Do you have the lights & sounds of x-mas box & want to go computer animated?

[dirknerkle]

Don't give up on blinky only. You can do fantastic effects with on/off only control. It's true that dimming is kind of cool, but depending on the kind of music you wish to use, on/off control can often be the best way to tell a story.

For example, consider the song, Jingle Bells. It's bouncy, fun, usually runs as a quick pace, and just wouldn't really look right if dimming was used. The effice just doesn't match the music.

The song, Silent Night is exactly the opposite. It's probably best done with gradual dimming because it's a lullaby. Putting wild blinking into the song doesn't make sense.

So don't give up on blinky!

[Entropy]

Pins 18-25 on a parallel port are all ground -- use any one of them. If the Mr. Christmas red wire is connected to ground, then that's ground.

Not correct, follow the standard and use all of them. Peripherals are supposed to tie all of those grounds together.

Why?
1) It's what the IEEE 1284 (parallel port) standard says
2) Some hosts lightly violate the standard and use one of the ground pins to detect the presence of a peripheral, assuming the peripheral is fully 1284 compliant. If the one ground pin you chose was the one that your PC decided was the "peripheral detect" pin, nothing will work since the pin is an input and not a ground.

Yes, I HAVE had 2) happen to me before with a Thinkpad and some lab wiring that only used Pin 25 for ground.

[budude]

Yes, I HAVE had 2) happen to me before with a Thinkpad and some lab wiring that only used Pin 25 for ground.

Hmm - maybe that's why I could never get my Thinkpad to drive my pre-Triks-C LEDTriks...

[dirknerkle]

Not correct, follow the standard and use all of them. Peripherals are supposed to tie all of those grounds together.

Why?
1) It's what the IEEE 1284 (parallel port) standard says
2) Some hosts lightly violate the standard and use one of the ground pins to detect the presence of a peripheral, assuming the peripheral is fully 1284 compliant. If the one ground pin you chose was the one that your PC decided was the "peripheral detect" pin, nothing will work since the pin is an input and not a ground.

Yes, I HAVE had 2) happen to me before with a Thinkpad and some lab wiring that only used Pin 25 for ground.

I stand corrected! Thanks for the RIGHT info. The old cables I used must have had 18-25 internally shunted. Good catch, Entropy!
-dave

[sbessettejr]

I just did this mod in 6 hours and about $40. Thanks for the info it works great! My wife kinda gave me that crazy look when I told her what I was gonna do, so I told her we can return it to normal at any time. By using a rotary switch I change between the Mr Christmas board and Vixen. I am also switching the internal speaker to use with Vixen as well because my neighbors are a bit crabby about volume (maybe go with RF soon).
This is my first year doing anything more then hanging light and plugging them in. Maybe if this works out well bigger and better things will come.

[Gebbinn]

Welcome to my addiction! Hope to see videos soon. The LaSoC is a nice jumping off point, but I am already lamenting the fact that I cannot do a whole lot more.

[sbessettejr]

Here is a video, Be gentle with the comments. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz6iFb5oKWI

[mcangeli]

Has anyone managed to make this work with the 4 channel wireless version?

If so, instructions?

[kychristmas]

Here is a video, Be gentle with the comments. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz6iFb5oKWI

I'm always impressed with modded LASOC stuff. You guys are less sloppy with the sequencing. Good Job!

[amargaros]

I NEED HELP! is there anyway to mod a lasoc box with a serial cable?