Blinkenlights for the X16 [request]
Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2024 6:41 pm
This is sort of request for some hardware folks out there -
Could we get an expansion PCB whose only tasks is to provide blinkenlights? As many of us are using the clear-case top or "open case", it would be fun to have some programmable lights on a half-height card that fit within the official case.
But I understand the demand wouldn't be there to make it profitable. And, is it truly half-height and could be swapped to fit a full height case (as some people are using full height ATX tower cases)? I also understand it's rather under-utilized relative to what a full expansion PCB with full bus access could be used for. BUT - it would remind me of like the old Radio Shack hobby kits, something relatively simply one could put together, and practice the motions of making the computer do something interesting.
I'm thinking two rows of 16 LEDs? It could be used for debug status also during runtime. Just tied to some available IO 9xxx port? I'm not sure if each LED could have any combination of colors. A single LED row might be fine. Actually another useful thing this card could have is an easier gamepad 3/4 header. A half height card couldn't fit both SNES headers. I'm not sure if anyone makes a "single SNES to double" splitter (not really a signal splitter, but something to criss-cross the 6-pins (I think) for the two SNES pads. Or I'm not sure if that's possible through an expansion card, to effectively extend/route the SNES3/4 pins over to it. I guess if not, it could just have an internal header and a little cable to attach between them.
It could also be used as a debugging aid (to showing certain program state). Or it could be programmed as part of an alarm clock (as a visual chime rather than audio). Or with serial now, it could be an indicator light for something observed across RS232.
I'm not hardware savvy enough to know where to begin: blue PCB, half height, X16 expansion connector, a chip to listen to port signals and s/w to convert signals into LED colors/patterns (write-only?). I do know SNES3/4 ports do work fine, I've one system with 4-gamepads for testing that.
Could we get an expansion PCB whose only tasks is to provide blinkenlights? As many of us are using the clear-case top or "open case", it would be fun to have some programmable lights on a half-height card that fit within the official case.
But I understand the demand wouldn't be there to make it profitable. And, is it truly half-height and could be swapped to fit a full height case (as some people are using full height ATX tower cases)? I also understand it's rather under-utilized relative to what a full expansion PCB with full bus access could be used for. BUT - it would remind me of like the old Radio Shack hobby kits, something relatively simply one could put together, and practice the motions of making the computer do something interesting.
I'm thinking two rows of 16 LEDs? It could be used for debug status also during runtime. Just tied to some available IO 9xxx port? I'm not sure if each LED could have any combination of colors. A single LED row might be fine. Actually another useful thing this card could have is an easier gamepad 3/4 header. A half height card couldn't fit both SNES headers. I'm not sure if anyone makes a "single SNES to double" splitter (not really a signal splitter, but something to criss-cross the 6-pins (I think) for the two SNES pads. Or I'm not sure if that's possible through an expansion card, to effectively extend/route the SNES3/4 pins over to it. I guess if not, it could just have an internal header and a little cable to attach between them.
It could also be used as a debugging aid (to showing certain program state). Or it could be programmed as part of an alarm clock (as a visual chime rather than audio). Or with serial now, it could be an indicator light for something observed across RS232.
I'm not hardware savvy enough to know where to begin: blue PCB, half height, X16 expansion connector, a chip to listen to port signals and s/w to convert signals into LED colors/patterns (write-only?). I do know SNES3/4 ports do work fine, I've one system with 4-gamepads for testing that.
