Newsgroups: sci.electronics,sci.electronics.basics,sci.electronics.components,sci.electronics.design,sci.electronics.equipment,sci.electronics.misc
Subject: Re: Controlling LED readouts with computer?
References: 
"Joshua Eckstein"  writes:

> I am undergoing a project right now which involves, among other
> things, a number of LEDs, small lights, LED numerical readouts,
> and even one lightbulb, mounted on a piece of plastic (or
> whatever is best for the purpose when it comes to mount them).
> It is basically a big status readout panel for a piece of
> software that I'm coding, and therein lies the problem. I need
> to be able to control the state of those parts (on/off for LEDs
> and the lights, specific numbers for the readouts, etc.) with
> the code. I know I may be asking a really stupid question here
> (as it sounds too easy not to have been done before) but I need
> a product or recommendation that I can employ so I can control
> those various blinkies and readouts on the status panel with my
> machine-- Does anybody of something of that type? What would be
> the simplest solution?

If you have a small number of LEDs, the paralell port of your
PC is your friend: 
http://www.hut.fi/Misc/Electronics/circuits/parallel_output.html

For larger number of LEDs to control you need some electronics which
interfaces to parallel or serial port and can control large enough
number of LEDs. Or you can use and industrial I/O card with many
I/O lines for this. For more ideas take a look at www.epanorama.net
 
> While I'm at it, this may even be more idiotic, but there may
> come a time when I need switches on the panel and do just the
> opposite of the above, and actually read the state of circuitry
> (closed/open)..

For some input signals liks switches the joystick port of PC is your friend:
http://www.hut.fi/Misc/Electronics/docs/joystick/

Alspo parallel and serial ports are usable with some electronics.
For larger number of inputs you will need more electronics or
industrial I/O card. FOr more ideas take a look at www.epanorama.net

> Thank you in advance, I can't seem to find help on this
> anywhere and I would be thankful to those wise and benevolent
> sci.electronics.* demigods if they could help one such as me.
> :)
> 
> - Joshua Eckstein
>   [email protected]
> 

-- 
Tomi Engdahl (http://www.iki.fi/then/)
Take a look at my electronics web links and documents at 
http://www.epanorama.net/