#218968 - 19/06/2004 17:48
The translucent button effort - in Projects
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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Since it seems like a few people are interested in the creation of translucent buttons, let's avoid duplicating work amongst ourselves by using the forum.
I've started a few threads over in Projects to avoid crowding this area. There's a thread for each step that we need to worry about so far, to avoid having an Uber thread that's a mess.
If you are interested in a set of translucent buttons, please post here. Let us know how many you want and which colors you'd be interested in. I'm not sure what price we'll decide on, but all that info will evolve in the Projects forum in the "Buttons" threads.
Check it out. If you have any information to share, that'd be a big help. Thanks for your interest!
_________________________
- FireFox31 110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set
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#218969 - 20/06/2004 03:00
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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enthusiast
Registered: 27/03/2002
Posts: 248
Loc: Swindon, UK
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I'd like a set. Not sure on what colour.
_________________________
Andy
MK2a 60GB Amber 040103916 32mb/Light Kit
MK2a 50GB Amber 030102560 32mb
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#218970 - 20/06/2004 04:35
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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addict
Registered: 29/06/2002
Posts: 531
Loc: Triangle, VA
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Id be interested in a set - Blue to match my screen.
_________________________
-D
Modifying and Tweaking is a journey,
not a destination................................
MKIIa : 60gig - 040103286 - Blue - v2 + PCATS tuner
MKIIa : 20gig - 040103260 - Blue - v3a8 + Mark Lord Special Edition Cherry Dock
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#218971 - 20/06/2004 11:07
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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member
Registered: 24/02/2003
Posts: 111
Loc: Elk Grove, CA
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I'd like a blue set as well.
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No longer a stranger, finally a full-fledged member! 
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#218972 - 20/06/2004 12:57
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 13/01/2002
Posts: 1649
Loc: Louisiana, USA
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Thanks for your effort. Wish you better luck than we had. If you want, we did develop some graphics to go on the buttons in what was to be a multicolored casting. Let me know if you think these might be useful.
Stu
_________________________
If you want it to break, buy Sony!
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#218973 - 21/06/2004 01:36
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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member
Registered: 03/04/2002
Posts: 169
Loc: Regensburg, Germany
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Thanks for your efforts! I'd like a green set, if possible, please.
_________________________
32MB, serial: 10101626
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#218974 - 21/06/2004 02:38
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 09/08/2000
Posts: 2091
Loc: Edinburgh, Scotland
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Depending on eventual price, I'd go for three sets - a standard blue, a purple, and maybe a set to match the smoke lens.
_________________________
Rory
MkIIa, blue lit buttons, memory upgrade, 1Tb in Subaru Forester STi
MkII, 240Gb in Mark Lord dock
MkII, 80Gb SSD in dock
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#218975 - 21/06/2004 07:46
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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member
Registered: 31/12/2001
Posts: 113
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Id definately want a set in each color that was made 
b
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#218976 - 21/06/2004 09:39
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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Master Boot Logo(er)
Registered: 26/08/2003
Posts: 525
Loc: California
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Count me in.
If possible, a clear set (no color added) and/or a blue set.
_________________________
aka: [color:"blue"]Boot Logo Master[/color] PayPal Contributions for Custom Boot Logos are gladly accepted. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> itirado[@]adobe[.]com
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#218977 - 21/06/2004 11:44
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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addict
Registered: 30/05/2002
Posts: 695
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I would certainly like a set; possibly several.
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#218978 - 21/06/2004 12:19
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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member
Registered: 28/08/2003
Posts: 149
Loc: Isle of Wight, UK
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I'd like a blue & a green!
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Steve
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#218979 - 21/06/2004 16:22
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: Major_Sarcasm]
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member
Registered: 20/02/2002
Posts: 158
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#218980 - 21/06/2004 16:56
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: Major_Sarcasm]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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Thanks all. My initial hope is to do five colors; smoke, red, blue, "yellow" (amber?), green. Other colors (like frog51's purple) may come out by accident, so keep your fingers crossed. But if you want other colors, let me know.
Also, if you can reference something that matches the color you want, please let me know. The biggest example for color matching is lenses. For example, I'll try to match green buttons to Filener's green lense. Blue and yellow might have to match Filener's raised translucent blue and rasied yellow.
So, the more specific you are with the color (and what lense you're matching to), the better we can find a happy medium. Thanks.
