Switch / Potentiometer

[bearpawz]

Its for a "Knight Rider" project.. .specificaly the "Surveilance Mode" box. Basicly there is one switch... you push it in and it turns unit on or off. You rotate it and it will move the LED's in responce to the movement. I might just say heck with that function and just go with a push on push off. I think the other function was only used in one episode if that. The rest of the time it just sat there ramping the bargraph up and down. It would be nice if I could find it... lord knows It took an act of congress to get the duplicate bargraph display... But I got an exact replacement part... Im probably better off focusing on developing the rest of the dash for now.

[Archangel]

Its for a "Knight Rider" project.. .specificaly the "Surveilance Mode" box. Basicly there is one switch... you push it in and it turns unit on or off. You rotate it and it will move the LED's in responce to the movement. I might just say heck with that function and just go with a push on push off. I think the other function was only used in one episode if that. The rest of the time it just sat there ramping the bargraph up and down. It would be nice if I could find it... lord knows It took an act of congress to get the duplicate bargraph display... But I got an exact replacement part... Im probably better off focusing on developing the rest of the dash for now.

Knightrider?
Wasn't that on television just before dirt was invented? I really doubt they used PICs to do that, I would bet they used an Lm3914 bargraph display driver and just ramped up the voltage to light the procession of LEDs.

[keithdoxey]

Knightrider?
Wasn't that on television just before dirt was invented?

Thanks a lot Joe !!!!!

Do you realise how old that statement makes me feel ?

I was in my twenties when Knight rider was on first TV. As if making me feel old isnt bad enough, I have that bloody theme tune running through my head now

[Luciano]

Hi Keith,

The bloody theme is still around! Enjoy!

http://www.teamknightrider.com/music/krtheme.wav


Best regards,

Luciano

P.S. Before you click the above link, cover the PC keyboard with plastic wrap.

[SteveB]

If your not commited to a POT, you could use an encoder with a switch to do essentially the same thing (but you would not have the "stops" that a POT has). I love to use these for input devices. One knob is all you need! However, if you have never used an encoder with a PIC there is a bit of learning curve to get them working well. Worth the effort, though (IMO), and lots of resources on the forum/net to learn from.

Here are some from Digi-Key. More options to choose from on other pages as well.

SteveB

[bearpawz]

Ive concidered using an encoder but doesnt that mean I'll need more than one pin for the input? Right now my pin count is prety much maxed out

As far as using an 3914/5/6 display, they are only for 10segment LED's.
Furthermore, This 12segment display is over used in the dash, its just everywhere... one of the other applications Im working on is the fuel consumption displays which takes the Fuel level and an odometer pulse and computes MPG and distance left... which obviously would require more than a display driver. Plus with the PIC you get the bonus of little sound effects.

So while Im not opposed to an encoder I have no idea how they work... have always assumed they output a 4bit BCD number... As it stands now the only pin I have left for input is portA.5

[SteveB]

...doesnt that mean I'll need more than one pin for the input? Right now my pin count is prety much maxed out

Yes, for the Switch/Encoder combination you would need 3 Pins. 2 for the encoder (preferable on a pin with an interrupt on change feature) and one for the switch. There are different types of encoders, this probable being the most basic.

Here is a descent explaination, but it sounds like the POT will be best, given the pin count issue.

SteveB

[Archangel]

Thanks a lot Joe !!!!!

Do you realise how old that statement makes me feel ?

yeah, About as old as me.

I was in my twenties when Knight rider was on first TV. As if making me feel old isnt bad enough, I have that bloody theme tune running through my head now

Ugh! better you than me, it could be worse though, it could be "It's A Small World . . . ", Oh Damn it, now I have to listen to that!

JS

[Archangel]

Hey bearpawz, are you building a movie prop car or just pimpim' someone's ride?

[keithdoxey]

yeah, About as old as me.

Ugh! better you than me, it could be worse though, it could be "It's A Small World . . . ", Oh Damn it, now I have to listen to that!

JS

Youve done it again !!!!

I got sick of hearing that at Disneyland Paris as that was my daughters favourite ride so we went on it far too many times!!!!!