This is a description of an open source/open hardware project of a remotely controlled Arduino (Freeduino) based clock/thermometer utilising power supply and VFD panel from a broken DVD player in a custom made acrylic enclosure. The aim of the project was to demonstrate what could be done from electronics that has been literally thrown away rather than design one more digital clock.
Having source code and all design files as a starting point it becomes very easy to customise it for your own needs and your own DIY project, even VFD driver might be modified with little efforts to control VFD panel from another DVD player - they all designed in a unified way.
This is a list of features that we've got in the end (and what could be potentially enhanced if you like):
Thank you and we hope you will find this project useful and worth making!
Having source code and all design files as a starting point it becomes very easy to customise it for your own needs and your own DIY project, even VFD driver might be modified with little efforts to control VFD panel from another DVD player - they all designed in a unified way.
This is a list of features that we've got in the end (and what could be potentially enhanced if you like):
- Real time clock battery backed up dedicated chip;
- 1Wire temperature sensor;
- Controlled wirelessly by any RC;
- Activated by PIR motion sensor;
- Speaker;
- Serial-to-USB convertor for reprogramming and logging purposes;
- Acrylic enclosure;
- Full source code is available;
Thank you and we hope you will find this project useful and worth making!
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Signing UpStep 1: Scrapped DVD player parts
Vacuum fluorescent displays (VFD) make any consumer device looking eye-catching, compelling and unusual. A VFD emits a very bright light with high contrast and can support display elements of various colors, some of them are capable of rendering not only seven-segment numerals but characters and even graphical information. VFDs are equally great for anything from professional devices to basic do-it-yourself things. Yet VFDs are rather expensive for small hobby projects and notorious for their non-trivial control as they require voltages higher than just TTL levels, necessity to drive grids in addition to segments or dots and therefore make presence of dedicated VFD controllers highly desirable just to simplify communication with microprocessors.
But what if all this infrastructure already existed, would it be that difficult to combine together something like Arduino controller and VFD? The answer is no, not at all! Most modern DVD players equipped with VFDs and when less reliable mechanical parts (DVD ROM drives) fail devices are simply thrown away. Instead, some electronics could still be reused to give your project a completely new look reducing costs at the same time and saving the environment. In addition to a VFD with controller onboard and a power supply which provides everything with all vital voltage levels there is a bonus – an IR receiver and buttons. VFD controller takes care of refreshing display, handling events from buttons and IR receiver encapsulating whole control into a serial interface and making integration with even primitive controllers very possible, giving in exchange fully functional remotely controlled system.
But enough theory, let’s have a look at a real example. We found a broken DVD player literally lying in the street. Quick test indicated that VFD board and power supply were functional. VFD was 16-segment and therefore capable of displaying not only digits but characters as well. After a few minutes of internet search model name was identified: Philips DVP630
For our experiment we will need a front VFD panel and a power supply board only.
But what if all this infrastructure already existed, would it be that difficult to combine together something like Arduino controller and VFD? The answer is no, not at all! Most modern DVD players equipped with VFDs and when less reliable mechanical parts (DVD ROM drives) fail devices are simply thrown away. Instead, some electronics could still be reused to give your project a completely new look reducing costs at the same time and saving the environment. In addition to a VFD with controller onboard and a power supply which provides everything with all vital voltage levels there is a bonus – an IR receiver and buttons. VFD controller takes care of refreshing display, handling events from buttons and IR receiver encapsulating whole control into a serial interface and making integration with even primitive controllers very possible, giving in exchange fully functional remotely controlled system.
But enough theory, let’s have a look at a real example. We found a broken DVD player literally lying in the street. Quick test indicated that VFD board and power supply were functional. VFD was 16-segment and therefore capable of displaying not only digits but characters as well. After a few minutes of internet search model name was identified: Philips DVP630
For our experiment we will need a front VFD panel and a power supply board only.
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As for the DVD player - you can find one on ebay. Freeduino is available at sparkfun, for example.
http://www.hifimuseum.info/tn_JVC%20XL-V231%20a.jpg
Due to its age, I despair at finding a service manual/schematics for it online, though. It just has a thin ribbon cable that connected it to the main board.
i just started working with them myself, although its more difficult without the controller IC.
Your segments image on step 3 has two nine segments and no seventh segment.
I was going to hook up a PIC uP.... Can you explain ?
Well I've recently invested in some second hand books; one of the O'Reilly Media books on electronics, and an Electronics for Dummies, but they are quite hard going, so I'm also trying to take apart some broken kit and see what is noticeable.
For example a couple of friends calculators have stopped working, i've whipped the back off, and found a capacitor has gone. I've then looking into the function of a capacitor to see what it does in the circuit etc, but this gets quite difficult the moment integrated circuits come in.
I've also tried experimenting with the Arduino, and am trying to learn the electrical laws behind current and resistance, something that has come, thankfully, quite naturally. I wish there were some good electronic circuit simulating software out there for Mac, as that would be a real help.
Until then I'm going to play around on a breadboard, keep trying some instructables and other tutorials and try and learn what stuff does along the way. I'm finding it quite helpful that the moment I finish one project there is another waiting there somewhere that's just a little harder, so I can build my way up, but I just don't have the time to do that at the moment.
I hope that's of some help, and as you say I would love any other suggestions - as it is this kind of thing that I want to be setting my sights on! /A
I have an LG home theatre system DVD player. the dvd is messing around and won't load all sorts of movies...however, we have moved on from there and plug a hard drive through an HDMI player directly into the TV. What irritates me is that we now have an amplifier sitting idle in the old DVD player with speakers all round the room that we can't use!
The DVD player doesn't have the plugs for audio input although there is a USB port on it.
The question for all you smart folk out there is:
How can I connect the old Home theatre's sound system into the TV to get the audio out signal from the TV to run on the surround sound?! I'm quite happy to scrap the DVD players innards as required!
Thanks I'd appreciate the help!