_________________________
- FireFox31 110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set
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#218981 - 21/06/2004 23:03
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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enthusiast
Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 345
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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I'll take a green and smoked set, like the lenses from filener.
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-CHiP
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#218982 - 21/06/2004 23:04
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: maczrool]
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enthusiast
Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 345
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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Stu, what happened to your effort? I have not been to the board in a while. Last i checked you were waiting for buttons to be created with just the right color. What happened to them?
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-CHiP
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#218983 - 22/06/2004 21:53
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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member
Registered: 07/02/2002
Posts: 193
Loc: New Richmond, WI
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I'm wanting 2 sets one red one blue.
Thanks
Rob
_________________________
Drive fast, Play it loud!!!
20GB Original Blue Lens MKIIa Rio SN 030102760, Blue Buttons.
20GB Original Green Lens MKIIa Rio SN 040103268 Grey Buttons.
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#218984 - 23/06/2004 06:04
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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enthusiast
Registered: 30/01/2000
Posts: 262
Loc: Derbyshire, UK
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It's been so long I had to check my original post
I'd like 2 sets please. The more orange out of red or amber (I'm trying to match the needles on the dials of an Alfa Romeo Spider which are quite a bright orange) and smoke like Darkstorm's lens.
_________________________
Steve
2x80GB Mk II with Illuminated buttons
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#218985 - 23/06/2004 16:32
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: CHiP]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 13/01/2002
Posts: 1649
Loc: Louisiana, USA
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The caster turned out to be a crook. Sorry. We've lost at least $1000 on this, so that's why I'm stepping down on trying another caster.
Stu
_________________________
If you want it to break, buy Sony!
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#218986 - 26/06/2004 12:06
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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addict
Registered: 16/08/1999
Posts: 453
Loc: NRW, Germany
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I'd be interested in a blue set to match my screen too, ta.
_________________________
(list 6284, Mk1 S/N 00299 4GB blue [sold]. Mk2 S/N 080000094 20GB blue)
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#218987 - 26/06/2004 14:54
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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new poster
Registered: 26/06/2004
Posts: 3
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Count me for one Amber and one Blue - Thx
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#218988 - 26/06/2004 15:02
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: videogeek]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 15/08/2000
Posts: 4859
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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Good point.
If anyone is keeping a tally of sets, I would like five (5) sets of each color available. At the moment, I suspect that would be red, amber, green, blue, smoke and maybe clear. Just in case anyone is keeping track. Thanks!
_________________________
Paul Grzelak
200GB with 48MB RAM, Illuminated Buttons and Digital Outputs
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#218989 - 26/06/2004 15:06
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: pgrzelak]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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I'll be tallying these when we are ready to make the decision on colors. Also, yo help us forcast demand, we are using color requests from previous button runs and attempts, as well as the poll over in Projects.
Keep posting your requests here, and keep posting any ideas and information over in the Projects threads. Thanks!
_________________________
- FireFox31 110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set
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#218990 - 26/06/2004 21:49
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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old hand
Registered: 14/02/2002
Posts: 804
Loc: Salt Lake City, UT
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In that case I will be wanting a set of red.
_________________________
-Michael
#040103696 on a shelf
Mk2a - 90 GB - Red - Illuminated buttons
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#218991 - 28/06/2004 18:37
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: Waterman981]
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enthusiast
Registered: 18/12/2000
Posts: 342
Loc: South-West-Germany
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Hi, i want 2 sets of any existing color! Keep pushing it...  Clear ones would be cool for UV-LEDs, wouldn't they? BTW, does smoke match the lens or the color of the VFD through the lens?
_________________________
cheers, Thomas
new owner of the MK1 00123
MK2 12GB 090000815 (my first one)
MK2a 040103735 (from 303) and ???
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#218992 - 30/06/2004 00:08
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: speedy67]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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The goal is to have all the buttons match the color of the text on the VFD going THROUGH the lense. This doesn't really include (darkstorm) neon lenses or (Filener) 2piece lenses, who's primary "color" seems to be the lense itself, not the text.
I only have Darkstorm Smoke, so I might have to get a Filener smoke to do some color matching. It'll take some time to match the colors, but we hope they will be a happy medium; matching the lense color in the day but also looking like the VFD text through the lense at night.
_________________________
- FireFox31 110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set
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#218993 - 30/06/2004 16:32
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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enthusiast
Registered: 07/01/2002
Posts: 339
Loc: Squamish, BC
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I'll have a smoke set! Heck, I'll have any set that you can make - these seem to be the achilles heel of the empeg community!
