well me and my bro were bored so we made a little program that makes a led connected to the serial port blink whenever you get a message



ok connect the led to an comm port(if you have problems getting it working and you have 2 comm ports try them both !)
____-_+___
\ o o o o o /
\ o o o o  /
   ----------

sounds kewl, just one problem - where u gets the LED an old or sumthin

sounds funny

It's not that hard to do really :/

You need:
* Programming skills
* LED (and maybe resistors)
* Serial cable

Basically it works like this:

You connect the anode leg of the LED up to a data pin on the serial lead/port and connect the cathode (short leg) of the LED to one of the grounds.

Then you just write up some software in whichever programming language you know that accesses this serial port and sends out the corresponding data signal which will turn that data bit on (basically switches +5 through the pin).

Nice program. I'll test it when I go home (now at the university I haven't got any led ) Is the source code aviable??

Once you got this...
take it a step further (if you know electronics):
Create a small box with a led, buzzer and a RF-receiver. On the PC-end put a RF-sender (use the USB-ports instead, this would be nicer and not hard to program either).
Now you've got a home-made-messenger beeper

lmao, this is funny

Why Why why wots wrong with using the flashing text box on screen

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Originally posted by martinsounds kewl, just one problem - where u gets the LED an old or sumthin

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quote:

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Originally posted by wabzWhy Why why wots wrong with using the flashing text box on screen

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quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised

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Originally posted by martinsounds kewl, just one problem - where u gets the LED an old or sumthin

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You get the LED's in the electro-shop

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Can't you just make the keyboard-leds flash (everyone has those)

quote:

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Originally posted by -Murua-
Can't you just make the keyboard-leds flash (everyone has those)

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quote:

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Originally posted by martin
would one from an old work
me to cheap to buy one but gots like three old computers

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quote:

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Originally posted by -Murua-
Can't you just make the keyboard-leds flash (everyone has those)

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I think people would like a thing that makes leds blink, but they probably don't want to create an external led. Keyboard leds are actually attract much attention (are quite bright, at least mine are).
But it would be useful for the times people work fullscreen.

and is it an external program or a plugin??
(I can't open the file because I miss some .ocx file)

No im oki i prefere sounds

BTW: be carefull with flashing the keyboard leds! If you change the status of the led, the status of numlock/capslock/scrolllock will also change! This can be annoying when someone is typing a msg.
Also when you change the status, be sure to do it the right way. I've seen many programs that changed the status and if you press on eg. numlock nothing happens (with the leds)....

And for these reasons I don't like it when a program uses keyboard leds... (And I'm certainly not alone with this)

quote:

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Originally posted by -Murua-
I think people would like a thing that makes leds blink, but they probably don't want to create an external led. Keyboard leds are actually attract much attention (are quite bright, at least mine are).
But it would be useful for the times people work fullscreen.

and is it an external program or a plugin??
(I can't open the file because I miss some .ocx file)

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me needs help connectn it

i am no noob when it comes to electronic stuff (spelling yes just in case i mess up) but i cant get it to work 1st when does it flash the sec they send it or untill i click on the windows to see what it is 2nd i can get the led to light up but not flash ever 3rd can you make a better diagram so i can make sure i get this right and lastly if this works so many uses (ill know when i get msg while playing vice city) and if you were to continue to delvelop it (pick which comm port, better way to exit it cause its a mem hog 5,132 K just for a light that would kick major ass)

quote:

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Originally posted by weedy2887
i am no noob when it comes to electronic stuff (spelling yes just in case i mess up) but i cant get it to work 1st when does it flash the sec they send it or untill i click on the windows to see what it is 2nd i can get the led to light up but not flash ever 3rd can you make a better diagram so i can make sure i get this right and lastly if this works so many uses (ill know when i get msg while playing vice city) and if you were to continue to delvelop it (pick which comm port, better way to exit it cause its a mem hog 5,132 K just for a light that would kick major ass)

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My freind has this Calebriz Lazer or something and when he puts his hand between the line it starts up his computer! I dont know how he did it but i love it because you can wake up in the moring and walk through the door and your computer will start up. Meh.. relivant im sure

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Originally posted by -Murua-
is it an external program or a plugin??

