a small menu-system which allows to start any test-program from SD-card. For the menu you can have a fixed tv besides the test-tv-port or maybe use a 4 line LCD display ...
The menu system can be written in a way that it starts an EEPROM-file and still has a COG running in background which resets the propeller after a while, so that you automatically come back to the menu system.
So, for the mentioned TV and VGA tests you can use what's there on the ObEx, make an EEPROM-file out of it and start it on demand. Then you don't have memory problems as well, as each test program can use the full 32kB.
@TheGrue,
The reason i want to use a proto board is because i already have one, and i'd like to have this in an enclosure of some kind, and use cabling, short pigtails for my interconnects, like tv, vga, etc. Also maybe a opto-isolated terminal strip across the top for the i/o for other stuff.
I agree about expandability, i'm definatly going to make it expandable. i hadn't thought about using the 'DOS approach' to the menuing and sd card for program storage, thats a good idea, maybe a menuing system on a 4x20 lcd to select the proper program for the test at hand.
These are great idea's! Keep 'em coming!!!
i didn't see the lcd driver in the obex.