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#218994 - 30/06/2004 18:38
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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member
Registered: 15/01/2002
Posts: 183
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I'm in for a set of smoke, blue and green. 
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CLS
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#218995 - 30/06/2004 18:39
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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member
Registered: 12/08/2002
Posts: 179
Loc: Manchester, NH
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I'll take any colors you can get!!
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#218996 - 30/06/2004 19:28
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: mvigneau]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Uh. Can we keep all the "me too" posts in projects along with the poll? No point posting over here anymore as there are specific threads for buttons. Spreading out the posts will just make it more awkward to collate.
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#218997 - 30/06/2004 19:35
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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I agree. If you really need to know (and I hate to say this, but) start a new thread with a poll about button colors. The BBS software will allow people to choose multiple options. That way we can get less "me too" spam. K? Thx.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#218998 - 03/07/2004 02:55
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: wfaulk]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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I'm sorry, I was actually kind of hoping for "'me too' spam". It seems to serve alot of purposes.
I was planning to tally up everyone that wanted buttons when (if?) they are available.
It also helped show the current interest for certain colors.
It helped solicit color matching info (which we could use more of, perhaps).
It's bumping in General will help notify people that buttons are (and better darn well be) coming.
The "in Projects" part of the title lets people know to check there for the details.
The poll stopped when the BBS upgraded (but I never did figure out polls...).
::shrugs:: Sorry, I thought it would be helpful. I've also seen it used in the past and nobody seemed to mind... unless I missed it. Sorry folks.
_________________________
- FireFox31 110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set
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#218999 - 03/07/2004 04:47
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 15/01/2002
Posts: 1866
Loc: Austin
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#219000 - 03/07/2004 13:09
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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addict
Registered: 27/12/2001
Posts: 441
Loc: Central, NC, USA
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#219001 - 05/07/2004 04:14
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: Micman2b]
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journeyman
Registered: 02/07/2004
Posts: 95
Loc: 384400 km from the Moon
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I like a set of blue as well. I'm staying away from green and red for I never know when color blindness strikes me.
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#219002 - 05/07/2004 14:31
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: peakmop]
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old hand
Registered: 30/07/2001
Posts: 1115
Loc: Lochcarron and Edinburgh
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I'd like a set - don't mind what colour, really, as long as they match each other.
I've just changed my faceplate from amber to blue, but I don't know what colour I'm most likely to have long-term (maybe smoke would best match the new car, but I'm not planning on buying new lenses in the near future).
A 'variety pack' would be my preference if that's available - 3 or 4 sets, in different colours.
_________________________
Toby Speight
030103016 (80GB Mk2a, blue)
030102806 (0GB Mk2a, blue)
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#219003 - 12/07/2004 19:25
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tms13]
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member
Registered: 29/03/2000
Posts: 106
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Put me down for a set of smoke. Thanks!
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#219004 - 21/07/2004 23:16
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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Hm... what color blue are you all interested in? One that matches Filener's Translucent Blue raised lense? Or a more rich blue like these? Or are there any other ways you can make a reference that I can colormatch from? I'm trying to get this colormatching info now because casters and molders have asked me for it right at the begining of the process. I'm talking to three different companies now; still early in the process. And darn, there's one RIGHT down the street from me that I want to get to also, but they haven't replied. Heck, I might just stop in. Thanks all.
_________________________
- FireFox31 110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set
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#219006 - 28/07/2004 02:01
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: Mach]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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Ugh, SO many casters and molders to contact... so little time. My latest batch of contacts has yeilded 7 interested injection molders so far. Let's see what they quote the project at and hope it's feasible.
Mach, thanks for the color matching info. Yeah, I imagined it was dark blue that everyone was after. Now, I just need an original dark blue lense and some scraps of that color to send away for color matching.
Other than that, things are trucking along quite nicely! Since my early-July contacts to hand-casters only yelided me one (extremely expensive) quote, I pushed the deadline back to October. Keep your fingers crossed!
_________________________
- FireFox31 110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set
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#219007 - 28/07/2004 02:16
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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addict
Registered: 27/12/2001
Posts: 441
Loc: Central, NC, USA
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Thanks for all your hard work!!!!
Sean in NC
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#219008 - 17/08/2004 22:44
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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So, how crazy would it be for me to try and track down the original empeg button steel injection molding tool, lost somewhere in England?
