Running an independent/standalone LED Matrix display?

M

m00dawg

New member
This may not relate to Ledtriks directly but thought it was best posted here. I'm trying to find an inexpensive way to setup a simple LED Matrix display independent from the light show sequencing so I can have it continually display a few pages worth of stuff (FM tuning, show schedule, Happy Holidays message, maybe some semi-interactive info like weather or a running Kw/h total :p).

Integrating it within the show would be neat but I'll be using an rPi running FPP located far from this display, and having the static info would keep me from having to add it to every sequence. The brute force method would be to use Vixen with Ledtriks but I'm trying to avoid using a computer (unless something like an rPi might work) to also help keep costs down.

Seemed like Arduino might be a possible route since I'm largely just displaying static text. Any other thoughts perhaps?
 
Ah that would be a doable solution if I start running out of time :) I don't really even need graphics though. Basically just 1-3 lines of text. I was thinking something like these:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free...lay-Module-1-8-scan-320-160mm/1791940107.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free...r-Led-Display-Module-Constant/1792070575.html

For those I'll need to buy multiple panels I think to get the size I wanted. The color one is notably cheaper, which is kinda odd. It has fewer LEDs but still. I think I'd have to work out the pixel density versus size versus viewing distance to know.

Adafruit had an example Arduino sketch I may be able to retrofit to a Spark.io core. Propeller might be another avenue, though I don't have any of that stuff yet (will likely get a programmer for the E1.31 boards I'll be using for the light show).
 
Once you have the matrix, "graphics" is for free - except for the programming aspect.
Your panels are for indoors, and I was thinking for outdoors - like our cold Canadian climate. :)
 
Ah yeah actually having it outside would be nicer as it might be a bit closer to read. At that point, being on the lawn, I LEDTriks or a Pixel-based display may make more sense, though I'd have to integrate it into each sequence instead of being independent.

My plan was to put it behind a window indoors. I wont be doing much with my windows for 2015 so it'll fill a gap with useful information, or so was my idea.

Here in South Texas it doesn't often get below freezing, and not for very long. Quite a difference compared to Canada I would imagine, though, wow, it's been pretty chilly up in Colorado as well (I have some friends up that way). -23C!? I'm guessing that's semi common in parts of Canada, but damn that's cold!
 
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You need to do what I did. Watch my videos and look on my garage door. Pm for more info.Screenshot_2015-01-01-01-47-54.jpg
 
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I this is a perfect thing to run a stand alone pixel display

Just use the program and save it to an sd card plug it into the box and away it goes
Easy to update/ change in a hurry if you have two sd cards with different things on them

http://youtu.be/8fTzvx9IIsg
 
You are familiar already with the FPP. Why not just get another and put your matrix sequences on it using an E6804 in the same box? With its own Pi, it would be standalone.
 
derekbackus said:
You are familiar already with the FPP. Why not just get another and put your matrix sequences on it using an E6804 in the same box? With its own Pi, it would be standalone.
Click to expand...

That sounds like the best idea, using what you already know and can integrate or upgrade it in the future. Using the master / slave option you could run it static for most of the time and jump it into your sequencing once in a while. Depending on distance might even be able to use it wirelessly as well.
 
Oh hmm I didn't think about slaving the FPP on the LED Matrix. I didn't know you could even turn that off/on. That would actually be pretty neat potentially! A little more built out than I was thinking. I was looking at the Freetonics Arduino code (https://github.com/freetronics/DMD) which should let me stack some of the P10 style displays and keep things simple, albeit granted not as flexible.

I think if I could build it cheaply enough for FPP that would be definitely the way to go. I'll have to do more digging, but it looks like some DIY panel solutions are available which may bring costs down? I'm also not yet familiar with FPP + DMX + LedTriks, though did start poking around the FPP forums on how that might work.

As far as bigass displays on garages, definitely thought about that too :) but I don't think the Mrs. will let me go that far ;) I'm also curious - can those be made where the garage door can still work?

Thanks for the help all! And also a Happy New Year!
 
FWIW, you can run the LEDTriks/Triks-C on an FPP, using a USB/serial converter. You set up the text/graphics in Nutcracker.

I had this working in late November/early December but took it down when I wasn't able to figure out how to run it independent of the existing show (I fired up the XP machine); a second Pi running in slave mode would have done it.

\dmc
 
Don't try to put it in the show. Makes it to hard to change if need be. This was not that expensive. And the SD card make is so easy.
 
One of the items on my TODO list for FPP v2.0 is to allow more than one sequence to be running at the same time. This would allow you to run one FPP system with one sequence running the tune to sign and another sequence running the rest of the show. Even is this wouldn't work for you, I agree with the others, the second standalone FPP instance should do what you want.
 
Ah that would be pretty awesome actually! But otherwise, as cheap as a Pi is, buying another one isn't really a big deal.

Still trying to figure out the panel build going this route though. On the Arduino side, I think I can chain up to 4 of these and use it as a basic display. In looking at the Triks-C docs, I would need 4 Triks-C's and maybe 4 Ledtriks if I'm reading that right?

4 panels gives me a 640x640mm or around a 25x25' space which should fill up the window nicely and let it be seen decently from the street was my idea. Assuming, of course, I don't make a gigantic pixel-based garage display :) But if I did that, I'd want to use it for the light show for sure. That and I'm almost certain the Mrs. will say no since I have a feeling that'd blow the costs up quite a lot (and still assuming I can still use my garage door ;) )
 
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If you are using those sort of panels you won't need any Ledtriks hardware (the drivers are usually built into the panel itself).
What you will need is a processor fast enough to refresh the panels. An Arduino might work for a simple single color display with limited dimming (like the original ledtriks)

Have you come across the Falcon Neo (on falconchristmas.com)? That might be another avenue to explore.
 
Aha ok. Yeah I was thinking Ledtriks might be doing something similar that an Arduino would be for the P10 panels but with a serial interface to the computer, which made me think it was required? If I don't actually need Ledtriks, that'd be one less thing. If I were to interface with a computer, I would still need something like a Triks-C though yeah? The Arduino route was just my brute force way of doing it to keep costs down.

Falcon Neo looks awesome! I'll be keeping an eye on that! Looks to still be in a beta period? I don't have the means (an oven) to do that level of SMD so I guess I'll need to wait on kits, but there's time yet before the next Holiday season of course ;) This would certainly allow me to do more fun things. I think even with a single color display, the Arduino may be under powered to drive the P10's. I'm pretty sure I've seen Propellers used for P10s but can't find any good info on that.

Anyways thanks for the mention of the Neo! I'm going to keep a super close watch on that! Sounds like my best bet all around.
 
m00dawg said:
Here in South Texas it doesn't often get below freezing, and not for very long!
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M00dawg where in south Texas do you live? I live in deep south Texas and would love to get with someone in my area. I live in Rio Hondo if you know where that is!
 
Around the San Antonio, TX area so I'm still quite a ways from you :) I was close enough I was able to check out Matt's light show that was on ABC. It's pretty wild!
 
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