Need someone who can build something for me.. Will pay

vinnyb1972 · 2005-12-28 02:42

Hello

I am looking for someone to build me an item. I need to be able to enter a four digit number into a keypad and have a (1) LED light up. I need it to control 500 seperate leds that I will mount onto a 4'x5' map. I e-mailed Parallax and they sent me back a list of items i need to purchase. STOCK# 27238 STAMP, 2p40 / 27944, 4x4 matrix / 27943, 4x4 keypad cable, 27963, mem key and qty8 603-0001, 8 digit LED driver. I am a novice and do not understand how to assembly them. Is there anybody that can help me with this. Iam willing to pay for the service. It would be benifical if you lived in the New York area. Thank you Vinny Biondo

Post Edited (vinnyb1972) : 12/29/2005 12:57:56 PM GMT

PJAllen · 2005-12-28 02:53

Five-hundred (500) LEDs?

Bean · 2005-12-28 02:55

Is only 1 LED on at a time ? In other words are you entering a 4 digit number and then you want "that" LED to come on and all others to be off ?

Bean.

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"SX-Video·Module" Now available from Parallax for only $28.95

http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=30012

"SX-Video OSD module" Now available from Parallax for only·$49.95
http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=30015

Product web site: www.sxvm.com

"I hope the goonwave is not vaporware"
·

Newzed · 2005-12-28 13:05

Vinnie, I might be able to do that for you.· I designed and built a smilar display for a model company, but it only had about 260 LEDs.· If you are interested please contact me at Newzed@aol.com

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Sid Weaver
Do you have a Stamp Tester yet?
http://hometown.aol.com/newzed/index.html

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T&E Engineer · 2005-12-28 13:48

I have similar experience to what you are looking for and have already built a 140 LED moving display sign for the BS2, BS2px and SX28 on this site.

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=561568

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=561515

Here are a few other LED, LCD and video related projects·I have submitted to the forum:

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=561893

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=561967

Custom project on SX Video Module (half way down):

www.sxvm.com

I live north of Baltimore, MD close to the PA border.

PM me or post your requirements.

BTW...Why 500 LEDs? A 5x7 LED matrix per character is 35 LEDs times 4 characters is only 140 LEDs (which I have already built in my Moving Display sign).

PS: I am currently working on another version using the MAX7219 LED Driver IC from Parallax that is working but needs work in to cascade more than 1 IC.

Thanks,

Timothy Gilmore

Post Edited (tdg8934) : 12/28/2005 1:55:15 PM GMT

HiTekGizmos · 2006-01-03 17:09

Its hard to tell from his message but it sounds like he wants to lite a LED at a specific location on a map or similar display, based on the 4 digit number and not a moving sign type display, thus needing separate control of EACH individual LED... Nice features to add might be a 'test all', however that would require a power supply that could drive all 500 LEDs at once, or rapidly step thru them individually or in banks, ability to remember several locations at once, ability to turn off any LEDs individually... Flashing based on age of turn on (Older 'calls' flash more rapidly)...

T&E Engineer · 2006-01-03 17:22

I already have a solid hardware / software design in place and tested and working out the final details. Only 1 LED needs to be on for a 3 minute duration of 666 with future expansion added for more addresses. It will use many driver ICs (not 595) with a BS2px (too much EEPROM space needed) along with a serial LCD and standard keypad. I will add additional testing software to cycle through all of the LEDs for test purposes.

Timothy Gilmore

T&E Engineer · 2006-04-17 11:45

It has been a while since I have posted any information about this project. As my role in the project has been finished (being to design a system that the user can enter in a 4 digit number into a matrix keypad, have it displayed on an LCD and then associate that 4 digit number with 1 of 700 possible LEDs on a large map to that represents an address location in the city), I thought I would share some pictures of the the wiring of the LEDs, map and installation of the matrix keypad, LCD.·It was based on a BS2px, SX-28 (matrix keypad decoder), 7805 voltage regulator circuit and over 110·cascaded 4017 / 4081 ICs (to provide 700 LED outputs).

Being that this is my first consultant type project, I took alot of critism for·my work and the design which may be unjust but my decisions were·based off of customer·needs and·schedule requirements. This project took 100's of hours and is not finished yet.·The customer is very pleased and will have a ceremony to demonstrate this to other Fire Departments in the City with a magazine article being written about this as well.