First, good news. Things have been moving forward at a very constant pace. Constant e-mailing, frequent phone calls, and now, price quotes. I have finally struck gold by contacting "prototypers" who provide a service somewhere between hand casting (using short-life molds) and injection molding (molds created by machine and parts cast by machine). I'll should have a firm grip on services and prices from this nice middle ground by September 1st.
Then, the crazy news: Though the injecetion molders that I've contacted have been very professional about the job, their price for creating a mold ("tool") is roughly three times what I can afford. For that price, I might as well take a month off work, fly to England, and search for the original tool. So, what about that original tool? I've seen scattered slight references to it through the years on the BBS. Does anyone have any leads on it? Such as:
- Who did the original injection molding.
- Who designed the fascia and buttons (that's on the geek site, right?).
- Who would I have to pay off because they actually own the tool.
- Would copyright laws even allow me to set my hands on it.
- Has the ownership of the tool been lost in all the empeg company changes.
I'd be more than happy to use some of my weekly button project time to chase some international leads on this elusive block of steel. Any hints would be great. Thanks all.
_________________________
- FireFox31 110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set
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#219009 - 17/08/2004 23:35
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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The tool was a soft tool and is probably worn beyond use. The fascia one is definitely gone. Read this post.
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#219010 - 18/08/2004 02:32
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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addict
Registered: 08/08/2001
Posts: 452
Loc: NZ
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I'd like one set of every colour...
clear
blue (original factory lens matched)
smoke
red
green
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#219011 - 18/08/2004 23:45
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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addict
Registered: 08/08/2001
Posts: 452
Loc: NZ
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So I guess you will be offering each colour as a different set?, Rather than a single set which inlcudes all of the 5?? or so colours?
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#219012 - 19/08/2004 00:32
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tman]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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tman, thanks, that was exactaly the post I was thinking of. How he mentioned "rusting away" burned into my memory that it may be a steel tool (since I can't imagine urethane or silicone rusting). But oh well, it's probably long gone.
JaBZ, thanks for the reply. Clear isn't totally intended to be one of the five colors, but I'm going to try and have some made if it's not too much more of a cost. The five colors are factory-empeg-lense blue (not the stock one, but their blue replacement), and Filener's flat green, flat red, flat smoke, and raised amber.
Now, to just find enough time at work to make these phone calls to molding shops... It's working out though, no worries!
_________________________
- FireFox31 110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set
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#219013 - 16/03/2006 02:24
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: FireFox31]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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First pardon me for bumping an old thread.
I would be interested in a crystal clear set of buttons and knob.
The reason why is I've seen multicolor leds in small T type packages don't know if there is an SMT version. Using these LEDs would allow software controll of the color selection.
_________________________
The only difference between science fiction and reality is about 60 years.
100GB MK2 Green 080000171 + OEM tuner
v3.00a11 hijack v450 jEmpload v70
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#219014 - 16/03/2006 02:33
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: n2toh]
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addict
Registered: 29/06/2002
Posts: 531
Loc: Triangle, VA
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Hes got a web site up for you to order the buttons from.. click Buttons up at the top of the page in the Addons section
_________________________
-D
Modifying and Tweaking is a journey,
not a destination................................
MKIIa : 60gig - 040103286 - Blue - v2 + PCATS tuner
MKIIa : 20gig - 040103260 - Blue - v3a8 + Mark Lord Special Edition Cherry Dock
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#219015 - 16/03/2006 04:55
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: n2toh]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31602
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Quote:
Using these LEDs would allow software controll of the color selection.
Are you certain of that? The way the LEDs are wired is very specific, and the way the PIC that controls them is programmed is also very specific and I don't think it can be changed. Just installing some fancy LEDs won't magically give your empeg rainbow buttons.
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#219016 - 16/03/2006 06:05
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tfabris]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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Quote:
Quote:
Using these LEDs would allow software control of the color selection.
Are you certain of that? The way the LEDs are wired is very specific, and the way the PIC that controls them is programmed is also very specific and I don't think it can be changed. Just installing some fancy LEDs won't magically give your empeg rainbow buttons.
Admittedly using them is a definite hack, they will not be a direct swap for the currently used LEDs. The ones I've seen use 6 wires to power one red one green and one blue LED dies(the LEDs can be controlled with just 3 wires, and the use of 30AWG fish wire will be needed to connect to the buttons ). A simple implementation would be to use a separate uC with BCD switches to select colors, and an input wire from the current PIC to control the brightness. For all LEDs the same color this can be done with 7 i/o wires for 256 colors, A 6 wire setup for 16 colors using an 8 pin dip uC.
