Happy New Year!!!

I've given up on trying to get each LED unit passing on the packet from the previous one if its intended for a unit further up the stream. For some reason, it just isn't working, and I really just can't put my finger on it. I could build some special hardware with mini screens or something to pin it down, but I really dont want to do that; way too much effort.

So, I've gone the lazy route and assigned each unit an ID at compile time. This means each unit will have to have its own compiled version, a pain but not un-livable with. It also makes the code much MUCH easier....

Still, since the hardware design doesn't change, if I ever figure it out, I could change it later. The Master code doesn't change either, its just how the serial line is passed on It may be I have to boost the serial signal as it'll have to go quite a ways. This would mean it has to pass through some sort of AND or OR gate just as a booster, I'll wait and see.

If anyone out there has experiance with PIC's and want to look at the unworking source, let me know..... No idea why its not working - it was pretty elegant as well....

Anyhow, I've created a 3 unit board and Im busy drilling all 261 holes! (eak!) I'm about 1/2 way through, and I'll finish it off tomorrow and then solder it all up, that part shouldn't take long, although I do have to solder 24 jumper wires along with the actual components. I think once this is working, I'll replicate the design in another package, and then see about getting some real baords made!

On a little side note....Its almost a YEAR since I started this project - looks like another one thats gonna run and run. Where HAS this year gone!!!!

Led Scrolly

I've been playing with electronics stuff again. Just before stopping for the Christmas break, Russ was moaning that I still hadn't finished my big scrolly message board, so I thought I'd have a crack at making a real life board using some some printable solder mask I got a while back. It took me a while to get things right (and I had to go and buy a cheap disposable Iron for it too), and the nerve to break out the chemical solution for the copper board, but once all that was done, I mananed to get a reasonable 1st attempt at a board.

It's taken a little bit of time to get it all working, as I'd made a right hash of some of it, so I had to cut some tracks and solder in wires to bypass mistakes. However, its working now, so in theory, I could now think about sending off to get real boards made!

I still need to work on the master PIC side, along with the PC comms. The idea is I'd use a TCP/IP or UDP interface (perhaps even wireless) and allow simple bitmaps to be sent. The mastr pic would then send this to the correct module.

I do have the basics working just not the PC comms side. The image on the right is the finished (one sided) PCB, and as you can see it still has quite a few jumpre wires. I dont want to make double sided boards at home, way too hard. If I ever get my milling machine, then I might give that a go - in fact I simply expect that to work.

Still, its nice seeing the actual PCB in all its glory, and I may end up making a board that can hold 3 modules just to see what it looks like!

One thing I would say, is that with the software Im using just now, it really doesn't route very well, and I do end up putting a lot in by hand. It could just be because this is a cheap bit of software.... I dont know.