Guide DigiMeter - LED System Activity Bar-Graph/Chaser - SOFTWARE v1.7

I'm running win XP SP1. I installled and then tried to run. I kept getting the error about sysmon.ocx, the version that comes with the zip is 5.0.2195.6660 . I replaced it with sysmon version 5.0.2600.1106 and that made it work. Try updating the ocx file you have in the zip, may help.

 

any progress on part 3 or 4?

 

yea i did this mod and only a couple of leds work. ive tryed the winamp plug in and is doesnt work even tryed the userport driver thing. can anyone help me? ima bring some pics soon.

 

the userport thing flat out doesn't work. as for your leds, its most likely just the connection between the leds and the resistors/ground or to the computer, or maby you just have dead leds. I hotglued over my assembly to hold everything in place, but then I had to fix about 6 of them. What a pain

 

My LEDs worked great from the beginning - Using a PC board really helps things stay organized... As for Userport, wow, I got it to somewhat work, ONCE. Other than that, it's a peice of CRAP. I've gotten the digimeter software to work ((Didn't use the install file, extracted from the cab file)) all except the monitoring of the CPU and Memory. I get an error when I do this that basically means that he walked off the end of an array in the program coding, which leads me to believe it's because I have a 3.2 GHZ CPU or because I have a GB of RAM and he doesn't have the array large enough. Not sure, Still waiting on an answer for that.

 

Polarity

@fdkrew

Check out the polarity of the LED's, the shorter leg is the cathode and is connected to the ground.

 

oh yeah, if you looked at that guide on page 3, its wrong. Negative does not come from the individual wires.

 

This is a great guide acrimonious -- but one thing, if anyone is willing to share some source code with me on how to get system performance monitors off windows that would be great - I can't get the perfmon activex object to work in visual C++ 6 What did you use acrimonious?

Thanks for any help
ch424

 

ch242, see http://msdn.microsoft.com

don't use activex when u can avoid it, its just anoying (like MFC!).

 

wouldn't it be easy to wire a transistor or relay to use the signal that lights the LED (on your version) to power a super-dee-dooper bright LED?

 

yes, like on his digibus.

Myself i would do this anyway, but thats because i am not going to kill a lpt port pin by sucking too much current from it, and the specifications are very vauge as to how much (2.4ma seams to be the normal).

 

Okay people, i'll keep this as short as poss'.

The versions of the software already released access system activiy by using a feature built into windows, the system monitor. MS has done a **** job of implimenting this cross-platform (by that i mean 2000, XP, etc) and so i have to seemingly recompile everytime they release a new god-damn patch.

Instead of using this control, which is nice and simple, i'm having to use different methods to access system data so i have to completely recode the software.

Recoding the software isn't going to happen for a while because i'm working on the COM port version (which is many times better), and barely have enough time to do this, what with work and all being as mad as it is.

So hold onto your hats and sit this out for a while. As for people using the parallel port that still can't get my software working there are a couple of alternatives, some win-amp plugins and also a CPU monitor type program http://casemods.pointofnoreturn.org/cpumeter/ as cpemma kindly posted. Also, a quick websearch should find some other similar stuff.

In short, my appologies for not finding the time to fully maintain the software for this guide in the mean, but you'll be impressed with what this COM port version can do, i guarentee (and it wont use that ****ty microsoft control!).

----------

FAO:

fg0d your diagram is wrong, if you followed that your meter will not work, simple as.

TheAnimus, your current specifications are outdated and concerns largely unfounded. There really is nothing to worry about, both modern specifications, electronics calculation, and the experience of many and myself prove this. For your average LED it's only going to be drawing 1.3mA anyways.

----------

Cheers for all the interest and feedback. If anyone has any more questions that i haven't answered here, post!

- Matt

 

Thanks -- that's exactly what I've been looking for for about a year

sadly not

thanks again
ch424

 

Nice work you've done here. I've been meaning to make an LED meter that can display other kinds of info besides volume in Winamp. My question is though can I some how make this work with 10 LEDs? It would make things a lot easier to read (everything in 10% intervals). Also can I make this work with a COMM port somehow? I don't have any parallel ports on my XPC box but I do have 2 COMM ports (1 for my LCD and 1 for my LED meter ). Thanks!

 

either read the first post in this thread, or the most recent one by me (two up from yours)

 

this gives me an idea, and i'm getting excited

pray tell, if i build an 8 pin device like this one, what changes can i expect with the new version? i'd like to get started on my idea, but i dont want to rebuild when you redo your software

you can use this site for pinout charts for wiring diagrams
http://www.nti1.com/technote.html#dvi

==============edit=====================

now this is what i'm envisioning



a plexi block with a curved face [optional; btw, how does plexi respond to jigsaw cutting?] drill short holes for the LEDs in the back, spaced according to design [for me, equally - in real life] attach the LEDs to the pins as discussed previously and shown. cut the plexi block into the 8 chunks and use an opaque surface in between to stop light transfer. i'm considering a mirror film [ http://bit-tech.net/article/63/7 ] and maybe aluminum. then you put the film or aluminum sheet on all sides except the curved front [yes, include the back, and drill the necessary hole]. the nice thing about using an aluminum sheet is that there would be no light transfer between blocks, though that could look cool. use a fine grit sandpaper on the curved face to give it a ghosted effect. then, use a cable extension to locate this to the desktop, after all, you need it in view, dont you?

does anyone know an alternative site to buy plastics like TAP plastics?
this is what i want http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=136& but i dont want to pay $60 for a 4 inch piece, and i dont need it to be extremely good looking, i'll take care of that

 

If theres any sports collectibles stores around you can find baseball cubes for fairly cheap. I even have a basketball cube. The baseball cubes are only 3" though, but maby theres a 4" size for something.

but why no green leds?

edit> how many leds are you planning for the first version of the com port?

 

theagent: I'd wait until the COM port version is out, check your options after that before you commit any cash.

In theory, limitless. you just tap in the number you have into the options form in the software and cascade enough circuits, as long as its under 32 million you should be fine. it would be more efficient if the number was divisible by 8 as well.

 

alright, i will. i would have no green LEDS because in my treasure chest [really, it is] i have yellow LED fans [think like gold/treasure] and two red cathodes inside. green wouldnt fit, even if it was external.

baseball cubes arent solid though, are they? i dont want chambers so much, i want material

 

Now that could be interesting