Displaying messages with only 7 (or 4) LEDs on a stick...

[T.Jackson]

What you're trying to do requires correct speed and timing. A project called Spin FX was published in the Silicon Chip magazine few years back. The article read great! There's still even KITS available for it. (Stock is very limited though)
<a href="http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/4647d6c8069df9ae2742c0a87f9c074f/Product/View/K3005" target="_blank">Click here to purchase a KIT </a>.

[ErnieM]

How are you getting this code to synchronize with the position of the wand?

Say you wave it right and left over and over. You would want your code to start displaying letters when the wand ‘banks’ to the left side and begins to move to the right, that way as the wand sweeps left to right you draw the pixels of the letters where they are needed in space.

As I read your code there is no synchronization between the drawing and the movement.

To make something simple to try, make the top of the wand a pulled up input and tap it against a grounded post. This gives you a pulse when you’re far left; have the code wait for that pulse THEN (after a short pause) start to draw the pixels ONCE for each letter in turn, then stop and wait for the next synch pulse.

The next trick is to make a cheap acceleration sensor to make this pulse for you from only the change in stick direction.

[flotulopex]

Yup ErnieM,

I was thinking about this "when to start to wave" problem.

This is also why I would have appreciated to get some code examples...

In all website (many thanks to MisterE 'cause I didn't know how to call this type of gadget before his post) where I could find information, there is no mention about a mouvement sensor in the case of handheld models.

My assumption was to repeat the message sequence endlessly and you modulate the wave speed to make it readable.

Or is it not that way it works?

So, if anybody else knows...

[skimask]

Yup ErnieM,
I was thinking about this "when to start to wave" problem.
This is also why I would have appreciated to get some code examples...
In all website (many thanks to MisterE 'cause I didn't know how to call this type of gadget before his post) where I could find information, there is no mention about a mouvement sensor in the case of handheld models.
My assumption was to repeat the message sequence endlessly and you modulate the wave speed to make it readable.
Or is it not that way it works?
So, if anybody else knows...

I suppose it can go both ways...either you trigger it (mercury switch, IR LED, acclerometer, heck, maybe even a neuro-muscular-interface wired into your wrist), or your hand rocks in sync with the program, maybe dial it up or down with a pot or something.

[Pic_User]

I always wanted to make a strip of LEDs that was on a truck body or mounted on an upright pole on a motor vehicle. This single strip of LEDs would be synchronized to the speed of the vehicle. People standing on the side of the road would see the full color “banner” poster, as it swooshed past them!
Or
Maybe, a single pole beside the highway. A single strip of LEDs that could be synchronized to the speed (read by RADAR) of the vehicle. The people moving by would see a full-length bill board, but the “sign” would be a single piece of conduit. No wind loading no blocking the scenery.

Probably not enough speed for the illusion, but a fun “what-if” experiment.....
-Adam-

[skimask]

I always wanted to make a strip of LEDs that was on a truck body or mounted on an upright pole on a motor vehicle. This single strip of LEDs would be synchronized to the speed of the vehicle. People standing on the side of the road would see the full color “banner” poster, as it swooshed past them! Or Maybe, a single pole beside the highway. A single strip of LEDs that could be synchronized to the speed (read by RADAR) of the vehicle. The people moving by would see a full-length bill board, but the “sign” would be a single piece of conduit. No wind loading no blocking the scenery. Probably not enough speed for the illusion, but a fun “what-if” experiment.....
-Adam-

You'd have to focus out in the distance to keep your eyes from tracking the object up close.
Neat idea, and has obvious advantages...but I don't think the average human being operating the average human eye would actually 'LET' it work...unless of course they'd been drinking

[Pic_User]

You'd have to focus out in the distance to keep your eyes from tracking the object up close.
Neat idea, and has obvious advantages...but I don't think the average human being operating the average human eye would actually 'LET' it work...unless of course they'd been drinking

So we sell beer on the ads!

[paul borgmeier]

I always wanted to make a strip of LEDs that was on a truck body or mounted on an upright pole on a motor vehicle. This single strip of LEDs would be synchronized to the speed of the vehicle. People standing on the side of the road would see the full color “banner” poster, as it swooshed past them!
Or
Maybe, a single pole beside the highway. A single strip of LEDs that could be synchronized to the speed (read by RADAR) of the vehicle. The people moving by would see a full-length bill board, but the “sign” would be a single piece of conduit. No wind loading no blocking the scenery.

Probably not enough speed for the illusion, but a fun “what-if” experiment.....
-Adam-

Not to participate (to much) in the hijacking of Flotu's thread, but here is the closest thing I have seen to what Adam describes (I believe someone else pointed this product out a year or ago here on this very forum - I cannot find the reference so here it is again)

[mister_e]

OMG... 'kitsch' but interesting at same time.