OLED Analogue Thermometer

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
The Winstar OLED text modules we stock have a graphics mode. They may not as useful as a true graphics display, because the pixels are segmented into 8x5 character blocks with gaps between them, but they can still display useful graphics and using them graphically allows more than eight user defined characters.

The attached code allows an AXE131Y or AXE133Y OLED display to be turned on its side and used as an analogue thermometer display. The code runs in the 18M2 on the AXE131Y or AXE133Y controller board, and only requires the addition of a DS18B20 temperature sensor. The code is tailored for the AXE133Y (8x2) but will run on an AXE133Y (16x2) unchanged. I will provide an AXE133Y tailored version later.

To test the code without a DS18B20, just uncomment one of the "#DEFINE TEST_FULL" or "#DEFINE TEST_PART" lines at the top of the code. The temperature will then move up and down every second, TEST_FULL covers 0C to 37C, TEST_PART covers 9C to 31C.

"#DEFINE SHOW_BIG_C" and "#DEFINE SHOW_SMALL_C" determines which degree C symbol indicator should be shown if any. "#DEFINE SHOW_IDEAL" determines if the ideal temperature range should be shown as a dotted area marked on the right hand side. "#DEFINE SHOW_MIN_MAX" determines if markers for minimum and maximum temperatures should be shown as dots on the right hand side. To clear minimum and maximum markers; power cycle the unit.

The code isn't optimised for AXE131Y or AXE133Y display connections, it is coded so it can be used with any other PICAXE and wiring scheme by changing the OLED connection definitions.

I could not get a decent photo of the display so have attached an annotated artist's impression of what it looks like in operation. Click image for a better view of it -

TEMP.gif

Turned on its side, an AXE131Y seems to be the perfect size to fit to a blank 'MK wall outlet' mains panel in the UK.
 

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hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Sorry, I was just tweaking Hippy a bit on Celsius vs. Fahrenheit conversion. :D
I don't mind. I have the same problem with Fahrenheit, which is entirely meaningless to me. "86F!!!" scream the headlines. I know that means it's hot but I have no comprehension of how hot. It's actually 30C; I know that's hot.

My cooker oven is marked in F, but for most things doubling the C in the instructions is good enough. Like everything being washed on a "4" setting, most food goes in at 350F or 400F. 440F if it needs nuking.

Still we can all agree on 2.4m of 4" by 2" :)
 

lbenson

Senior Member
Still we can all agree on 2.4m of 4" by 2" :)
Canada, while metric for most things, still sells lumber by the (nominal) foot and inch, and at least in my area, the building inspector expects plans to be in feet and inches. Yet I've run into "handymen" who couldn't read a tape measure marked in inches (and I'd have trouble with one marked only in centimeters).
 

techElder

Well-known member
Thanks for you efforts here on the forum, Hippy.

I get along well with my special calculator on my phone. It does those pesky C/F conversions, but I use the programmer section to clear up the hex/decimal/binary brain fog quite often. (Especially with Hippy's one-liners! :D)
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
In the spirit of international friendship; degrees Fahrenheit.

Intended for an AXE131Y but will also run on an AXE133Y. Covers 48F to 87F (9C to 30C) because I wanted to use one pixel = 1F. It should be okay for most places but might want to move things up or down by multiples of 5F if living in a desert or Arctic wilderness.
 

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darb1972

Senior Member
Awesome little project Hippy! Simple but very effective. I might do a version or two of these.

Thanks for the effort and idea. Very creative (I never thought of using the axe displays vertically)!!!

Regards
Brad
 
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