I want to build a seven segment display scoreboard and need a lot of help

I've found quite a few threads with my same request but they are at least 2 years old and don't contain the info I need. but here's what I want to do.

I want to build a scoreboard containing 4 dual seven segment displays. 2 large ones for the score and 2 smaller for the record. I don't need fancy wireless controls but if its easy and cheap enough let me know. If not I was hoping to connect a controller to the scoreboard containing 6 momentary buttons. 1 each for counting up the scores. 1 each for counting up the records. 1 each for reseting the score and the record. It would be nice to use a serial port for easy connecting and storage. I have electronics background so I can follow schematics and built circuits easily. I'm just really rusty on the theory of the circuits.

So I'm hoping there's someone out there with the schematic that resembles this or can give me a darn close idea of what I need. Any help would be great. If anyone has any better ideas than what I'm looking for feel free to let me know.

Thanks!

How big are these scoreboards? Are they as big as basketball scoreboards or just breadboard sizes? There are actually tons of sources on the net. The bigger the scoreboard the harder the way to power up them. Try this **broken link removed** it utilizes only 3 boards. What microcontroller are you planning to use? You can also use pure digital logic gates only.

The score display I was hoping to use 3-5" LED displays and the record ones about 2-4". I was going to try to use pure logic gates. Figured it would be the cheapest and maybe easiest.

I attached a drawing of what I want the scoreboard to look like.

Schematic for Scoreboard

Here is a schematic as requested.

Some notes:

1. The 7 segment displays that I used are intended to be generic. You will have to adjust the pinouts and the resistors according to the displays that you source.
2. The displays are common anode.
3. Use the best quality switches you can buy. I recommend going to an commercial video game supplier and buying the ones they use in their tables.
   

Duncan

Another Schematic

Here is another slightly more functional circuit. It has up/down buttons for the score and records. This means if you hit the up button too many times you don't have to reset it and start from the beginning.

wow thanks. hopefully sometime this week I can get started on putting it together. I'll let you know how it works out.

Some large displays may require more current than the driver chip can deliver. It that case you would need to add a buffer/driver between the chip output and the LED segments.

My comments:

1) You may have to build the large displays from single LED's that make up each segment

2) Since decrementing will likely be used to only correct errors, you could arrange the logic:

a) Have reset and decrement be by themselves and decrement and digit pulse would have to be pushed at the same time to decrement a score.

Let us know what displays you end up with and I work out the resistor values for you and make sure the 74ls47's can handle the current.



Duncan