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i don't get how to connect the LED

you may now call me a noob cause still not working is it on all the time then flashes or off and flashes can someone other then ivan300 who has done this and got it to work explain to me step by step how to do this and my avitar died

quote:

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Originally posted by BooGhost
i don't get how to connect the LED

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Chris Boulton explained how to connect the LED:

quote:

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Originally posted by Chris Boulton
Basically it works like this:
You connect the anode leg of the LED up to a data pin on the serial lead/port and connect the cathode (short leg) of the LED to one of the grounds.

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me still dont understand

I can't still understand...

Thanks...

before you pple make my head hurt more can someone make a clear pic cause right now the led is on when the programs running if i turn it off the led goes off to but besides that nothing no blink no intensity change no nothing on with the program off with out need help

I think we need a pic

yea, we needs pic

the diagram on the first post makes it hard to get i right cause there are no "o" right under the  "+ -" signs and trying many combonations it still wont blink my buds are getting tired of me telling them to send bs msg just so i can test this

send yourself a msg then

yeah, we needs picture hehe

Thanks...

sounds interesting, but i suck at electronics (which is why i didnt chose it as one of my GCSE subjects) and if i do do it and it screws up the com my dad will be pretty pissed at me...
anyway, hope it works well for u who r pro at electronics...or just wanna experiment!

quote:

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Originally posted by BiZaRrE
[SNIPPED]... and if i do do it and it screws up the com my dad will be pretty pissed at me...
anyway, hope it works well for u who r pro at electronics...or just wanna experiment!

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im running xp and got the ocx file but the light doesnt blink when i get a msg its on constantly come on someone must know what to do

quote:

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Originally posted by BooGhost
I think we need a pic

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LED=Light Emitted Diode
The lights in your keyboard to show the status of capslock, numlock and scrolllock are examples of LED's.

but do you know how to do this

this will long so stick with me and ivan300 feedback would be nice

ok connect the led to an comm port
_________
\ o o o o o /
\ o o o o  /
   ----------
pins are
_________
\ 1 2 3 4 5 /
\  6 7 8 9 /
   ----------
pin     uses
1        carrier detect
2        receive data
3        transfer data
4        data terminal ready
5        signal ground
6        data get ready
7        request to send
8        clear to send
9        rins indicator

and if i have to do this

You connect the anode leg of the LED up to a data pin on the serial lead/port and connect the cathode (short leg) of the LED to one of the grounds

i put the anode(+) leg on pin 3 and the cathode(-) on pin 5 it works but only 25% of the time what am i doint wrong???

that explias what each one is but im not gonna attemp this
offtopic weedy were did you get your avitar?

i found it on google y

haha this is funny, i would do it but im too damn lazy to get an LED and some wires and connect them so blah. might do it one day (dling the prog just for later use (maybe)) hehe. so far, from what i hear its no exactly hard to do

Long leg of LED goes on any of the DATA pins and short leg on GROUNDS pin.... run the prog... done... hard?

and even programming the LED is easy as hell...
(very)pseudo code:

open "COM:1" for output
write &hFF

The hard part is programming the hook in messenger.
But remember, read some (small) books/articles/resources about COM-ports first, as you can easly fuck up the port when doing the hardware part.

ok i got it to work but it never stops like when i start up the program the lights off then then i get a msg and it starts ( woo hoo) but the light never stops blinking even if close the window that made it start blinking how long does it blink for or do i have to restart he program all the time

o if i could program i would try and fix it myself but im 16 and just starting to learn java so im out

If you just started programming and if you had the source, you'll see that it would be very easy to fix I guess, just make a loop for it (blink 10 times or so, then off, waiting for next msg).

