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A project log for Very large LED Display

Build 8.2 ft Serial Addressable LED Display. Will be used to display message and basic animation. Leading 4H club project

hamblinjoehamblin.joe 03/17/2019 at 20:150 Comments

I was looking for a method to enter new phrases that would be displayed.  With the 20x15 display everything was hard coded, this would not work with this display.  I wanted to find a way to enter new phrases with a USB keyboard.  The Arduino could not work directly with the USB keyboard.  I found this device and ordered one.

http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/usb-host-board-v2?keyword=usb%20host

This would communicate I2C with the arduino and I could order it with the USB keyboard profile already loaded, less work for me to do :D    This worked great, at first I was using a USB keyboard that had a USB port on it, and the device would no recognize it.  I then found a simple USB keyboard (no USB host ports on it) and it worked perfectly, this was also nice an inexpensive.  

hello

One important item I noted.  I need to make sure I have a very strong mounting case to allow "Anyone" to connect the USB keyboard.  I don't want people not familiar with the hardware to have to hold the devices to connect the USB keyboard.  I need to mount this securely in a box.  Now I can get input form a USB keyboard.

Features I need to add to support this.

1.  I will have four "Phrases" being displayed in a rotating pattern.  When I see "xxxx" I will know that new data is coming in.  I will flash  some LEDs, green, as a visual feed back to the operator.  

2.  Need to work out the buffer timing.  The default "USB Host program" checks every 5 min.  I need to create a buffer on the Arduino side, so I can handle not being spread across USB Host buffer.

3.  Need visual feed back that each "phrase has been accepted".

4.  Go back into display mode

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