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7 Segment Display ???


8Track

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I'm wondering if LOR software can possibly allow you you to set up a sign that says something like:

"IT'S ONLY XX DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

Where the XX is made up of any kind of "dumb" pixels maybe, laid-out in seven segments

that can indicate any range of numbers (from 99 to 00 in the above)

See also:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven-segment_display

The software would need to check the computer's clock, due the calculation, and turn on the appropriate

seven segments. If LOR software can't do it, wonder if any others can???

Many thanks,

Ken - Birmingham, AL.

 

Edited by 8Track
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Dumb Pixels would be 14 channels Monochrome.  That is almost half of a CMB24D. and more than one, if you want RGB.  You could wire just 1 color (or a pair) to each port for a fixed  color (eg. Blu +red)

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Have a separate sequence for each day (it would be a painfully easy sequence).  Have a different show that plays the one sequence each day.  Run the different show each day.  Very easy to do, but not automatic.  I've done something somewhat similar (sort of) in the past.

 

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I would think it would be 7 channels for 7 segments. Using a AC or DC controller (depending on the type of.lights being used) and control 7 segments of lights, and adjust the 7 channel sequence of that 7 digit counter to the number you want.

Or am I missing something here?

Edited by Santas Helper
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49 minutes ago, Santas Helper said:

I would think it would be 7 channels for 7 segments. Using a AC or DC controller (depending on the type of.lights being used) and control 7 segments of lights, and adjust the 7 channel sequence of that 7 digit counter to the number you want.

Or am I missing something here?

2 Digits  :P

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If you used smart pix, I estimate 36 nodes per digit (5 per segment and 1 for the DP,  just to make it a true 7 Seg display )

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James designed the Christmas countdown for our CCR tree. It is 1 sequence per day.

It has one main song / sequence and each day has a different ending.

I so believe it is the easiest most affordable way.

JR

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It would be nice if there was some sort of "automation" in the software that if you wanted it to display a time or date, that it could read it from the computer and replace a variable like #time# with the current time.  I don't see a whole lot of need for it except for the signs but it would be nice if there was bit of AI in there somewhere.

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Yes, that's what I was looking for.

Apparently, there's nothing in the software as this point. Perhaps in a future version?  But several have offered various "work-arounds"

Thanks very much!

8Track

Birmingham, AL.

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I started working on something like this last year, but ran out of time for getting it going this past Christmas. It's going to be a roughly 20"x72" box with five 14-segment displays in it.

I originally planned to use it as a "TUNE TO" sign, but I'm thinking I will scroll text across it as well. As others have suggested, my thought was a separate sequence everyday for a countdown. 

I hope to get it finished by summer, just need to find the time.

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2 hours ago, LORisAwesome said:

Why not a three digit number?  BTW today there are 302 days until Christmas.  lol

 

They are referring to how many segments (sections) it takes to create a digitized number. Not the quantity of the characters / numbers.

7 segments are required to make 0-9.

BTW- there’s a link in the OPs first post that shows the sections required.

JR

Edited by dibblejr
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Dibblejr

I understand what a 7-segment display is.  I was referring to the OP, his example only had two digits.  Just joking around anyway.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good morning 8track,

Why do you want lor software to control this sign? has it to work together with existing sequences or stand alone?

If stand alone you can use any microcontroller to drive such a display, for instance an arduino with a clock module to keep time with some hardware added in the form shift register/driving chips for the leds.( or powerfets if more leds used in the segments)

Even the suggestion to use 14  or 16 segment displays and make a scrolling text would be possible this way.

Need some arduino programming skills with the help of several libraries to make it happen. ( even some influence from the lor sequencer is possible when adding dmx shield on the arduino).

one example is https://github.com/AnthonyDiGirolamo/MAX6954,

Here they use small displays, but creating large ones is just using more leds in series.

Best regards

 

Dick de Wit

The Netherlands

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