1 Topic by joltdude (edited by joltdude 2008-02-23 06:06:01)

  • Registered: 2008-02-21
  • Posts: 526

Topic: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

My programming skills are a bit rusty but has anyone thought of making a nixie tube clock widget or virtual VFD for chumby... Truth be told. I thought it be cool to have a chumby replace/emulate a serial dot matrix LCD/VFD display....

(actually someone i know was suggesting a gas discharge display as well (gas discharge is very similar to a multiseg LCD (not dot matrix), but there are almost no visible gaps between the display elements, the characters look solid and a very bright orange usually... Love my chumby but im blind in the morning, and need to read the time wink

Pie in the sky would be able to do this over a USB cable.....

  • Registered: 2007-11-14
  • Posts: 56

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

Those to could be easily done. There is a fair amount of open sorcery in the wiki. Would be nice to see some of the open coding in Flash Develop format.

Nixies rock! Should be a simple to do either.

http://wiki.chumby.com/mediawiki/index. … ock_Widget

I do so love the LED one, as well as the Digital One that Chumby Industries made.

What do you mean by the USB cable?

  • dhl
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  • Registered: 2007-12-04
  • Posts: 114

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

I'd love to make a virtual version of my 30-year-old Sony Dreamcube clockradio display which my chumby is replacing. It has a wonderful blue VFD that I've never seen anywhere else.

My Flash is also a bit rusty these days but the simple digital clock from 8/18/06 would be a perfect starting point for a mod.

Duane, any chance the source for this widget could be posted for us to hack???

dhl's Website

  • Registered: 2008-02-21
  • Posts: 526

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

WHat do i mean by over a USB cable... have modes where the Chumby can do 2 things.. 1. use a USB cable tethered to a PC in lieu of wireless (similar to some of the aftermarket palm utilities), or 2. Actually emulate a dot matrix LCD/VFD serial display over USB... Then the chumby could be used similar to one (apps that can control an LCD).... for output

  • Duane
  • Duane
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  • Registered: 2006-08-24
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Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

dhl wrote:

Duane, any chance the source for this widget could be posted for us to hack???

Sure - here it is

Duane's Website

  • dhl
  • Busy Chum
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  • Registered: 2007-12-04
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Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

Duane wrote:
dhl wrote:

Duane, any chance the source for this widget could be posted for us to hack???

Sure - here it is

awesome! thank you.

dhl's Website

  • Registered: 2007-11-14
  • Posts: 56

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

Duane, is it possible to port this over to Flash Develop?

  • Duane
  • Duane
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Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

GoodDoctor wrote:

Duane, is it possible to port this over to Flash Develop?

Probably, although the graphics if the digit segments would need to be created programatically.

I have a Mac, so Flash Develop isn't something I can run.  Somebody really ought to redo it as an Eclipse plugin instead of .NET.

Duane's Website

  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2008-02-20
  • Posts: 92

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

Thanks for another clock idea.. Working on a NXIE clock right now.
Should have it up in a few hours.

MyridoM

When someone annoys me, it takes 42 muscles in my face to frown...but it takes only 4 muscles to extend my arm and b**ch-slap you!
http://haunterofthenight.com/ * new blog location

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  • Tommy
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Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

If anyone needs images of nixie tube numbers, I found some long, long ago that I stuck into a Mac Dashboard widget. Feel free to use them.

http://sexyredheadednuns.org/Toys/widgets.html

Tommy's Website

  • Registered: 2007-12-14
  • Posts: 35

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

I have a set of Nixies on Flickr I'd love for someone to use: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006 … 451149294/.

Small sample:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2321/2110247480_44d5d3699e_t.jpg

I'd be happy to crop to size or even re-shoot them just to get them used.

They're available by CC Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 USA license. Use 'em, mash em up, don't sell them, and give me credit.

  • From: Seattle and Los Angeles
  • Registered: 2008-01-04
  • Posts: 102

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

Those are gorgeous Nixie images.  *Totally* awesome.  I'm eager for this widget.

Slave to the Light, Inc.
Los Angeles & Seattle USA
www.slavetothelight.com

slave2thelight's Website

  • Tommy
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  • Registered: 2007-11-19
  • Posts: 113

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

Wow! Those are much better!

