I²C smartLED Display
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This project is shared with the fischertechnik Corner website, as the third smart sensor is intended for the fischertechnik Robo TX controller.
The development of this I²C device took me one week only from first sketch to finished product! This part in more technical oriented. |
smartLED
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The third smart sensor I'm working on is a 4-digit 7-segment LED display, called smartLED.
Based on the functional specifications, the main choices are about the display and the MCU. The schematics are pretty much the same, except Sensor being changed for Actuator or Display. |
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On the hardware side, the excellent results obtained with the MSP430 on the smartColours sensor makes it a natural choice for this display.
The MSP430 is powerful enough to handle advanced commands and features enough pins to drive the LED display. On the software front, Energia is strongly reliable and supported by embedXcode, so I can use Xcode for development. The combination of MSP430 + Energia + embedXcode makes a winning choice! |
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I²C Commands
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Based on the functional specifications and after extensive tests on a prototype based on an Arduino board, I defined two sets of commands:
The I²C 4-Digit 7-Segment LED DIsplay smartLED page provides more details about the commands and the RoboPro visual interface. |
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Building the Prototype
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I built one single prototype, mostly as proof of concept.
I took the opportunity to explore Eagle: I draw the schematics and route the components on the board. The second and final step was the finished product. |
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Finalised and Working Display
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The display is finalised, integrated into a standard fischertechnik 9 V battery box and working!
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