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Interest in a CrystalFontz Overcolckers.com Custom Controller/Display?!

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SwartHack

Babysitter for OCF Lounge Day Care, Still a bad-as
Joined
Apr 3, 2015
Location
Planet Earth
Greetings Modders!

I hope to keep this as much too the initial point as possible.

The "point" being a preliminary inquiry into any interest into this possibility. I ask because, if I proceed with my plans, it would be great to have at least input/feedback from my fellows.

So, if even vaguely interested read on! If not, well then go on about what ever else you should be doing, counting zeros possibly...

I reintroduced myself to CrystalFontz during my BruceLee proj, I had previously worked with them in the past.
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...ee-and-my-mutation-into-a-Pin-head-(Prologue)

CrystalFontz(CF) as you may know has been around forever. Check them out:
https://www.crystalfontz.com/

There current stuff is getting more and more capable just autonomously, let alone its serial integration. Plus you can integrate SCAB boards for extreme control. All their system monitoring software is integrated into the panel already, and out of the Box you can actually do quite a bit using their software.

https://www.crystalfontz.com/products/lcd-software-drivers.html

You can set up screens to read just about any OS and Hardware setting/status, using many different providers. The main one being Microsoft's WMI.

Here is the one I got already (character display)
IMAG0121.jpg IMAG0125.jpg

here is the one I am waiting on (Graphic display)

https://www.crystalfontz.com/product/cfa835tml-244x68-graphical-lcd-module

You can use their Build Drive Bay Kit, or better, pick a display you like and then go through the customize process. If available it will offer overlay choices. Be advised that the metal and beige overlays are discontinued. You can only get black plastic overlays via their mounting service (90%+ of their business is Commercial/Industrial/Field).

So finally! What? Huh?
So any Programmers here or anyone want to learn a bit?

The whole thing boils down to programming. I don't think any firmware is programmable, but it does hold a micro SD?! not sure what that is for yet, local storage?

Its all basically C/C++. Just like an Arduino. In fact there are examples/libs for running a CF

You can access and control the Panel yourself and do just about anything via the serial interface. My plan is also to actually be able "Execute" from the panel.

But using an Arduino would be redundant here as we can utilize the same code base from C/C++ in MS VisualStudio, or any other C/C++ IDE. I gravitate towards VisualStudio, especially the upcoming 2015 release, and C#. I tend to shy away from those "real" programming languages when possible:p

And, there couldn't be more C# code/lib samples out there. Especially on the CF forum. That being said,what I currently have come up with I hope is a pretty basic and straight forward design of an initial Class library (.dll), using some basic XML do define the custom menus and status/message displays. Also define menuitem actions that execute commands. The XML can be modified/customized to represent "Your" specific panel display/control functionality. Sounds cool, huh!?

I am currently developing with latest VS20015 Community RC. Anybody can download and run Community. It does more than anything I'll ever need or want to do, plus it's super cool. You can supposedly develop in native Android and iOS. I downloaded the SDK's and they chunked hard, so I am waiting a bit to reevaluate. Hopefully MS is going to stick to their guns and offer VS2015 Community for free after release.

https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/downloads/visual-studio-2015-downloads-vs.aspx

You pretty much have to get into the MSDN Online, including VisualStudio Online to get into this. So, you will need to have or create some sort of msn account. If this rubs you the wrong way, well then go back to your vi editor, freeware libraries, Corba kernel configs and keep counting those zeros and ones:muahaha:

no, but seriously. I had an msn account already and was able to easily signup. I believe it created a separate MSDN account. I think any MS account should work, like hotmail.com. But I cant be certain. Anyway, just take the pill, drink the punch and buy the damn T-Shirt already... And you really need it as they are pushing RC version updates often.

ah, enough already, I said I would be brief. This should be enough info to entice the interested and ward off the feeble interlopers.

And, BTW- this is definitely a backburner project for me, as I am mostly distracted by my new Benching career. I am uncertain of the pay still. I created this thread as it had been on my plate to get this out there, plus I need the posts!:)

So hit me up on PM or this thread if you are interested, comments, questions.... or have any problems with VS2015 Community RC, or questions about buying a CF display.

and BTW- I do have a VisualStudio online site going. This is MS new integrated Project Management and Source Control. It is actually quite cool. Having used VS since the VB days, it seems MS may have nailed this one finally. You too will be able to set up your own site when you sign up if you so desire. I think you can have 5 members for free. I am not sure what is happening after release. I have my initial project hosted there. check it out:

https://swarthack.visualstudio.com/

Basta Entonces
 
Geez, Tough Crowd!

hmm, I must say, not one reply. Nay even an inquiry. I understand the hesitation or even your circumnavigation of such a repugnant and distasteful activity as programming.

I should have expected the total silence from this crowd! My questions may have confused a number of you who can only read zeros and ones.

I will rephrase the question so that it may appeal to the hardware oriented impaired.

"How mush would you pay for something as described in my original post!?"

especially considering the capabilities (cool factor) of the LCD graphics displays: animated graphs, charts, visualizations, self destruct, etc.
phpThumb_generated_thumbnail (1).jpg

244x68 screen resolution

So, I'll start taking orders soon...

Cuidanse

01001001 01100110 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01110010 01100101 01100001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 01101110 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01101101 01100001 01111001 00100000 01100111 01100101 01110100 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100110 01110010 01100101 01100101 00100000 01100011 01100001 01110011 01100101 00100000 01100110 01100001 01101110 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100010 01101111 01101110 01110101 01110011 00100000 01010011 01000001 01010100 01000001 00100000 01100011 01100001 01100010 01101100 01100101 00100001 00100000 01000010 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01100110 01101001 01110010 01110011 01110100 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01110010 01100101 01110000 01101100 01111001 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101000 01110010 01100101 01100001 01100100 00100000 01110111 01101001 01110100 01101000 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110010 01100101 01110100 00100000 01101011 01100101 01111001 01110111 01101111 01110010 01100100 00100000 00100010 01001001 01101110 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100100 01101001 01100001 01110010 01111001 00100010 00100000 01110101 01110011 01100101 01100100 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01100001 00100000 01110011 01100101 01101110 01110100 01100101 01101110 01100011 01100101 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01100011 01101100 01100101 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001 00101110
 
I'm not sure what this is capable of. Layman's terms please. Can I use it as a fan controller, temp monitor, if a pump exist pump speed?
 
OGMCVilleTC said:
...Can I use it as a fan controller, temp monitor, if a pump exist pump speed?

in short, yes! and self-destruct as well:)

OK - layman's terms for software illiterate.

First, check out the crystalfontz web site:
https://www.crystalfontz.com/

For the hardware head, check out the specs, something you will understand maybe...
https://www.crystalfontz.com/products/document/3334/CFA835_Data_Sheet_Release_2014-10-20.pdf

CRystalFontz's main market is industrial/commercial/manufacturing types. In some cases you may have some "black box", that does whatever task, and the only thing you have is a crystalfontz display to run/interact/display with the box. iTs functionality is really boundless..

So why my original wordyness, well the kicker is out of the box, you can do some cool stuff with CrystalFontz new CC2 app (which is in beta, and I am signed up for). Look at the Drivers/Utilities page on crystalfontz web page for more details, but basically you can set up screens and what they do, in a limited basis.

In order to go really cool, you need to write some code to implement custom look/functionality. You can actually play encoded video on the 835. Animations, histograms, the new graphics display is awesome. Review my original post for more on the ideas I have specifically for monitoring/control/overclocking

It explains the whole schmeal!

Salud
 
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