Tommy's Website

  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2008-02-20
  • Posts: 92

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

OK, what do you guys think?
Circuits or No Circuits? Or post both..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9287192@N0 … 979521893/

MyridoM

When someone annoys me, it takes 42 muscles in my face to frown...but it takes only 4 muscles to extend my arm and b**ch-slap you!
http://haunterofthenight.com/ * new blog location

myridom's Website

  • Registered: 2007-12-14
  • Posts: 35

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

Those look great. Either would fine with me. I'd like to option to turn off the seconds display.

  • From: Seattle and Los Angeles
  • Registered: 2008-01-04
  • Posts: 102

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

I think if you're going to do it, fudge in the "actual" tubes and the "actual" circuitry.  Otherwise it looks kinda dumb.

http://www.kd7lmo.net/images/ground_nixie_front.jpg

Slave to the Light, Inc.
Los Angeles & Seattle USA
www.slavetothelight.com

slave2thelight's Website

  • Registered: 2007-11-09
  • Posts: 340

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

myridom wrote:

OK, what do you guys think?
Circuits or No Circuits? Or post both..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9287192@N0 … 979521893/

MyridoM

I like the "dirty" design in your flickr pool.

18 Reply by dhl

  • dhl
  • Busy Chum
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  • From: San Francisco, CA
  • Registered: 2007-12-04
  • Posts: 114

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

myridom wrote:

OK, what do you guys think?
Circuits or No Circuits? Or post both..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9287192@N0 … 979521893/

MyridoM

very cool. my vote is for without circuits, they're a bit too cluttered for my taste. Maybe make the choice up to the user in the config dialogue???

dhl's Website

  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2008-02-20
  • Posts: 92

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

dhl wrote:

very cool. my vote is for without circuits, they're a bit too cluttered for my taste. Maybe make the choice up to the user in the config dialogue???

Duh.. I didnt think of that.. I need more caffine!!!
I'm going to work that out and have it ready before I post it tonight.. Maybe even do a 24hr format option since I already have that coded too. Thanks for the suggestion..

MyridoM

When someone annoys me, it takes 42 muscles in my face to frown...but it takes only 4 muscles to extend my arm and b**ch-slap you!
http://haunterofthenight.com/ * new blog location

myridom's Website

  • Registered: 2008-02-21
  • Posts: 526

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

Damn look at all the trouble I already caused.. wink
Im really starting to like the mentality of the average chumby user!

  • Tommy
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  • Registered: 2007-11-19
  • Posts: 113

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

There's also a nice animated GIF showing all ten digits at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixie_tube

Tommy's Website

  • Tommy
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  • Registered: 2007-11-19
  • Posts: 113

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

Okay, one more source of images:
http://cestmir.freeside.sk/projects/dht … e-display/

This site has four different types, along with JavaScript to embed them into web pages. Free for non-commercial use!

Tommy's Website

  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2008-02-20
  • Posts: 92

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

LOL.. two things

1. Tommy u r the bomb! Exactly what I needed.. Awesome.

2. U others are gonna get me in trouble.. Here I am working on a clock not paying attention to what it actually says.. I realize nothing has been done all day and I'm about to get the look of: "I see you haven't moved since I left" and I have to play the part of a teenager and run around the house cleaning as fast as I can before 'The Master' gets home.. Thanks guys!!!

:-P
MyridoM

When someone annoys me, it takes 42 muscles in my face to frown...but it takes only 4 muscles to extend my arm and b**ch-slap you!
http://haunterofthenight.com/ * new blog location

myridom's Website

  • Registered: 2008-01-08
  • Posts: 172

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

Either with the circuits (otherwise, the numbers in the middle seem abrupt) or with the numbers taking up the entirety of the chumby screen.

  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2008-02-20
  • Posts: 92

Re: Widget idea Virtual Nixie Tube Clock or VFD display

Somebody give me ideas about the base.. No Base? Just a steel bar? What should the tube version be sitting on if anything??

MyridoM

When someone annoys me, it takes 42 muscles in my face to frown...but it takes only 4 muscles to extend my arm and b**ch-slap you!
http://haunterofthenight.com/ * new blog location

myridom's Website