FireGod
09-25-2007, 03:35 PM
Last year I bought a scrolling sign from THIS (http://stores.ebay.com/LED-Lights-Super-Bright_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZQ2d999QQftidZ2QQtZkm ) eBay store.
HERE (http://cgi.ebay.com/7-x-80-26-LED-Sign-Display-Custom-Messages-Indoor-Out_W0QQitemZ180146307153QQihZ008QQcategoryZ57097Q QcmdZViewItem) is the link to sign I purchased. The shipping is outrageous from this vendor!
The company that makes the signs is http://www.led1000.com
It can be programmed with a message and/or a countdown (days until 12-25-07). This year I found a way to update the sign with different messages on the fly using the Vixen launcher plugin.
Here is how I did it:
1) You need the sign and the software installed on your PC ($166.00).
2) You need two 9 pin serial ports. I used two USB to serial adapters like THIS (http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=cat3&product_code=50195798) one. Connect both to your PC or laptop.
3) Connect the two cables together using a null modem adapter like THIS (http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=BROWSE&No=20&N=200065&product_code=50023496) one. (I actually used a null modem adapter from Radio Shack and a 9 pin gender changer but it does the same job). You could also use THIS (http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=SEARCH&Ntt=null+modem&N=0&Dx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&D=null+modem&Ntk=All&product_code=50023590) cable. Basically you want to send data from one port to the other.
4) Open Windows HyperTerminal and setup a connection for one of the com ports and configure it for 9600 bps 8, N, 1 and connect to the com port.
5) Open the Multimedia 2006 software. Setup the communications under SETUP>OPTIONS>COMMUNICATIONS. Set your other com port. Connect type: Lineate, Serial port, 9600 bps, Ascii transfers.
6) Make your message and preview it using FUNCTION>PREVIEW.
7) Download the message. You may want to play with the sign directly first, just to make sure everything is working OK.
8) For some reason, the software downloads this first:
~00~00~00~00~00~01FF00~02WN01~03010B~04
This code does not seem to do anything and needs to be discarded.
9) After a few seconds, the software sends a second message, This message is good data. For example the following serial data is sent to the serial port for a message on the sign of "TEST":
~00~00~00~00~00~01FF00~02WN01~03010B~04~00~00~00~0 0~00~01FF00~02A0I527F18002200~FF~FF~FF1~FEE~FDATES T~030098~04
Erase the fist message and you have:
~00~00~00~00~00~01FF00~02A0I527F18002200~FF~FF~FF1 ~FEE~FDATEST~030098~04
10) Using windows Notepad, copy and paste this data and save it to the file:
C:\sign\test.txt
Be sure to make it only one line.
Close Notepad.
11) Download and install Autohotkey (http://www.autohotkey.com/download/). It will create a file named: AutoHotkey.ahk in your My Documents folder.
12) Open this file and erase all the data. Copy and paste the following line into the file and save it:
RUN c:\sign\test.bat
Close Notepad.
13) From the start menu run Programs>Autohotkey>Convert .ahk to .exe
14) Make the Source file (script) AutoHotkey.ahk that you saved in step 12.
15) Make the Destination (.exe) C:\sign\test.exe
16) Click CONVERT. Close Autohotkey.
17) Open Notepad and copy and paste the following to the window:
COPY C:\SIGN\TEST.TXT COM1
18) If your com port connected to the sign is different from the com port in step 17, change it to match your com port number.
19) Save the file to:
c:\sign\test.bat
Close Notepad.
20) Connect the sign to the com port indicated in step 17.
From the Windows start menu select START>RUN run the file :
C:\sign\test.exe
The sign should be updated with the message TEST.
21) Use the Vixen launcher to run the file C:\sign\test.exe
22) Make other .txt, .bat, and .exe files for other messages.