This is if you want all the buttons the same color, with more wires you can make each LED a different color.
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#219017 - 16/03/2006 14:42
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tfabris]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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A potential LED selection for the knob can be seen here
EDIT: A better option for the knob and buttons is SUNLEDS they are be far the smallest RGB LEDs I've found to date.
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#219018 - 16/03/2006 16:06
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: n2toh]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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mlord
If I make the multicolor buttons can you add a little version of Simon says to Hijack?
_________________________
The only difference between science fiction and reality is about 60 years.
100GB MK2 Green 080000171 + OEM tuner
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#219019 - 16/03/2006 16:43
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: n2toh]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Quote:
If I make the multicolor buttons can you add a little version of Simon says to Hijack?
How are you going to connect it to the empeg?
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#219020 - 16/03/2006 17:35
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tman]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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Quote:
Quote:
If I make the multicolor buttons can you add a little version of Simon says to Hijack?
How are you going to connect it to the empeg?
I've been giving that some thought and think the IRDA port should work. Ether via IR or soldering directly to the board. (in each case the user can configure the LED controller externally until it's supported by empeg control). I'm open to other ideas for interfacing to the empeg
I've seen reference that the serial irda port in the empeg will do 115.2 Kbs can it go faster even if the IR transceiver doesn't?
I'm trying to put togeather a protcol for talking to the LED controller and would like some input.
The uC and driver will have 4 PWM outputs and 8 select lines meaning it can control a total of 32 LEDs. That will allow an RGB + UV LED for each button and 4 for the knob, each indipendantly controlable.
The v0.000a0 code spec
Each group of 3 LEDs will be addressed by a 24 bit number, in applications with a UV LED 32bits will be used with the UV LED bits at the most significant end.
address 0 is the button at the 12 o clock position.
address 1 is at 3 o clock
address 2 is at 6 o clock
address 3 is a t 9 o clock
addresses 4 thou 7 correspond to the knob in the same fashion.
address 8 sets addresses locations 0 thou 3 to the same value
address 9 sets addresses locations 4 thou 7 to the same value
address a is the global address for all locations.
there will be 16 user definable quick access memories for user preferred colors or modes.
by default address 0 will be a constant color shifting mode that slowly changes the LED thou all possible colors.
example "AaM1 CR" will set all locations to the color contained in memory 1 the update will not take effect until a carage return is sent.
multiple commands are separated by line feeds.
example "AaM1 line feed A0M0 followed by a CR" this will set all locations but the round button to color 1 and the round button to the color shifter.
the controller will allow external applications to read any memory location, and the current color value from any LED.
to be implemented by an external application
a mode for setting user selected colors with the control knob.
Edited by n2toh (16/03/2006 17:50)
_________________________
The only difference between science fiction and reality is about 60 years.
100GB MK2 Green 080000171 + OEM tuner
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#219021 - 16/03/2006 19:03
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: n2toh]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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This is an insanely complicated scheme. If I wanted to this then I'd hang a chip off the I2C bus inside the empeg. A user land app to do the controlling as well instead of wedging it into the kernel and wasting memory.
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#219022 - 16/03/2006 19:09
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
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I shouldn't say this, but I'm in an incredibly foul mood right now.... If I had a pound for every person who joined this board, came up with a 'great' idea for empeg hardware and software mods and then delivered sweet FA then I'd have at least a tenner.... and just to stop you moaning I'm actually included in this list as I will never have the time to build my DAB tuner.
_________________________
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Andy M
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#219023 - 16/03/2006 19:18
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tman]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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Quote:
This is an insanely complicated scheme. If I wanted to this then I'd hang a chip off the I2C bus inside the empeg. A user land app to do the controlling as well instead of wedging it into the kernel and wasting memory.
I never said anything about the kernel, a userland app is the way to go. The I2C bus you speak of is this the one for the tuner? or is there another one?
andym
Quote:
I shouldn't say this, but I'm in an incredibly foul mood right now.... If I had a pound for every person who joined this board, came up with a 'great' idea for empeg hardware and software mods and then delivered sweet FA then I'd have at least a tenner.... and just to stop you moaning I'm actually included in this list as I will never have the time to build my DAB tuner.
yes I agree but of all the things I've wanted to add this is by far the simplest, and the hardware+firmware is within my ability.
