fliggygeek Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 I recently got asked about building a silent comms system for alerting FOH about issues viaa small LCD screen activated by backstage o ntheatre shows. Obviously this has been thought about before, what are the solutions you have all seen used? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedd Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Yep, there's a thread here about it. Nothing ended up being built, but I still think there's some potential in the link I posted on the last page of the thread to this device. I think that with hyperterminal connected to a PC on either end, you could quite easily send messages back and forth. Alternatively our own David Duffy has written Serial Buttons which is capable of sending simple strings of data via a com port. As I see it, all you'd need to do is program the buttons with simple messages behind them and you could send simple messages. For instance when running radio mics, you could set up the grid as follows; Top Row (description);Check aerial,Change battery,Check mic,Change mic,Swap,Switch off,Switch on, Second row (character);List of character names, or pack numbers. 3rd row (other stuff);Other words that make life easier; with, and, thanks, please, help! It would then only need a few button pushes to send a simple message. You'd have to come up with a way of receiving messages at the same time though. Each end could set up their own buttons to suit them. Could 2 pieces of software share one com port? I'm inclined to say no, but if you could run hyperterminal and serial buttons at the same time, you could have hyperterminal as the receive/conversation viewer and then serial buttons as the interface. I think there's potential with this one! Unfortunately it'll mean buying 2 of those units at 50 quid to find out! Is there not an iphone/text messaging solution available? I seem to think BBM and iphone messenger both require connection to the wider world, even if the devices are on the same network, otherwise you could use that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fliggygeek Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 Yep, there's a thread here about it. Nothing ended up being built, but I still think there's some potential in the link I posted on the last page of the thread to this device. I think that with hyperterminal connected to a PC on either end, you could quite easily send messages back and forth. Alternatively our own David Duffy has written Serial Buttons which is capable of sending simple strings of data via a com port. As I see it, all you'd need to do is program the buttons with simple messages behind them and you could send simple messages. For instance when running radio mics, you could set up the grid as follows; Top Row (description);Check aerial,Change battery,Check mic,Change mic,Swap,Switch off,Switch on, Second row (character);List of character names, or pack numbers. 3rd row (other stuff);Other words that make life easier; with, and, thanks, please, help! It would then only need a few button pushes to send a simple message. You'd have to come up with a way of receiving messages at the same time though. Each end could set up their own buttons to suit them. Could 2 pieces of software share one com port? I'm inclined to say no, but if you could run hyperterminal and serial buttons at the same time, you could have hyperterminal as the receive/conversation viewer and then serial buttons as the interface. I think there's potential with this one! Unfortunately it'll mean buying 2 of those units at 50 quid to find out! Is there not an iphone/text messaging solution available? I seem to think BBM and iphone messenger both require connection to the wider world, even if the devices are on the same network, otherwise you could use that. I just got halfway through designing one based on rs485, so basically DMX(1000m max distance...), and 2 keyboards and two small 2 row 20 character screens, hopefully soon ill have a working prototype. I'm happy if the prototype works well to make more for ppl. I just want anyfeedback on the systems you use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Duffy Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Hi Cedd,I really must get around to finishing that comms project. Too many half finished projects on the shelves and not enough time. :blink: Simple RF transceivers may work, but might be more hassle than they're worth imo. As for sharing com ports, yes, it can be done. It use this free one occasionally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Simple RF transceivers may work, but might be more hassle than they're worth imo. I can highly recommend the easyradio modules from RF Solutions, they really are just like a serial connection with no wires, reliable indoor range 50-100m. edit: sorry, forgot you were in Australia, but you may have something similar over there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peza2010 Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 A few weeks ago I saw Something similar To this being done, but didn't get many details unfortunately. It was on a mac, the software being some sort of word processor, and one of the macs was a "central mac" which I think means is the one that the other mac needs to connect to via a network. I was too busy keeping the guest engineers happy to ask in more detail. Also it was "as it happens" I.e if you were watching one of the mac screens, you could see it as it was being typed, I.e you would see letters deleted as the other person Spelt something wrong etc - almost seems like duplicating a desktop over a network, but somehow letting both people type... Obviously this is a computer based way of doing it, and not standalone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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