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Easy Gig for a STAMP Programmer — Parallax Forums

Easy Gig for a STAMP Programmer

VideobobVideobob Posts: 7
edited 2004-10-25 07:34 in BASIC Stamp
I don't know much about this technology, but I need some help from some out there who does and from what I have been told what I need is pretty easy to develop.

I build replica movie props, most of which are for the movie "Back To The Future".
I am trying to replicate the "Time Circuits" that sit on the dash.
Any genuine geek worth his pocket protector will know exactly what I am talking about.

This is a basic system.
There are 3 tiers, each contaning 5 segments.
Month, Day, Year, Hour and Minute.
The displays are LED number segments, the MONTH is displayed as alpha abbreviation EI: "NOV".

The program works like this.
The top tier shows the suggested time that you want to travel to,
the second middle tier shows the actual real present time,
the third bottom tier shows the last time entered.

The program would need a real working, battery backed up clock to keep time in the center tier.
The attached keypad would allow the user to enter a new time.

If the use enters, "11, 05, 1955, 07, 00" then the readout would translate:
"NOV, 05, 1955, 07:00" onto the first top tier of the system.
The first numbers entered, (01 - 12) would translate to an alpha abbreviation of a month.
(JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC)

If another date and time is entered, the previous items entered will be moved to the bottom third tier automaticly.
The center display always stays the same on real time display.

I can provide lots of photos of the operations, or you can pop in your DVD of BACK TO THE FUTURE and
watch Doc show Marty how the system works.

If you think you can program this for me, or even go so far as make the entire system for me
please contact me.

Thanks!
- Videobob
videobob@hotmail.com
http://www.dfwdmc.com

Comments

  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2004-10-13 12:02
    Could you post a picture of the display.
    How does it show the month (NOV) with a 7-segment display ?

    Terry
  • Jon WilliamsJon Williams Posts: 6,491
    edited 2004-10-13 13:18
    I think you'd need a 13-segment display for that.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Jon Williams
    Applications Engineer, Parallax
    Dallas Office
  • VideobobVideobob Posts: 7
    edited 2004-10-13 15:41
    Here is a hi-res photo of the actual unit from the film:

    PDVD_254.BMP

    (sorry about the size)

    Like I said, the best thing to do is to pop in a copy of the first
    "BACK TO THE FUTURE" and FF to the scene in the mall parking lot where
    Doc first shows Marty the time machine.
    He explains how the entire system works and you can see it in operation.

    They made this thing work in 1985, I am sure that we can
    do it much easier today.

    Let me know what you think, and if you know of someone who
    would like to do this project for me.
    - Videobob
    Fort Worth, Texas
  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2004-10-13 16:47
    Looks like the month is "staged" it's not a real segmented display.

    Bob do you have any of the parts ?
    Like the displays ?

    Terry
  • VideobobVideobob Posts: 7
    edited 2004-10-13 16:55
    No, I have nothing.
    I am starting from scratch, but I know that these are easy to get parts and not a big deal.
    I would prefer someone made them outright for me, but at the least I need the program most of all.
    Even if only someone handled the electronics and I did the metal hardware enclosure that would be OK too.
    - VB
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,175
    edited 2004-10-13 19:26
    Hello from Buck Rogers
    As always Jon you're correct. Those alphanumeric displays do look like the multiple segment ones that a firm in CA, was making. I think they were eightteen segment displays. I do know HP, now Agilent was making them. I think they still do. By the way, does anyone remember why Doc chose that model car? The clue is in the name of the car, and what the body is made out of.


    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Buck Rogers

    www.gregg.levine.name
  • VideobobVideobob Posts: 7
    edited 2004-10-13 19:35
    I own and drive a Delorean everyday, and I am converting to a full scale replica time machine.
    Doc says in the movie "I chose the Delorean because if your going to build a time machine, why not do it with some style, besides the stainless steel construction made the flux disspersal......" and then his statement was cut off as he jumps out of the way of the returning time machine.

    So far I have been building al lthe other props in the car, but the electronics have be stuck.

    Also, is there anyone out there who is knowledgeable with old vaccum tube relays?
    The Flux Capacitor was made of 3, Torr-9 high voltage relays.
    These are "T" shaped glass tubes.
    If anyone knows where to get these let me know.

