This 'thing'
Look a the blury pictures on this site (mine): http://jas2o.forthworks.com/thing/ What is it? When I put power through it, the yellow and green LEDs light up. The number goes to 10. Anyone have ideas how I can make this do something? Jas2o

I have managed to change the number by moving pins around. This 'thing' was built into my dad's computer, but that was also 10. I can't turn the red LED with the green (but yellow can go with green). Is there a thing I can make with a ribbon cable and a serial port to playing around with the pins? Jas2o

Basically power is fed (or earthed ) to each line, to make it light up, that makes up the digital number, this feed is useally controlled by a pic, or you could use your PC. You could use it for any thing that needs a number read out, i would not try using it through you PC ports, until you have learnt abit, as you can blow up your PC. You would be better get a pic programmer and using your PC to program the chip, to do differant things. Theres lots of good electronic site, to learn how to do this. Good luck.

I'll have to keep this in mind. I can really afford the buy anything at the moment :( How much is a PIC programmer? (include writing) So far the only 'word' I have managed to make with it is HO. I can only make 2 letter works (3 if I or L is first) Jas2o

You can make your own : http://www.rentron.com/Myke4.htm http://www.jdm.homepage.dk/newpic.htm http://www.mstracey.btinternet.co.uk/pictutorial/picmain.htm But it is some times easier to buy one (about £20 UK).

You said this was in the PC? If you're curious of what it is, I remember seeing several old PC's which would display "HI" or "LO", dependant on the "Turbo button" setting. These were usually pentium 1 machines, and I think the button was to allow people to play games that had hardwaredependant timing loops, slowing down the computer so they wouldn't be over before you knew they started... I've also seen similar displays to show CPU speed (MHz). and some were capable of being programmed from the PC to show a 2 or 3 character message. As for building a PIC programmer, you will have a much easier time than even I will doing that, as there are no good electronics stores in the US, we have to special order everything... Tell Jaycar to open some US locations!!! :lol:

I would try to build one if I don't have to solder (I'm terrible at that). How much is the PIC itself? Or is there a chance this thing already has one? (Unless there is one on the main board I could somehow steal) The thing never changed if you press turbo. This did come from an old PC though. You know how I could make it do CPU speed or show a message (scrolling maybe)? In the corner of the the front is written " 8188T ", on the reverse side it has a 2 after the T, does this mean anything except front and back? Jas2o

I'm not really sure, I never made use of the "Turbo" button, but since the machine had one, that is what the display is for. I don't know if the button was software controlled or not, I've seen other machines not react when it's pushed. As for there being a PIC on board, I don't believe there is one. You can get a PIC from Microchip, for as little as $2.00 (US). THey're fairly inexpensive, especially for as few I/O pins you would need. PIC's are easily used, you program them in C, and Basic compilers are available. Soldering isn't really that hard, if you practice it enough you'll become good at it pretty quickly. Well, I hope this helps, tonyMac

On jaycar I can only get one for a bit less than $10AUD. That goes for DSE (Dicksmith Electronics) too. http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.filereader?4393c8ea0072365e273fc0a87f9c0716+EN/catalogs/CTG0001767 There is one there for a bit less than $5AUD. http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/4393c8ea0072365e273fc0a87f9c0716/Product/View/Z9170 How is it? For this 'project' I can only spend up to $20AUD (maybe + $5AUD) Just before I rush out and get one, how would I use it to control the thingy? Without soldering? Jas2o

You will need a thing called a "breadboard", more money :cry: . http://www.apogeekits.com/bread_board_2.htm http://library.thinkquest.org/16497/projects/breadboard/index.html A pic is microcontroller, you program them to check for a state and according to what that state is, it will switch something or just loop. But there are many types, for differant jobs. Heres a good site, it shows how to program a pong game, that work on the tv, from a common PIC, coded in asm of course 8) . http://dt.prohosting.com/pic/pong.html Heres a good tut. http://www.mstracey.btinternet.co.uk/pictutorial/picmain.htm

I'm not sure it's available outside the US, but I subscribe to a magazine called "Nuts & Volts", it has a weekly PIC project. You may be able to find a good starter project if you look in there... However, you are going to need a programmer, and those cost a lot, which is why I use the school's...

i know this topic is somewhat dead but... you also need pic programming software. it is EXPENSIVE. i know there is a place where it is free (illeagle nontheless), so you can get it. i recommend the USB programmer from nuts&volts (give me 24hrs to confirm the name and such). For everybody here: it's assembly friendly :D. Cheers, DH.

The project has been ditched... I'm playing around with DS homebrew. Jas2o

I'm not bother to start a new topic now. So far I have: MY DS (which had v2 firmware, now FLASHME v6) My wifi card (my wireless passme, Wireless Multi Boot) My Supercard + SD card (exxperimenting here). I haven't done any development myself yet. I'm not sure if DS homebrew is underdeveloped. But I like this site to see how poeple are doing: http://nintendo-ds.dcemu.co.uk/ Jas2o