PoKeys cards and 7-segment displays

[Wendy]

Hello all,

When I started with the PoKeys cards, I told you that these cards can do anything we need in cockpit building. So what I did was experiment a little bit with 7-segment displays and here are the results.

The test I have made is only an example, I did not have enough displays to show you the full range of 16 displays that can be driven with the PoKeys cards.
You can drive two groups of 8 displays, every group is connected by 3 ports on the PoKeys. That is only 6 ports to drive 16 displays.

How does it all work…
All works via multiplexing the same principle as most of the other displays work. Every segment of all the displays are connected to each other and connected to the card with 8 wires (7 segments and the decimal point). The common cathodes have one wire from every display that goes to the board. The multiplexing system is build in the PoKeys card and updates the displays fast and without any flickering. All can be driven from custom software very easy. I did these tests also, but cannot show this because I have no video camera. If interested, just ask me for the software code.
To make this all work you need a small circuit board as in the picture populated with a few cheap (a few euro) integrated circuits. Each board can drive 8 displays. Depending on the software on the pc side you could for example use 3 for the heading on the MCP and another 5 for altitude or any other purpose.

What about dimming the displays? If you power the board trough a PWM output on the PoKeys then you can also adjust the brightness of the displays as the driver IC works between 2 and 6 volt. Or you could use any other means to regulate the voltage on the driver board.

I had a lot of fun experimenting with these displays and the nice thing is that is works beautifull.

Just a quick reminder to what we have until now with PoKeys cards, so we have the USB and Ethernet interface, digital in/out, high power led outputs trough my LED extension board, analog inputs, PWM outputs and now we also have 7 segment displays compatible with the existing boards of OC and the displays are also common cathode like the Kingbright SC36.
And the best thing of all, it is the user of the PoKeys card that decide what the card is going to be used for. One card for all the different types of ins and outs.

I will be offering factory made boards on my website very soon.


Kind regards, Wendy

http://www.flightsimparts.eu/images/PoKeys_7Segment_Extention.jpg

[Bernie]

Hi Wendy,

I am excited by what I am seeing, It appears to be much simpler than other types. May I ask the reason for only being able to use 2 cards per each Pokeys Card? and can the remainder of the outputs on the Pokeys Card be used as well as the 2 display cards? Do you think Marty will look at incorporating them into Prosim737? Will you be producing your own display cards as well or will I have to get those from Open Cockpits?
I will certainly be interested in purchasing as many of these that will be required to make the MCP and could this be used for the FLT ALT and LAND ALT on the overhead?
I am glad I didn't rush out and buy something else. I was hoping something would come along and utilize the Pokeys Cards I had already purchased from you.

Kind Regards

Bernie.

[Wendy]

thanks Bernie,

The limit of 2 groups of 8 displays is because the PoKeys card can handle only 2 matrix displays 8 x 8 and it is this system that I use to drive the displays. Other outputs/inputs on the cards can be used in combination with the displays. Of course you cannot use the ports where the displays are connected to.
I have asked Marty to support this, but I'm waiting for the answer.
The extension boards for displays will be factory made double sided boards. Don't know if I will make my own boards for mounting displays, haven't decided yet.


Regards, Wendy

[Bernie]

Hi Wendy,

Yes this could be quite revolutionary when you think about it. This should remove a level of programming from the task shouldn't it. Also I forgot to ask, will these be completed boards?

Kind Regards

Bernie.

[yoss]

hi Wendy

I wonder alsow about lcd diplays usage with Pokeys
As far i know thats is possible

Could you put some light on this ishue?
Are lcd's already supported by Prosim?

Thanks
Joseph

[Wendy]

LCD's are also possible with PoKeys.
Some time ago I've sent Marty an LCD but I don't know if this is working with ProSim, can't test it because I only had one. Maybe ask this question in the ProSim forum.

