remote controlling LED display/status panel?

[callagga]

Hi,

I'm interested in having a LED display panel in the kitchen that I can write to via a custom program on my PC (that I write). It could either be say (a) simple panel of LEDs which I label myself for each one, each one representing the status of certain thing, or (b) an LED display that might consist of 10 characters say that you could set to be whatever you want from your program.

Question - Any advice on how to accomplish this? That is is there a remote LED display that exists that could be written to from my PC program (e.g. VB, Java, C etc). The panel/display could could be connected to my PC via either a wired connection (through the ceiling) or otherwise (e.g. wireless).


Regards
Greg

 

[MikeMl]

Turning LEDs on and off using a Visual Basic program via a computer's parallel printer port is simple, both from a hardware and software POV. A PP has about 14 or 15 bits that can be set high/low.

 

[callagga]

I hadn't thought of that. How long a cable do u think one could run? perhaps there are parellel port repeaters or wireless remote kits?

 

[MikeMl]

Dunno about off-the-shelf wireless? If all you are doing is turning a LED on/off via the PP, the cable could be several miles long. When the resistance of a wire gets to ~ 100 Ohms is the place to quit...

 

[Reloadron]

How many channels?

Also, the downsides of using the parallel port are most new systems do not include a parallel port as it is being slowly phased out and communicating with the parallel port using VB and other languages has become more difficult with operating systems like Vista and Windows 7. Most of the .DLL and .OCX files that worked with Windows '98 and Windows XP to communicate with the parallel port don't work with the newer Windows operating systems. Even the RS232 ports are slowly going by the wayside on new systems.

There are plenty of I/O devices out there that use the USB port(s) that are fairly easy to communicate with. Anyway, that has been my experience using the old parallel port.

Ron