HackLab.TO Bandwidth Display

The HackLab Bandwidth Display displays our current bandwidth usage on two 4 digit 7-segment displays.

Project Status

• 2014-03-10: Fixed many firmware bugs, wrote the software to drive this, works with two displays. Ordered 6 more boards w/ express shipping.
• 2013-07-26: Received PCBs, assembled first board. Programs OK, all segments work except F and the DP which are stuck on. Need to troubleshoot this more.
• 2013-06-28: Doh, thought this had been submitted but missed it. Submitted to OSH Park w/ express shipping.
• 2013-06-01: Decided that building all the digit boards on perfboard was going to be too much of a pain, designed/schematicized/laid out a dedicated control board for each digit, takes +5, +12, and I2C, and controls the digit. Will get 8 of these made to drive all the digits. Next step is reviewing the schematic/layout tomorrow before sending off to OSH Park.
• 2013-05-11: Built up shift register/transistors for cathode drives on a proto shield, mostly working. Built up most of the first digit except for the anode control transistor, also working. Tried to add the anode control, blew up the Arduino putting +12V into an I/O line. Next step is to redo the anode control stuff on the first digit and complete full testing of that before building the other 7 digit boards.

Hardware

• Arduino Uno
• Arduino Ethernet Shield
• Proto Shield w/ 74LS164 + connectors
• Proto Shield w/ 2 connectors that have +5, VIN, and I2C, to connect to the digits

Pinouts (original design, now abandoned)

• Cathode connector
  • 1 - Segment A
  • 2 - Segment B
  • 3 - Segment C
  • 4 - Segment D
  • 5 - Segment E
  • 6 - Segment F
  • 7 - Segment G
  • 8 - Key
  • 9 - Segment DP
  • 10 - N/C

• Anode connector
  • 1 - Digit A1
  • 10 - +12V