Regards, Wendy

[dion73]

Hi Wendy,

This looks fabulous! i am also playing around with the arduino megacard and Jim's fsxinout (at noob-level), but since the Pokeys can be directly used in Prosim this seems more the way to go for me. I want to use Pokeys to setup the 737 pedestal with the simworld pedestalpanels and that is why : ) Please let me know when you are selling the 7-segment-displaydriver-PCB and i'll be the first customer : )
If i understand correctly i should get the OC boards for 7segment displays somewhere else, or will you be distributing these also?

kind regards,
Dion

[Wendy]

Hello Dion,

I have played with the Arduino myself and it is also great. But all functionality has to be programmed into the Arduino and that is not always easy.

With the PoKeys all functionality is already there, you just have to get it out as with the 7-segment displays. Once you get it working, it's great fun. I'm going to use them for my radios also and the MCP later.

The driver boards are going into production this week, it should take something around 14 days. And I will be distributing my own display mounting boards also. Actually I'm drawing them right now and they will not suffer from bad contacts or broken traces like the ones from xxx. In time they will be available for 3, 4, 5 and 6 displays. Before they can go in production I'll have to wait for my displays to arrive so that I can test the boards. I have 40 kingbright sc36 on order that should arrive one of these days so after that we can go ahead.

Now ProSim, as it is not yet possible in ProSim to connect radios I'm writing my own interface with FSUIPC and this already works and the displays can show the correct frequencies and all goes very fast without flikkering on the displays. So that is nice, still a little work to be done.

I also contacted Marty to support this directly, as soon as I have the answer I'll let you all know.

A few pictures maybe...

Regards, Wendy

http://www.flightsimparts.eu/images/Pokeys_7Segment_4DisplaysBoard.jpg

And the interface I'm writing...

http://www.flightsimparts.eu/images/Pokeys_7Segment_SoftwareDisplays.jpg

[Bernie]

Hi Wendy,

How long do you think it will be before you start making the 7 Segment Display Mounting Boards in the various lengths, as I was putting together the parts list of items to purchase for the MCP and apart from the PCB's that I will be purchasing from you, I was going to purchase the Opencockpits 7 Segment mounting boards, as I wasn't sure that you would be doing your own as well. I am certainly on the list for these boards from you and probably another Pokeys Cards. (I don't think you can have enough of them.)

Kind Regards

Bernie.

[dion73]

Hi wendy,

This is even better news:)
Only why are you interfacing through fsuipc and not directly through simconnect? Because of some extracirricular Fs offsets? Just curious, as i am just beginning my exploration of c#, c++ and other languages like autoit, sioc etc...
Where do you order the sc36's? Will you be sellin those also?
I'll definitely order all i need for the pedestal and clocks:) thanks for your great work! Kind regards,
Dion

[Wendy]

@Bernie,

The drawings are ready for the display mounting boards, but still have to make prototypes and test the pcb's, but to test I'll need displays and they haven't arrived yet. So as always in cockpit building it's waiting and waiting... ;)



@Dion,

I'm using FSUIPC because this interface works also with FS9 and others while SimConnect works only with FSX. The tests I did with a SimConnect program was not that difficult but I have found it more complex in coding then FSUIPC.
As for now I'm not sure if I will be selling the displays.


Regards, Wendy

[dion73]

Hi Wendy,

thanks for the quick replies, i'll be looking forward to the upcoming products : )

dion

[Wendy]

Hello All,

Last weeks I have worked hard on this 7-segment system and it is time to give you an update. As I mentioned before you could drive 16 digits from 1 PoKeys card using 2 of my driver boards. Every board can drive 8 digits, you are free to use 5 and 3 or 4 and 4 or 3 and 5. By using 8 digits you only need 3 ports from the PoKeys. The second display card with 8 digits takes also 3 ports from the PoKeys.

Also available are the display mounting boards populated with KingBright SC36 11YWA. These are suited for all multiplexing systems.

As you all like pictures a lot, let me show you some pictures.

