Digital Sequential Circuit Project/Gift for my Fiance :)

Thread Starter

ryanlott

Joined Jun 22, 2011
6
Hi there! Okay so here is my story. I'm flying up to see my fiance for her birthday and I really want to make her something special. So! I decided it would be fun if I could make her a digital circuit design! Here's how I want the project to go.

Her favorite number is "333". Basically, what I want to do is I want her to be able to turn on the device with a power switch. Then, I want there to be a start and reset button or switch, which ever is easier. Now, she'll turn on the device and then whenever she pushes/switches "start", basically I want there to be 3 "7-segment displays" starting at 000 and ending at 333 counting up in increments of 1 (i.e. 000 001 002 .... 220 221 222... 330 331 332 333) pretty fast, I'd say I'd like it to be about 10 seconds long, whatever is possible. Then once the 333 is displayed, I want the display to freeze on that number and then I want another display made of LEDs or something to light up and say "I Love You". And then of course, if she wants to see it again she can reset the circuit to it's initial state and run it again.

I did take a digital circuit class about a year ago, and currently don't have the time to go back and recall everything (Taking 12 hours this summer at college). But I have been around the block so I'm a little experienced. So basically, I have everything in my mind that I want. I'm not sure at all where to begin or what parts I'm going to need. I'm thinking since i'm using a counter, I'm going to need flip-flops. Any help in this design will be extremely appreciated and helpful for making her birthday gift special and unique.

Thanks! :)
 

Jaguarjoe

Joined Apr 7, 2010
767
A $3 Picaxe microcontroller is dead easy to program and can perform this function with one hand tied behind its back. Meander over to the Picaxe forum and they'll trip over themselves trying to help. The Picaxe only needs you to supply a 3 wire programming cable to program with and any old computer with a serial port. You can use a USB adapter too. All of the software is provided for free along with 3 free downloadable manuals.
 

Thread Starter

ryanlott

Joined Jun 22, 2011
6
Thanks for the reply and information! I will definitely check into that. I know it sounds silly, but I was thinking of building it out of plane-jane logic gate components and wires using a breadboard. It just feels more special and personal. What are your thoughts on this?
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
That sounds like making it more complicated on purpose, which is counter to general design aesthetics. You could just add cool looking, non-functional parts to your heart's content. Colored inductors, shiny copper wires and coils, the works. Of course you're busted if she's an engineer!
 

Thread Starter

ryanlott

Joined Jun 22, 2011
6
LOL!!! xD luckily she's an English major =p but yeah I mean even if I use something such as the picaxe microcontoller, I still think it'd be cool to figure out how to design it using basic components and kmaps and etc. Any tips for starting?
 

Thread Starter

ryanlott

Joined Jun 22, 2011
6
A $3 Picaxe microcontroller is dead easy to program and can perform this function with one hand tied behind its back. Meander over to the Picaxe forum and they'll trip over themselves trying to help. The Picaxe only needs you to supply a 3 wire programming cable to program with and any old computer with a serial port. You can use a USB adapter too. All of the software is provided for free along with 3 free downloadable manuals.
Could you post a link of the exact picaxe you were talking about? I'd appreciate it.
 

Jaguarjoe

Joined Apr 7, 2010
767
Several years ago I arranged a handful of red LED's into a heart shape, drove them with a 1/2 Hz astable and powered it all with a battery backed up wallwart. When I sprung it on my wife she was impressed, but when I told her it would never stop beating, even with a power failure, she was amazed. I'm still reaping benefits from that thing.
 

CDRIVE

Joined Jul 1, 2008
2,219
Want to really impress her? Build a motorized mechanism in a nice looking Ebony or Zebra wood box and have it activate via IR. Now comes the good part... When it slooooooowly opens a small mechanical hand will be holding a $50,000 diamond ring! Cool huh?!

Seriously though, you won't go wrong going the Picaxe rout and you can still use 7seg LEDs. It'll just be more effort than an LCD.
 

Thread Starter

ryanlott

Joined Jun 22, 2011
6
Want to really impress her? Build a motorized mechanism in a nice looking Ebony or Zebra wood box and have it activate via IR. Now comes the good part... When it slooooooowly opens a small mechanical hand will be holding a $50,000 diamond ring! Cool huh?!

Seriously though, you won't go wrong going the Picaxe rout and you can still use 7seg LEDs. It'll just be more effort than an LCD.
HAHAHA!!!! She'd love that for sure =P okay so I've decided I'm going to use the picaxe and an LCD. Whatever you think is best. It'll still be really special no matter what. Now Things likethe picaxe is very very new to me so the question is... What parts!?!?!?!? I looked on the website and they had so many different things that I had NO clue where to begin. I'm giving this to her soon so I'd like to order everything asap. Help will be greatly appreciated!
 

brozizds

Joined Aug 15, 2010
135
Hi Ryanlott,
If you run out of time you can always go Arduion Uno method, quick,easy to program, and you can teach her how to program it also to her hearts desire! Then she can have fun with It.( Is she related to TESLA he loved 333! LOL :D)
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
Your fiance lives far away from you??
Why aren't you together now? Wierd Religion? Serious Job? Scolding from parents?

My wife moved in with me two weeks after I met her. Then we married four months later.
Every morning, afternoon, evening and night are wonderful when we are together. Our religions and jobs cause no problems.
 

brozizds

Joined Aug 15, 2010
135
Hay Bill M has helped mewith a few different projects and is a great circuit designer. Here is one of them which I have built several times and applied it to a picture frame with 48 LEDs in the perimeter and a piece of plexiglass I etched by hand. http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=47055
The Arduino Unos method would be a lot faster. Adafruit has some great tutorials for beginers like me. I now have done a few projects with it and glad I got involved . Also the Arduino web site has tutorials! all prices are pretty close approx. $30. The Arduino site lists their dealers. :) Jim
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
Glad I peeked at this. I'm incompetent to help you, but I enjoy seeing people have fun with a good idea :)
 

Thread Starter

ryanlott

Joined Jun 22, 2011
6
First off, I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to post on this thread. I greatly appreciate all the information. I'm going to go with the arduino unos. I think it will be a fun project. Is that I only part I will need to make this project sucessful?
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
Is that I only part I will need to make this project sucessful?
Define success !! :p I think you'll need a lot more than whatever circuit you come up with to score big points with your English major gal. One rule of public speaking is to know your audience, so that your delivery matches expectations. I think that's applicable here as well. She's going to appreciate your effort, but she won't understand it. Throw in a little poetry and you're good!
 
Top