OPEN sign

[newplumber]

Hi

I built a OPEN sign thinking maybe some day I will have a small supply store.
The sign is made from a horrible PCB board but has awesome parts on it.
When I have time I add a small code....one thing that saved me from the chips going weird is a while back
Westaust55 told me to add caps close as a possible to the 74hc595 chips
Now it works awesome like someone else built it ...

here is small clip ..(I tried to add sound explaining stuff but my phone mic is so jammed with dirt ..I sounded like I was talking in a insulation bale)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV3Sjh48nDg
I used 92 green leds ...I put paper in front of them because it makes a better video
what you see is 90 leds ....since I used 2 leds in series a few of them didn't line up right to match a letter...so instead trying to figure out the right brightness with
a resistor/ single led I just added a few dummy leds behind the scenes

Your friend
Mark


BTW ... if I am missing stuff on the board picture....I'm sure its underneath!


UPDATE: added a code

#picaxe 20X2 'SIMPLE CODE FOR "OPEN" LED SIGN
#NO_DATA
'This code is for a controlling 90 LEDS that SPELL the word "OPEN"
'1st led is started at the "O" and connected to 74hc595 first chip pin 1
'46th (last) led is ended at the "N" and connected to 74hc595 sixth chip pin 6
' using 6 74hc595 chips 
 'pin b.5  = 595 chip pin 11
 'pin b.3  = 595 chip pin 12
 'pin b.4  = 595 chip pin 14 
 'why pins b.3 - b.5? because the lenght of the wires that reached picaxe :)
setfreq m64
let DIRSB = %00111000
let DIRSC = %00000000
            '76543210

 Symbol   nbit        = B0    'B0
 Symbol   l4nbit      = B1    'B1    
 Symbol   LP1         = B2    'B2   LooP variable 
'Symbol   ----        = B3    'B3   pause time 
'Symbol   PT          = B4    'B4
 Symbol   PT          = w2    'B5   Pause Time 1
'Symbol   PT1         = B6    'B6  
 Symbol   PT1         = W3    'B7   Pause Time 2  
'Symbol   ----        = b8    'B8      
'Symbol   ----        = b9    'B9    W4    
'Symbol   ----       = b10   'B10     
'Symbol   ----       = b11   'B11    W5    
'Symbol   ----       = b12   'B12      
'Symbol   ----       = b13   'B13    W6
'Symbol   ----       = B14   'B14
'Symbol   ----       = B15   'B15    W7
'Symbol   ----       = B16   'B16
'Symbol   ----       = B17   'B17    W8
'Symbol   ----       = b18   'B18 
'Symbol   ----       = b19   'b19    W9
'Symbol   ----       = b20   'b20



 PT  = 5
 PT1 = 800

DO
 TURN_OFF_ALL: ' turns off all leds 	
     FOR lp1 = 0 to 5 :nbit = %00000000 :gosub shift0 
      NEXT : gosub display : pause 1000 

 SCROLL_ON_O_to_N: ' scrolls leds ON from 1st to 46th in time  	
   for lp1 = 0 to 5:nbit = %11111111: gosub shift1 :next :pause PT1
  
 SCROLL_OFF_O_to_N:   ' scrolls leds OFF from 1st to 46th in time
  for lp1 = 0 to 5:nbit = %00000000: gosub shift1 :next :pause PT1

 TURN_ON_ALL: ' makes all leds on and paused for 1-2 seconds
   FOR lp1 = 0 to 5 :nbit = %11111111 :gosub shift0    
    NEXT :gosub display :Pause 20000

 O_OP_OPE_OPEN:  ' below code turns on each letter in time ...O...OP..OPE..OPEN
                 nbit = %00000000: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT    
                 nbit = %00000000: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %00000000: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %00000000: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11000000: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11111111: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT :gosub display: pause pt1 '-----O only on
                        '12345678
				
                 nbit = %00000000: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT    
                 nbit = %00000000: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %00000000: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11110000: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11111111: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11111111: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT :gosub display: pause pt1 '-----OP only on
		            '12345678 

                 nbit = %00000000: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT    
                 nbit = %00000000: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11111111: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11111111: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11111111: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11111111: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT :gosub display: pause pt1 '-----OPE only on
		            '12345678 

                 nbit = %11111100: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT  ' <-- only has 46 pins used    
                 nbit = %11111111: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11111111: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11111111: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11111111: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT
                 nbit = %11111111: gosub SHIFT0  :pause PT :gosub display: pause pt1 '-----OPEN  on
		            '12345678		
LOOP


SHIFT0:
   low b.5                'low leg 11
    low b.3                 'low leg 12
     low b.4                 'low leg 14
 for l4nbit = 0 to 7 
 if bit0 = 0 then :low b.4:else:high b.4:endif
    high b.5:low b.5:nbit = nbit/2 :next    
RETURN 
DISPLAY:
    high b.3             
   low b.3
RETURN
SHIFT1:
   low b.5                'low leg 11
    low b.3                 'low leg 12
     low b.4                 'low leg 14   
 for l4nbit = 0 to 7 
 if bit0 = 0 then :low b.4:else:high b.4:endif
    high b.5:low b.5:nbit = nbit/2  
    high b.3             
   low b.3:pause PT1:next
RETURN

[Texasclodhopper]

Looks good Mark. Now put your APA102 skills together with that and make a multi-color sign!

PS. I know it takes a lot of work to get everything just right. Most of the times I cheat by creating a front panel or template with SketchUp (simple 3D drawing program) with all the holes lined up perfectly.

[newplumber]

I never used SketchUp ...what I used was Drawing Board...its always my friend and usually prints pretty close to scale
then i simply just drilled out the holes on a drill press with high speed
I have alot of RGB APA102s ...but saving/testing them for a store name sign which should be pretty cool

[Texasclodhopper]

... I have alot of RGB APA102s ...but saving/testing them for a store name sign which should be pretty cool

Looks like you have an potential array there of 9 x 9 dots by 4 characters (or more if you want to also say, "CLOSED".)

Or you could just form the APA102 strips into curves and circles and string them out. Less than 100 RGB dots.

[newplumber]

yes true texas ...I thought about making both open/closed in the same box with RG leds (to much soldering for my attention span ) ...but with your idea with the apa102s seems to make more sense
then I can go with any color... On a big sign I was thinking to make the letters wave across the board ...kinda hard to explain but have 12-18 rows of strips per letter going horizontal
then scrolling bright/dim/bright/dim etc .... from my tests it does seem to be waving and looks cool on the bench