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-   -   ZombieTek LCD Display (http://www.overclockaholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1556)

Buckeye 12-26-2009 12:28 PM

ZombieTek LCD Display
 
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2797/thumbnailrl.jpg

Last year I began working on a project with a couple of friends that was based on a 4” LCD Display powered by a SLCD6 controller.

After seeing these units at Reachtech.com who manufactures these units in all different sizes and specifications I thought to myself that one of these units would be a great MOD to show computer data on the front of my TJ07 that I had just built. With the help from my friend Jeff I managed to get a unit from Steve over at Reachtech, both of whom are great guys and friends that I have known for some time.

The 4” LCD Display has a fully programmable SLCD6 controller with touch screen and the ability to upload programs and graphics, and talk to the computer through a USB port.

This is the unit I started out with to give you an idea of what these look like.

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/6338/img0588x.jpg

Starting with this I began to mock up what I thought the screens should look like. As I was extremely busy at that time I happened to come across a really good graphic artist Ross Fairbanks of GUIMagic who has done a large amount of work with Windowblinds. We exchanged ideas and came up with the very first set of screens that would show CPU usage, CPU temps, Fan Speeds and a Clock. These were the basic building blocks of the project and later changed to better fit programing problems and new ideas.

The project was begging to take shape now, this is the first screen.

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/7959/cpui.jpg

Uploading this image to the LCD to seeing what this would actually look like. It looked very, very good so we dove into this and began to add more features.

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/5175/img0599y.jpg

Mocking this up in a bezzel and fitting it to the front of the TJ07.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6553/bezzel2.jpg

Everything is great so far and looking good. Jeff ran into a programer by the name of Craig Williamson who worked his magic and helpped get this unit up and running so it would animate the images and talk to a computer through a USB port and get all the vital data needed to display on the LCD.

As a test I installed the unit on my benching setup and it worked great.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/923/bench1.jpg

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/3861/bench2o.jpg

Now with a working unit we began to look at cases or bezzels to mount the LCD into. Jeff managed to pick up a Garman GPS unit and we took out the display from that and installed ours into it. This looked really good and was just what we had been looking for. However having a injection mold setup made so we could make our own cases was rather costly and way out of our price range for this project.

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/5914/garman.jpg

Later Jeff had a simple plastic stand made up that worked well and easy for us to have made.

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/8407/img1543n.jpg

We still have lots of loose end so complete this project but it stands right now it is fully functional unit that can display CPU Usage, CPU Temps, Fan Speeds, RS Feeds and a Clock. Some of the data that is used to display on this comes from Everest and we can configure our own app to show a few different things like GPU temps or a mix of GPU and CPU temps and different fan speeds from what ever is installed in the computer. Different screens can be shown by pressing the buttons at the bottom of the screen to show what ever you want to display.

Around this time ZombieTek was born.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/5...dzombietek.jpg

Here is the full set of screens, note some of these have changed but it gives you an idea of what everything looks like.
There is also a RS Feed feature that was added that is not shown here. You enter the RS Feed links into a text file and these scroll on the LCD, when you see a feed that you are interested in just press the link and a webpage for that link opens on your desktop.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/7894/cpup.jpg

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/1201/cputempsb.jpg

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4773/fanspeed.jpg

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/4387/clock.jpg

This is the bezzel idea that I have which I have yet to make.

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/6322/bezzel.jpg

One of the very first screen mock ups, it has come a long ways from this.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6...zombiemain.jpg

Branded splash screens can be made pretty easy and dropped in, just some ideas I have here.
I have been trying to find a nice OCA pic to use for a screen but coming up empty atm.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/2844/screen1cy.jpg

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4364/screen2ur.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/3856/screen3np.jpg

This unit works really well and would be great for a modding project, custom built computer case or other projects. Some features that we still need to work on is displaying more than 4 CPU cores and the number of Cores has grown a great deal from when we started this project. Other features that we had in mind were to include a skinnable graphics library so a user could upload different back grounds. Much of this would take a fair amount of time to do so that has been pretty much put on hold for now.

Jeffro64 12-26-2009 04:39 PM

That is F'n kewl!

DrNip 12-26-2009 05:18 PM

What we can't get no love over here?

Buckeye 12-26-2009 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrNip (Post 20274)
What we can't get no love over here?

What ??

Yeah I can repost the whole thing here, image stuff doesn't tranfser very easy but I will get that over here.

DrNip 12-27-2009 01:56 AM

That's what I'm talking about! Look at it like this, you already have 2 of the 10 pics posted here. Add a llittle text and your done. ;) That thing looks sweet though.

Buckeye 12-27-2009 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrNip (Post 20283)
That's what I'm talking about! Look at it like this, you already have 2 of the 10 pics posted here. Add a llittle text and your done. ;) That thing looks sweet though.

Sorry DrNip, I was pretty busy yesterday and was getting tried when I made that post. All these different websites I post at have different requirements and things take a little work at times to get them working right.

By your command I have made it so :D

I added a few more pics also

69_Goat 12-27-2009 06:59 AM

That is an outstanding bit of work there, Buckeye.
I really like it.
When that screen is mounted in the front of the PC case, does the cable plug into one of the USB headers on the MB? Or do you need an actual USB port?

Buckeye 12-27-2009 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69_Goat (Post 20293)
That is an outstanding bit of work there, Buckeye.
I really like it.
When that screen is mounted in the front of the PC case, does the cable plug into one of the USB headers on the MB? Or do you need an actual USB port?

For now we just use a USB port. I run the cable out the back of the machine and plug it into one of the USB ports on the back of the computer.

I will ge doing a full rebuild of my main rig soon and I will do a bezzel for it then to clean everything up.

A lot more stuff I want to put on the LCD but I am going to have to do all the work for that. Plus there are some new version of the display that I want to take a crack at.

DrNip 12-28-2009 01:50 AM

Woot woot woooot!!! :clapping:

kikicoco1334 12-28-2009 08:44 AM

how did you do that! i just got a lcd laying around!
that's one of the coolest thing ever!


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