Exeptionally "geeky" project in mind, need help!

[HIMNL9]

About the display you linked, ask them for details and if it come with the inverter, too, cause some sellers don't even know that they need a high voltage DC-DC converter (EDIT: i see they say single 5V power supply, so maybe the converter is built-in) ..... also, it's a "filament type" unit (like most of the ones used for VCRs), it probably require some current for the filament too, but not too much, and in a car, this is usually the last of the problems.

The ones i linked from Vishay are the "discharge" type ones, no filaments, and DC-DC converter integrated in the display, but i think they are NOT so cheap ..... maybe some other manufacturers can have better units.

About the MCU, i don't know, it depend from the functions you want to implement and from your programming skill, i suppose ..... i've heard good things about "arduino" boards, like cheap, lots of I/O lines, and easyness of use, so it may worth a try ..... also, documentation is online for free, afaik, so you can study it before to have to buy, for see if it do all that what you want.

 

[Eudaimonium]

So I've heard, everybody goes after Arduino these days, I guess I might as well give it a try to see what's this all about.

Arduinos use Atmel's MCUs, Mega family, correct? Since I'll be needing a programmer board for it, and some software.

Could be a good long-time investment too, I have quite a few MCU projects in mind.

I'll look around, see what can I come up with.

 

[HIMNL9]

Well, i suppose it's for the "open" community ..... i mean, there are better MCUs around, but almost all of them requires personalized programming tools (proprietary ?) that you need to buy separately, or the skill to program in hex, or similars ..... the winning idea of the original Arduino team, instead, was to made a sort of "open source" communit where anyone can give helps and programming tips, so it's growth quickly, and a lot of peoples decided to try it ..... also, it's not too bad, and the extended version have really a lot of possibilities, and in a way or in another there's always someone that can help in some forums, so also for peoples that have no high programming skill, it's more easy to try it, than to go for other MCUs and have to learn a new programming system virtually with no help (or with only paid courses, like Altera and other similars)

 

[Eudaimonium]

Well, sounds like a great idea. But I'd guess that Arduino boards are little bit more expensive than just MCU and accompanying components and blank PCB

Oh, one thing nonrelated, you don't say "peoples" in English, "people" is already a plural on it's own, singular would be "person". So: "...and a lot of people decided to try it".

Hope you don't mind

Oohh-kay, I will be able to do some research into the subject through this weekend. I will not be going home since I have got some tests at college, but they are not too difficult subjects and won't occupy my entire time.

Thanks HIMNL9. Oh by the way, you still didn't recieve those diodes?

 

[HIMNL9]

Thanks for the correction, i'm still (slowly) learning English

And no, no diodes at all ..... i've asked both the local post office and the custom offices in Linate Pozzolo (that usually manage all the traffic from outside countries), but both said me that without a tracking number or a delivery invoice, there's no ways for know what's happened to the package, and that they don't assume any responsibility for anything that is not tracked or registered.

I'm sorry, but i don't know what other i can do ..... i'm still searching for those parts for my projects too, but actually i'm more sorry for your side than for mine, but really have no other ideas.

 

[Eudaimonium]

Ahh well. I guess we're out of some 6-7 IR diodes.

I will need to purchase more from Bill, once he re-materialises. I got those for free anyhow. I still have my 25W diode mini bar. :na:

Oh yeah, did I mention we don't have shipping tracking here in Croatia? Bummer, huh? I guess I have to go with insurance. Costs munays.

OK, now to get some college stuff done, after that I will go hunting for Arduinos.