    Thanks.
    - VB
  • nick bernardnick bernard Posts: 329
    edited 2004-10-13 20:28
    i found some alpha numeric 14-seg led's from digikey that·might work.

    LTP-587HR
    LTP-587Y
    LTP-587G
    Manufacturer Part Number

    Post Edited (nick bernard) : 10/13/2004 8:31:38 PM GMT
  • VideobobVideobob Posts: 7
    edited 2004-10-23 16:14
    Here's an update guys.

    DSC03125.JPG

    I got the unit that I bought and I took it apart and took a peek inside.

    DSC03132.JPG

    It looks as though these boards were custom made!
    Is that possible?
    Well, I know it is possible, but how big of a deal is it to have custom made boards printed?
    It looks like the main control board says "BTF MB 01" which I thought was cool,



    .....and the surface bards for the segments were labeled as to what they were for, "month, day" etc....

    DSC03133.JPG
    DSC03134.JPG


    Any of you dudes have any ideas about this?
    Is this something that might have come out of another type of display unit used for something simular?
    Does anyone know how I can have these made, and what program is running it?

    If anyone knows how or where to point me to do this let me know.
    - Videobob
  • DaveGDaveG Posts: 84
    edited 2004-10-24 01:37
    I'm a little lost. On 12/13/04 you posted a photo of the actual unit from the film.
    And now, you posted a picture of another similar unit. Did you purchase this new unit? Why can't you just use
    the new unit in your car? Why do you want to duplicate the circuit boards?

    I don't have any advice at the moment, but your project is sure interesting.

    Thanks.
    Dave G
  • PCB4UPCB4U Posts: 14
    edited 2004-10-24 01:55
    If you need a circuit board·made, I can do it. I am in the pcb business and can do up to·16 layer boards. From what I can see, a double sided board will do. The photos show an 80C52, a very popular microcontroller. Many folks can write the language for that device.
  • VideobobVideobob Posts: 7
    edited 2004-10-24 05:53
    Yes, the first image I posted was of the actual unit from the film.
    There is aguy who builds these and sells them for quite a bit, about $500 - $800 depending on how good they work.
    I bought the one pictured for $400.00
    I figure that they have got to be a lot cheaper to make than this....
    He also makes them in small batches, so I figured I could do the same thing.

    Looking at the pictures, how much do you think it would cost to make these and at what minimum?
    - VB
  • K de JongK de Jong Posts: 154
    edited 2004-10-24 11:48
    Hi VB,

    As a first step you could try to seperate cost for the purchase of the parts from cost of labour to put things together. You may have to specify the special casing for the project seperately.

    As a second step you take a catalog of say Radio Shack and count the pieces. You list the more expensive pieces seperately and make an estimate for the cheaper ones (resistors, small caps).

    The third step will be that you build two or three of them so you get some routine.

    After that you will know the price for the bits and pieces and the time needed to build one of them, multiply the time by your desired earnings per hour and you know the price per unit. Then still price the front plate of the whole thing may be uncertain.

    You can do the part count quite quickly, maybe in an hour if you have good catalogs. Multiply this figure by three to start with and you have a reasonable first estimate for the total cost for the project.

    Succes,

    Klaus
  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2004-10-24 21:20
    Honestly, $400.00 doesn't sound bad at all.
    If I made a small batch (<10) I would have to charge more than that (unless my time is worthless).

    I think once you add the parts cost, fixture cost, and time you will see what I mean.

    Now if you wanted to make > 100 then you can get the cost down quite a bit.

    Terry
  • K de JongK de Jong Posts: 154
    edited 2004-10-24 23:43
    High Terry,

    This $ 400,- price indication of yours is about what I had in mind as a minimum when I wrote my reply. Without the cost for shipping from Europe to US of course smile.gif)))))).

    Klaus
  • VideobobVideobob Posts: 7
    edited 2004-10-25 07:34
    Yeah, after taking a peak inside this thing I see that the guy who made them had custom made boards and programming,
    not to mention the metal work on the enclosure....
    I was hoping that these were parts used out of something easy to get and build.
    I think I will trash the idea, since there is already a guy selling them (and not selling many) I would
    think that it is not worth doing.
    If I had the capitol, and if the price was cheap enough to do lets say, 100 of them then I would consider it.

    Unless someone comes up with a cheaper easier idea, forget about it.
    Thanks to all of you who tried to help!
    - Videobob
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