The reason I mentioned IRDA was it would allow me to controll my atmel chip without opening my empeg to change the settings, and maybe allow a userland app to talk to my chip via serial port that never gets used on my player. the I2C buss just allows more options.
If anyone has a better/simpler idea for controlling the atmel I'd like to hear it.
_________________________
The only difference between science fiction and reality is about 60 years.
100GB MK2 Green 080000171 + OEM tuner
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#219024 - 16/03/2006 19:34
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: n2toh]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Quote:
I never said anything about the kernel, a userland app is the way to go.
Thought you meant to have the controlling app when you said:
Quote:
If I make the multicolor buttons can you add a little version of Simon says to Hijack?
and not literally the Simon game. It'd still have to be part of the userland app anyway.
Quote:
The I2C bus you speak of is this the one for the tuner? or is there another one?
No. There is one inside the empeg that has the DSP on it. There is also a 1-Wire bus in there as well.
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#219025 - 16/03/2006 19:43
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tman]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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sorry about the confusion, Ok if the I2C bus is easy to get at then it will be used.
another thing I'm pondering is if I should make the 4 RGB LEDs for the knob a single addressable location or seperate.
_________________________
The only difference between science fiction and reality is about 60 years.
100GB MK2 Green 080000171 + OEM tuner
v3.00a11 hijack v450 jEmpload v70
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#219026 - 16/03/2006 20:25
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: n2toh]
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member
Registered: 03/05/2003
Posts: 131
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n2toh perhaps I'm in a foul mood also or just being a bit b*tchy... but for the last few weeks I've read as you dig up all these old threads and say you can do this or that and you know how to do it. Which is fine... but it seems like you've said the same thing about so many things and spread yourself thin. It seems like if you truly can do this magic that you would take ONE thing and bring it to fruition and work from there. Maybe you are trying to cover all bases for the masterpiece of a redesign you have planned... I have no clue. I know I've read everything from rainbow lights with one controller to USB master with another controller and a Serial hard drive controller and it seems by the time you do all of this, call it a PC and play Doom or whatever on it.
I'm a mechanical engineer and my skills are VERY limited in the electrical realm. And I've been known to dream of some crazy things, but generally I can do a small cost and feasibility study to figure out if any of them are worth pursuing. If one is, I devote all of my energy into it and COMPLETE it... I don't keep spending every day dreaming of some new crazy possibility to keep me from ever finishing ONE of them... I fear that maybe reality hasn't hit you yet in that you have mentioned 10 projets on here and you claim to be able to handle hardware and software for both... I have no reason to doubt you... but once it'd be nice to FINISH one of your ideas and not to keep dreaming up the next... if you never start then it definitely never gets finished.
Wasn't trying to be harsh, it's just that some of this has been so outlandish that I just shake my head and wonder why? I think maybe I've worked for you in a company that went out of business because they spent all of the time coming up with the product but never developing it...
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#219027 - 16/03/2006 20:44
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: Jemmi]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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you are 100% correct.
This project is by far the simplest, and is the one I'm going to devote my time to.
_________________________
The only difference between science fiction and reality is about 60 years.
100GB MK2 Green 080000171 + OEM tuner
v3.00a11 hijack v450 jEmpload v70
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#219029 - 17/03/2006 00:07
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: Snowshoe]
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 08/02/2002
Posts: 3411
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Oh, you've got to make them separate. We could have funky circular effects then!
I thought about doing something like this a couple of years back, but never got time to get past the dreaming about it stage. Those tiny leds weren't available then either,
_________________________
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#219030 - 17/03/2006 00:33
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: genixia]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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Quote:
Oh, you've got to make them separate. We could have funky circular effects then!
I thought about doing something like this a couple of years back, but never got time to get past the dreaming about it stage. Those tiny leds weren't available then either,
yea I thought so... I'll wire them so they can be individually addressed, but treat them as one for now.
A few years ago I considered making a color based 4x4 keypad for a security app, but at that time RGB LEDs were only sold in 5mm T1 3/4 packages and I was unwilling to shell out the money for tooling to make lite piped push button keys.
from my perspective the expensive part of this project (the crystal buttons) is already done.
NOTE: I'm writing code for this in another window as I type this. first step is to test with a bicolor LED as I have them in stock.
_________________________
The only difference between science fiction and reality is about 60 years.
