Re: Advice on custom input/output for pc

[Nigel Orr <Nigel.Orr@xxxxxxx>]

At 10:50 01/08/00 +0100, you wrote:
>The case has space for a small display and has 10 buttons (excluding
power=
).
>The rest of the gear in the rack (from the same company) has green led
>display on black background, I obviously want to match that.

Probably VFD (Vacuum Fluorescent Display) instead of LED, they're
available=
=20
from electronics suppliers, eg http://www.farnell.com .  Cost is about
=A33=
0=20
for a basic alphanumeric hi-fi sized one.  Add another =A330-=A340 for a
se=
rial=20
interface and you should be able to just spurt data out the serial port at=
=20
it.  I've looked into these in fair detail, but not yet put one together...

>it to the PC, what software might be useful (that would have
intelligent
>output to the text display).

Apparently WinAmp has an LCD plugin available, which might work with the=20
VFD display too.

>  Also the same for the buttons, how to connect
>them, what software would be easy to control with them (I was thinking
of
>having them mapped to cursor controls, return button etc).

Might be easiest to tear an existing PC keyboard apart and connect the=20
switches as appropriate for the key you want them to emulate.

> the PC will be running windows (either 95,98,NT4 or 2000) so please
don'=
t
>suggest unix software.

It'd all be easier under Lin^W^W^W^W^W^W OK, I won't... just remember to=20
bring Del, Alt and Ctrl out to the front panel switches- they might come
in=
=20
handy for something :-)

Nigel


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