Fun but Impractical Numerical Input System

Description

Inspired by the October 6, 2022 Hackaday blog post "Seven Segments, But Not As We Know Them," this project uses the same slider-controlled seven-segment display concept to make a fun but impractical numerical input system.

The system consists of modules, each of which is one seven-segment digit. The modules plug together to make an input device of the desired size. To input a value, the user manipulates three mechanical sliders on each module to set the value in that module's display. An Arduino plugged into the device can then read digits the user has set.

Each module has seven Hall effect sensors to read the slider positions. Their values are loaded into an 8-bit shift register in the module. Plugging the modules together daisy-chains the shift registers so that an Arduino plugged into the end of the chain can shift the state of every sensor in the device out one bit at a time.

To make reading devices easy, the project has an Arduino library.

Project details may be found in the support library's github repository.

Discussions

sudrashanab1992 wrote 09/24/2024 at 11:45

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Dave Ehnebuske wrote 11/05/2022 at 04:15

I'm glad you like it.

Yes, I'm sure it could be motorized to make it do both input an output, I agree, racks and pinions with three steppers is probably the most straightforward approach. It seems like there ought to be a less more surprising, lower part count way. Definitely worth thinking about.

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RunnerPack wrote 09/11/2024 at 16:38

I haven't worked out the details, but I'm envisioning one slider being advanced with a gear, like Dan's idea, but with a few missing teeth, allowing a spring to return it to the start point. Upon returning, this slider would advance the next using a ratcheting gear, and so on, down the chain.

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Dan Maloney wrote 11/04/2022 at 23:25

Hi Dave --

Impractical it may be, but it's also pretty cool! I bet it would be a snap to motorize it, too -- just cut a rack into the back of each slide and use a stepper with a pinion gear to move them. Such a thing would have quite an identity crisis -- am I a display or am I an input? But that's fun too!

Wrote this up for the blog, should publish very soon. Great work, keep us posted on progress. Thanks!

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Fun but Impractical Numerical Input System

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