100GB MK2 Green 080000171 + OEM tuner
v3.00a11 hijack v450 jEmpload v70
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#219031 - 17/03/2006 01:29
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: n2toh]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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n2toh, welcome back to the boards. I've enjoyed reading your recent flood of empeg ideas. You never know when one of those ideas will catch on and become reality. I know nothing about electrical engineering and next to nothing about empeg coding. So, I'll just cheer you on and hope that you get something worked out. Good luck. Haha, Simon on the empeg, using the default beeps as tones. I'd probably shatter my display board from over reacting and slamming the buttons too wildly.
_________________________
- FireFox31 110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set
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#219032 - 17/03/2006 18:14
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tman]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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Is there anything in the empeg that can be used as an SPI interface?
_________________________
The only difference between science fiction and reality is about 60 years.
100GB MK2 Green 080000171 + OEM tuner
v3.00a11 hijack v450 jEmpload v70
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#219033 - 17/03/2006 19:06
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: n2toh]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Quote:
Is there anything in the empeg that can be used as an SPI interface?
Nope. All the GPIOs are used. Disconnecting them would mean you lose functionality.
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#219034 - 17/03/2006 23:32
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tman]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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Quote:
Quote:
Is there anything in the empeg that can be used as an SPI interface?
Nope. All the GPIOs are used. Disconnecting them would mean you lose functionality.
OK thank you
I'll have to find a work around to implement ISP ability.
_________________________
The only difference between science fiction and reality is about 60 years.
100GB MK2 Green 080000171 + OEM tuner
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#219035 - 18/03/2006 19:08
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tman]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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Update on the RGB+UV buttons project.
I'm doing a bit of research on how to implement the LED drivers, This is what I have so far.
possible solutions for driving the LEDs required.
1. a TI TLC5940 or TLC5941(this 12 bit PWM allows the most control over each LED, but uses an SPI interface)
2. a Philips PCA9532 (only 8 bit PWM and it has an i2c interface.)
3. a Maxim MAX6964 (only 8 bit PWM and worse the top 4 bits are global to all LEDs, but also has an i2c interface.)
4. use an ATMEL uC (this requires coding and debugging and is limited to 10 bit PWM on most chips.)
5. a Philips PCA9533; 4-bit I²C LED dimmer (this is only a 4 channel driver)
solution 1 requires a chip to convert i2c to SPI.
solutions 1,2,3 require two chips to control 32 LEDs, omitting the UV LEDs would allow a single chip solution and the knob to be controlled as a single location.
solution 4 may be done with one chip, but a two chip solution solves the ISP problem.
solution 5 would control all locations at once, also like colors need to be wired in series.)
_________________________
The only difference between science fiction and reality is about 60 years.
100GB MK2 Green 080000171 + OEM tuner
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#219036 - 18/03/2006 19:39
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: n2toh]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14496
Loc: Canada
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I wonder if any of the Ring'O'Lights technology would be useful here. Does anyone know how how those are normally driven?
-ml
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#219037 - 18/03/2006 20:12
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: mlord]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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Quote:
I wonder if any of the Ring'O'Lights technology would be useful here. Does anyone know how how those are normally driven?
-ml
I see what you mean neat pic I'm guessing the ring is only on the MK2a?
I also found some chips that may allow the LEDs to be operated from the 1 wire bus, but you would need 3 of them per RGB LED plus some other parts. EDIT: the DS2890 is no bargain at $2.07 each in quantity of 240 from Digi key.
a few ideas for the LED configurations the first example uses two driver chips, and the second only one.
PWM channel 00 top button red
PWM channel 01 top button green
PWM channel 02 top button blue
PWM channel 03 right button red
PWM channel 04 right button green
PWM channel 05 right button blue
PWM channel 06 down button red
PWM channel 07 down button green
PWM channel 08 down button blue
PWM channel 09 left button red
PWM channel 10 left button green
PWM channel 11 left button blue
PWM channel 12 top button ultraviolet or knob red
PWM channel 13 right button ultraviolet or knob green
PWM channel 14 down button ultraviolet or knob blue
PWM channel 15 left button ultraviolet or global 4th color or the unused pin can be used as a generial I\O pin.
Edited by n2toh (19/03/2006 16:02)
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#219038 - 21/03/2006 19:11
Re: The translucent button effort - in Projects
[Re: tman]
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journeyman
Registered: 29/01/2001
Posts: 89
Loc: New Jersey, United States
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What are the available addresses on the I2C bus in the empeg?
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