Thanks for everyones help in making this project a reality.

Timothy Gilmore

Post Edited (Lead Test Engineer) : 4/17/2006 12:18:28 PM GMT

Bean · 2006-04-17 12:00

Timothy,
If the client is happy, that's all that matters. I learned that a long time ago doing field service. Sometimes I didn't even have to fix the problem, just make the client (customer) happy.

How big is that map ? (Dimensions).

I hope you have all those cable labeled [noparse];)[/noparse] ?

Bean.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
"SX-Video·Module"·available from Parallax for only $28.95 http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=30012

"SX-Video OSD module"·available from Parallax for only·$49.95 http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=30015
Product web site: www.sxvm.com

Available now! Cheap 4-digit LED display with driver IC·www.hc4led.com

"I reject your reality, and substitute my own." Mythbusters
·

T&E Engineer · 2006-04-17 12:07

In the customers original email he states it is 4'x5' which looks right by their picture. They wired up my 2'x4' board (15 solderless breadboards on it) to their larger map board and then wired up the LEDs to my punch blocks. I gave them plenty of instructions. Unfortunately none of them have electronics experience but only some electrician experience. I don't know how of if they labeled their wires. My output punchblocks are labeled for their access to their map LEDs (with current limiting resistors).

Tim

Bruce Bates · 2006-04-17 12:21

Timothy -

Nice job, regardless of what anyone else might say! I just HOPE you've limited any technical support or warranties STOPPING at the PUNCH BLOCK, and nothing outwards, except possibly for out-lying product, if you supplied them. I'd hate like heck to think that you might be held responsible for obviously important in-field wiring, that was done by the customer, or the customer's electrician.

This is all the more important in this particular case, since human lives may be involved, if I read the purpose of this board corrrectly - to locate fires, hydrants, or other fire department resources or any like information in a graphical manner. If you haven't done so yet, I'd SURE give my lawyer a call, just to make sure you have ONLY SPECIFIC and LIMITED LIABILITY! We DON'T want to see anyone be a one-shot consultant, due to an open liabilty oversight!

Regards,

Bruce Bates

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Post Edited (Bruce Bates) : 4/17/2006 12:39:11 PM GMT

T&E Engineer · 2006-04-17 12:31

The purpose of this project is to save them time so they can easily find a location. There are hundreds of "pull boxes" in NYC that when pulled by a pedestrian, call up 911. 911 calls the Fire Department with the 4 digit pull box address. They used to pull out basically a card catalog with 700 cards with the address listed on each card. Now when they get the 4 digit box address from 911 they simply enter it into the matrix keyboard and the LED stays on for 2 minutes so they can easily identify where the location is to tell the firemen going out to the scene. There is also a reset button on the board too. The LCD also keeps the last address entered on the LCD displayed too.

My work is finished with the punchblocks. There is no liability issues from my end. However of the ~500 of ~700 LEDs currently wired up, they have only had 2-3 wires with problems that we have quickly identified and troubleshot no charge over the phone and are working as designed.

Thanks.

darnit · 2006-04-17 13:14

Timothy,
Nice project.....as far as critics go........I have noticed that there are never any critics while the page is blank. They only come out after someone has taken the initiative to create.

Lee Harker · 2006-04-17 13:43

Tim,
The finished project looks good.
I have to wonder though with all the hours spent and the incredible amount of wiring would it have been a good solution to use something like a video projector connected to a computer? The map could be projected and then a graphic of some sort blinking on the screen. It would make it possible to add or change call box locations with no wiring changes.
Just a thought.

Lee

allanlane5 · 2006-04-17 17:13

Beautiful. I always say, if a brute-force solution will work, go for it.

And once you've got one working solution, ways to 'tweak' it to be better almost immediately come to mind. For instance, this application just cries out for some way to serialize the data, to reduce the number of direct connections needed, and the length of the wires. However, that could require many more boards on the back of the map. Your solution has the simplicity of that punch-block interface. Sure, it's a large number of wires, but conceptually it's simple.

Thanks for publishing the pictures here.

P.S. you could have 'bussed' the LED ground returns together, though...

Post Edited (allanlane5) : 4/17/2006 5:18:00 PM GMT

Need someone who can build something for me.. Will pay

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