Note: Be sure to specify a dedicated channel to trigger the file. Setup the Launcher plugin for ONE CHANNEL ONLY. For example, channel 1 to channel 1. I am using it to show the song title so I only launch it one time at the beginning of the sequence.
HERE (http://cgi.ebay.com/7-x-80-26-LED-Sign-Display-Custom-Messages-Indoor-Out_W0QQitemZ180146307153QQihZ008QQcategoryZ57097Q QcmdZViewItem) is the link to sign I purchased. The shipping is outrageous from this vendor!
The company that makes the signs is http://www.led1000.com
It can be programmed with a message and/or a countdown (days until 12-25-07). This year I found a way to update the sign with different messages on the fly using the Vixen launcher plugin.
Here is how I did it:
1) You need the sign and the software installed on your PC ($166.00).
2) You need two 9 pin serial ports. I used two USB to serial adapters like THIS (http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=cat3&product_code=50195798) one. Connect both to your PC or laptop.
3) Connect the two cables together using a null modem adapter like THIS (http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=BROWSE&No=20&N=200065&product_code=50023496) one. (I actually used a null modem adapter from Radio Shack and a 9 pin gender changer but it does the same job). You could also use THIS (http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=SEARCH&Ntt=null+modem&N=0&Dx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&D=null+modem&Ntk=All&product_code=50023590) cable. Basically you want to send data from one port to the other.
4) Open Windows HyperTerminal and setup a connection for one of the com ports and configure it for 9600 bps 8, N, 1 and connect to the com port.
5) Open the Multimedia 2006 software. Setup the communications under SETUP>OPTIONS>COMMUNICATIONS. Set your other com port. Connect type: Lineate, Serial port, 9600 bps, Ascii transfers.
6) Make your message and preview it using FUNCTION>PREVIEW.
7) Download the message. You may want to play with the sign directly first, just to make sure everything is working OK.
8) For some reason, the software downloads this first:
~00~00~00~00~00~01FF00~02WN01~03010B~04
This code does not seem to do anything and needs to be discarded.
9) After a few seconds, the software sends a second message, This message is good data. For example the following serial data is sent to the serial port for a message on the sign of "TEST":
~00~00~00~00~00~01FF00~02WN01~03010B~04~00~00~00~0 0~00~01FF00~02A0I527F18002200~FF~FF~FF1~FEE~FDATES T~030098~04
Erase the fist message and you have:
~00~00~00~00~00~01FF00~02A0I527F18002200~FF~FF~FF1 ~FEE~FDATEST~030098~04
10) Using windows Notepad, copy and paste this data and save it to the file:
C:\sign\test.txt
Be sure to make it only one line.
Close Notepad.
11) Download and install Autohotkey (http://www.autohotkey.com/download/). It will create a file named: AutoHotkey.ahk in your My Documents folder.
12) Open this file and erase all the data. Copy and paste the following line into the file and save it:
RUN c:\sign\test.bat
Close Notepad.
13) From the start menu run Programs>Autohotkey>Convert .ahk to .exe
14) Make the Source file (script) AutoHotkey.ahk that you saved in step 12.
15) Make the Destination (.exe) C:\sign\test.exe
16) Click CONVERT. Close Autohotkey.
17) Open Notepad and copy and paste the following to the window:
COPY C:\SIGN\TEST.TXT COM1
18) If your com port connected to the sign is different from the com port in step 17, change it to match your com port number.
19) Save the file to:
c:\sign\test.bat
Close Notepad.
20) Connect the sign to the com port indicated in step 17.
From the Windows start menu select START>RUN run the file :
C:\sign\test.exe
The sign should be updated with the message TEST.
21) Use the Vixen launcher to run the file C:\sign\test.exe
22) Make other .txt, .bat, and .exe files for other messages.
Note: Be sure to specify a dedicated channel to trigger the file. Setup the Launcher plugin for ONE CHANNEL ONLY. For example, channel 1 to channel 1. I am using it to show the song title so I only launch it one time at the beginning of the sequence.