Author Topic: Electronic project idea: Widdle baby eggcrates!  (Read 3002 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline ComeOnDown98

  • In the Audience
  • **
  • Posts: 35
  • Lavender lollipops!
Electronic project idea: Widdle baby eggcrates!
« on: March 23, 2021, 11:04:09 PM »
So, if you remember from looooooooong ago, I found out about the 19S-8 display. And I tried to get a control device going for it, but the CMOS chips I tried crapped out on me... (damn things are too sensitive to static electricity! :mad: )

But as I thought of a control device (and gave up and used plain ol' rotary switches :oldlol: ), tomcat came up with a control device for them using relays. D'oh! :headbang:

While I was purchasing digits for my custom display, I decided to have a peek at its internal shot... I found out that the bitmapping was done using diode steering! Just as I initially thought, but it was common anode, not common cathode like I wired the diodes up in my original diode card replica. (I'm used to a 1 being an "on" data signal and a 0 being an "off" data signal. With common anode it's inverted.)

To get an idea, here's a replica I recently sketched...


Now my idea here is to make a miniaturized version, with #6838 28V 24mA grain of wheat bulbs and SMD 1N4148 or LL4148 diodes.

I think they'd be a cute little miniaturization of the classic eggcrate display! :D tomcat can even try making a few if he is up for the challenge. All that would need done is that the schematic be followed but with different, smaller parts.

Figure, Staver made a tiny 1.5" vane display (the 152L) for use in toll booths and arcade games, so why not make a custom tiny eggcrate display! I hypothesize it'd be about 2" tall.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2021, 11:06:48 PM by ComeOnDown98 »

Offline SteveGavazzi

  • Loyal Friend and True &
  • Director
  • **********
  • Posts: 17980
Re: Electronic project idea: Widdle baby eggcrates!
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2021, 11:25:51 PM »
That's all fine and dandy, but the thread title is weird as all hell, and it doesn't really have anything to do with The Price Is Right.  I'm moving it to Out in Left Field.
"Every game is somebody's favorite." -- Wise words from Roger Dobkowitz.

Offline ComeOnDown98

  • In the Audience
  • **
  • Posts: 35
  • Lavender lollipops!
Re: Electronic project idea: Widdle baby eggcrates!
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2021, 06:52:30 PM »
Kthx Steve.

Didn't realize I had it in the wrong board! :bork:

Offline ComeOnDown98

  • In the Audience
  • **
  • Posts: 35
  • Lavender lollipops!
Re: Electronic project idea: Widdle baby eggcrates!
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2021, 06:55:55 PM »
Aaaaand I thought for the mini version's masks, I could just use a thin separator grating (made from thick paper like cardstock) with little tubes in each hole where a bulb would be.

Online masoudfun1996

  • In the Audience
  • **
  • Posts: 35
Re: Electronic project idea: Widdle baby eggcrates!
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2021, 07:11:53 PM »
Will the mini-eggcrates have all 26 letters of the alphabet from A-Z, or will it be just numbers and the dollar sign ($)?

Offline ComeOnDown98

  • In the Audience
  • **
  • Posts: 35
  • Lavender lollipops!
Re: Electronic project idea: Widdle baby eggcrates!
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2021, 09:33:16 PM »
Quote from: masoudfun1996
link=topic=32054.msg488730#msg488730 date=1616627513
Will the mini-eggcrates have all 26 letters of the alphabet from A-Z, or will it be just numbers and the dollar sign ($)?
Uhhh... an alphanumeric version would require multiple layers of diodes, and a larger connector.

And I might make the font for the alpha displays in the style of the Apple II screen font (like as seen on The Magnificent Marble Machine and Your Number's Up).

Also, I'd format it for a 6-bit input, so as to make control easier.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2021, 09:40:13 PM by ComeOnDown98 »

Offline ComeOnDown98

  • In the Audience
  • **
  • Posts: 35
  • Lavender lollipops!
Re: Electronic project idea: Widdle baby eggcrates!
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2021, 04:42:58 PM »
designer accessories! I forgot that Marble Machine's board was a smooth-scrolling display!

Well, I might as well bust out the Arduino for that...

----------

EDIT: Ohhh my gooooossshhh!!! "designer accessories"?! HA!!! :biggrin: Clever censorship, g-r...
« Last Edit: March 25, 2021, 04:46:46 PM by ComeOnDown98 »

Online tpir04

  • Taking a Bonus Spin
  • *****
  • Posts: 967
  • Why, oh why?
Re: Electronic project idea: Widdle baby eggcrates!
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2021, 06:12:13 PM »
Aww, designer accessories
CSS: Exacta, 6/3/2019
Lifetime earnings: $1,896,732
Season 18 cash earnings: $629,243
Season 19 cash earnings: $490,110
FPG: 2019-2020 Finals Champion
...............................

Live for the present.  Embrace the future.  Our favorite game show is still producing excellent, high quality, exciting, hour-long* shows every weekday throughout its traditional season window.  It’s as good as it’s been in a long, long time.  If the 1980s were the ‘good ole days’ for the Barker era, so is RIGHT NOW for the Carey era.  Don’t worry about what the future holds.  It will play out in due time.  Enjoy what we have right in front of us in the meantime!

Offline ComeOnDown98

  • In the Audience
  • **
  • Posts: 35
  • Lavender lollipops!
Re: Electronic project idea: Widdle baby eggcrates!
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2021, 08:57:33 PM »
Yeah, the Marble Machine board needs a SPECIAL controller designated for graphic matrix displays.

And I can't really multiplex bulb matrices without having dark areas...

Offline RJSchex

  • Walking the Golden Road
  • ****
  • Posts: 286
Re: Electronic project idea: Widdle baby eggcrates!
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2021, 05:22:18 PM »
Uhhh... an alphanumeric version would require multiple layers of diodes, and a larger connector.

And I might make the font for the alpha displays in the style of the Apple II screen font (like as seen on The Magnificent Marble Machine and Your Number's Up).

Also, I'd format it for a 6-bit input, so as to make control easier.

The Apple II font was also used on "Double Dare", "Definition", and for the center-stage displays on "Blank Check".

Offline ComeOnDown98

  • In the Audience
  • **
  • Posts: 35
  • Lavender lollipops!
Re: Electronic project idea: Widdle baby eggcrates!
« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2021, 03:11:30 PM »
The Apple II font was also used on "Double Dare", "Definition", and for the center-stage displays on "Blank Check".

Thanks for the notes!

But I fear an alphanumeric eggcrate would be impossible without a microcontroller such as an Arduino.

The numeric type will suffice. If you want custom characters, such as to spell "BUST", add another word line. "OVER" needs another bulb or two for the necessary digits.

I am designing these mini displays with a plug-and-play diode card with a 12-pin connector. Connectivity would be as follows:
  • Card pins 1-10 would connect to Arabic numerals.
  • Card pin 11 is unused unless a dollar sign is present.
  • Card pin 12 is unused, and reserved for special characters.
A 14-pin PCB connector would go to the back of the diode card...
  • +28V COM
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 0
  • NC or DOLLAR
  • NC or CHR
  • +28V COM