First picture is the board itself

http://www.flightsimparts.eu/images/7segment_Driver_Board.jpg

Below you can see the full system connected with 2 driver boards and 16 digits, showing some of the different things you can display

http://www.flightsimparts.eu/images/7_segment_Driver_Board_Live.jpg

Below are the display sets available in 3, 4 and 5 digits. 6 digits coming soon.

http://www.flightsimparts.eu/images/7_segment_displayboards.jpg

And last but not least, how to connect everything

http://www.flightsimparts.eu/images/7_segment_Driver_Board_Connections.jpg

Regards, Wendy

[dion73]

Hi Wendy,

i like the pictures : )
i am looking forward to implement your products into my flying machine!

kind regards,

dion

[fsaviator]

Hi Wendy,
I'm back to building and very interested in PoKeys (and Prosim). I'm about to pull the trigger on three 56U's when I start thinking... USB or Ethernet??? Can you run me through the PROs and CONs of each (56U vs 56E)(other than price)?

I've already got a stockpile of .36" Cathode LEDs... Do you offer just the boards?

Also, the webshop won't let me add the LED expansion boards to my cart. It gives an error with the shopping software.

Finally... If I were to use Pokeys to wire my overhead, how many would I be looking at needing?

Thanks, and I look forward to buying some cards.

Warren

[Wendy]

Hi Warren,

Basically both cards have the same possibilities. A few exceptions are that the ethernet version cannot do keyboard macros and that it needs a separate 5 Volt power supply. Mostly used are the USB versions.

For the pcb's please contact me directly or via PM.

Regards, Wendy

[threegreens]

Hi Wendy,

This may be a stupid question but I am new to this hobby...
I am considering building a comm panel with Pokeys, i.e I need two 5-digit freq readouts.
Since the first digit of the freq is a fixed 1, is there a way of driving it directly so that I could drive the remaining 4 digits of both sets with a single display driver board? I do realise that there might be a brightness issue because of the mpx system.

I am looking fwd to the driver board being available. Still February?

Regards

Philippe

[Wendy]

Hello Philippe,

Yes you could do that but you have to leave the first digit out of the multiplexing system and wire it separately.
The boards are available shortly, just waiting the software implementation.

Regards, Wendy

[amocave]

Hi,

I am not using Prosim so I am coding the displays directly on the Pokeys using X-Plane datarefs.

I have tried to code the main autopilot displays (heading, speed, altitude and vertical speed) with various datarefs but none seems to work.

I'm sure it is just my ignorance on choosing the correct datarefs and typing the correct syntax.

In the Pokeys.txt file I have tried the following code without much luck:

[34968]
MatrixLED=8,8
#AIR SPEED
MatrixLED1_Digit6=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/airspedd_dial_kts_mach,f,0,10,1,_
MatrixLED1_Digit7=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/airspedd_dial_kts_mach,f,0,10,2,_
MatrixLED1_Digit8=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/airspedd_dial_kts_mach,f,0,10,3,0
#
#MatrixLED1_Digit6=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/airspeed,f,0,10,1,_
#MatrixLED1_Digit7=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/airspeed,f,0,10,2,_
#MatrixLED1_Digit8=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/airspeed,f,0,10,3,0
#
#MatrixLED1_Digit6=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/airspeed_kts_pilot,f,0,10,1,0
#MatrixLED1_Digit7=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/airspeed_kts_pilot,f,0,10,2,0
#MatrixLED1_Digit8=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/airspeed_kts_pilot,f,0,10,3,0
#
#HEADING
MatrixLED2_Digit6=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/heading_mag,f,0,10,1,0
MatrixLED2_Digit7=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/heading_mag,f,0,10,2,0
MatrixLED2_Digit8=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/heading_mag,f,0,10,3,0
#
#MatrixLED2_Digit6=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/heading_mag,f,0,10,1,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit7=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/heading_mag,f,0,10,2,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit8=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/heading_mag,f,0,10,3,0
#
#MatrixLED2_Digit6=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/heading_AHARS_deg_mag_pilot,f,0,10,1,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit7=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/heading_AHARS_deg_mag_pilot,f,0,10,2,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit8=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/heading_AHARS_deg_mag_pilot,f,0,10,3,0
#
#MatrixLED2_Digit6=sim/cockpit/autopilot/heading_mag,f,0,10,1,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit7=sim/cockpit/autopilot/heading_mag,f,0,10,2,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit8=sim/cockpit/autopilot/heading_mag,f,0,10,3,0
#
#ALTITUDE
MatrixLED2_Digit1=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_vnav_ft,i,0,10,1,0
MatrixLED2_Digit2=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_vnav_ft,i,0,10,2,0
MatrixLED2_Digit3=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_vnav_ft,i,0,10,3,0
MatrixLED2_Digit4=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_vnav_ft,i,0,10,4,0
MatrixLED2_Digit5=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_vnav_ft,i,0,10,5,0
#
#MatrixLED2_Digit1=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/altitude,f,0,10,1,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit2=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/altitude,f,0,10,2,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit3=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/altitude,f,0,10,3,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit4=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/altitude,f,0,10,4,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit5=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/altitude,f,0,10,5,0
#
#MatrixLED2_Digit1=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/altitude_ft_pilot,f,0,10,1,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit2=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/altitude_ft_pilot,f,0,10,2,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit3=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/altitude_ft_pilot,f,0,10,3,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit4=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/altitude_ft_pilot,f,0,10,4,0
#MatrixLED2_Digit5=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/altitude_ft_pilot,f,0,10,5,0
#
#VERTICAL SPEED
MatrixLED1_Digit1=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_vnav_ft,i,0,10,1,0
MatrixLED1_Digit2=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_vnav_ft,i,0,10,2,0
MatrixLED1_Digit3=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_vnav_ft,i,0,10,3,0
MatrixLED1_Digit4=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_vnav_ft,i,0,10,4,0
#
#MatrixLED1_Digit1=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/vvi_dial_fpm,f,0,10,1,0
#MatrixLED1_Digit2=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/vvi_dial_fpm,f,0,10,2,0
#MatrixLED1_Digit3=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/vvi_dial_fpm,f,0,10,3,0
#MatrixLED1_Digit4=sim/cockpit2/autopilot/vvi_dial_fpm,f,0,10,4,0
#
#MatrixLED1_Digit1=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/vertical_velocity,i,0,10,1,0
#MatrixLED1_Digit2=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/vertical_velocity,i,0,10,2,0
#MatrixLED1_Digit3=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/vertical_velocity,i,0,10,3,0
#MatrixLED1_Digit4=sim/multiplayer/autopilot/vertical_velocity,i,0,10,4,0
#
#MatrixLED1_Digit1=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/vvi_fpm_pilot,i,0,10,1,0
#MatrixLED1_Digit2=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/vvi_fpm_pilot,i,0,10,2,0
#MatrixLED1_Digit3=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/vvi_fpm_pilot,i,0,10,3,0
#MatrixLED1_Digit4=sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/vvi_fpm_pilot,i,0,10,4,0

For the ADF and the transponder it works fine with the following code:

[33308]
MatrixLED=8,0
#TRANSPONDER CODE
MatrixLED1_Digit1=sim/cockpit/radios/transponder_code,i,0,10,1,0
MatrixLED1_Digit2=sim/cockpit/radios/transponder_code,i,0,10,2,0
MatrixLED1_Digit3=sim/cockpit/radios/transponder_code,i,0,10,3,0
MatrixLED1_Digit4=sim/cockpit/radios/transponder_code,i,0,10,4,0
#ADF FREQUENCY
MatrixLED1_Digit6=sim/cockpit/radios/adf1_freq_hz,i,0,10,1,0
MatrixLED1_Digit7=sim/cockpit/radios/adf1_freq_hz,i,0,10,3,0
MatrixLED1_Digit8=sim/cockpit/radios/adf1_freq_hz,i,0,10,2,0

Could you help me get the correct code to display heading, speed, altitude and vertical speed from the autopilot?

Thank you and regards,
Andre

[Wendy]

Sorry for my late answer but I was on a short holiday.

I'm afraid I cannot help you with the X-Plane datarefs, but there is a X-plane plugin that supports our 7-segment display driver boards. It was developed by the manufacturar of the Pokeys cards. You can find it http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?showtopic=62459

Hope this helps, Wendy