EDIT:
just thinking about it... Maybe the LED flashes every time a msg is received, even if you have a window open. Everytime a person types something to you it flashes (?) If so, then the code must be altered in a way that it only flashes when a NEW window is opened or something...

no right now its once every i guess .5 secs and does not stop ever

ask the source from Ivan300 (nicely)

allright to stop the led from blinking you have to go into the sys tray and click on the msn buterfly icon and click on reset  i have a new version of the program that stops but there are a few buggs


ill finish it tomorrow and il realease the source and ill put up some nice pics for u guys



btw the program doesnt hook onto msn at all. it looks for a task named *- Conversation and if it finds it it makes the light blink

good many ppl will be waiting

i wud do it but i dont know how i wud electrocute myself and die and ruin the computer

mine doesnt have a reset button

it'd be better if the keyboard LEDs were the one's that flashed

your never going to give up on that are you o and there is mabey at max 12v going threw a com port so you wount kill your self and look at my post it doesnt get much better then that

At the moment I can't doit, because I had already used my com port on a infrared receiver that I made it ^^

I can controle my pc with my TV remote control (universal infrared receiver)

i got an ati remote wonder (threw wall) i almose never use it unless my sis is on then i hit power and shut down the comp from my room

that last post was

and im sure u will b able to get com port LEDs of eBay

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Originally posted by saralk
and im sure u will b able to get com port LEDs of eBay

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1) Like I said before (and Sk3tch), a LED costs nothing ($0.1) and every hardware-store has it..... If you don't want to go to a store, use a led from an old equipment (keyboard/PC/Hell, almost all equipment has a LED.....)

2) Maybe an option in the program to switch between keyboard LEDS and the 'SERIAL-LED'? (BooGhost )
Then you could even select which LED you want to flash (or all three )
NumLock, CapsLock, ScrollLock (I prefer this one as the default then, cause the others would be a mess while TyPiNg)....

PS: saralk, yes, that last post was spam

having all three leds on the keyboa flash constantly in a pattern of some sort

I got it to work!

Yup, found an old com-to-some-weird-connector adapter and cut the end off.  I put a green led, it works great.  I'm going to put a relay on it so it flashes on, instead of off, or even put a speaker on it.

Two problems with the program

• The led should only flash when the toast is on, or only untill I click on the window.
  
• If you can't do that, at least make me able to stop it using while the window is open, because it keeps flashing when I press reset and the window is open.

The source would be good

ok i made a box and everthing i can switch  bettween to diff LED's switch intensities and like the whole nine yards (im so proud of my self)but now i have 2 things to say

1st its way past 2morrow and im waiting

2nd if the source ever gets out i challange any one to inprove it to the point where it flashes un till we click on it (like the taskbar) and flashes on or twice for each msg recived

DJMystic made an easter egg in StuffPlug (Perhaps NG) that would make the LEDs in the keyboard blink in a patern.

The only problem with doing those leds is that your typing is gonna end up weird.

Why are we reviving old threads?

Putting that asides its simple to do with the API to turn caps lock, num lock and scroll lock on or off.

ok since this is already revived can someone plez plez plez ex[and on this or at least can ivan give ue the code cause i cant make it up but i might be able to change it. again i beg for someone smart to help

I will release it with nice pictures and instructions on how to use it in the next couple of days

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU...




but now to be kinda an ass YOU SAID THAT BEFORE (the going to release i new ver) BUT YOU NEVER DID i was sad heart broken even so excuse me if i dont belive it.




and i hope you are cause i dont want to be let down again

hehe sorry for dissapointing you guys but i will release it sonn in about a hour actually

SWEET (on a side not i hope it uses less ram then the last one did 6mb)

there is not much i can do about that because that is how i made it work...it has to load a bunch of windows dlls in order to work

oh well as long as it isnt moe then like 6-7 i will get over it but i hope to god it isnt 10+ cause that would suck

but anyway ill be waiting (even thoe its 1:42 am)

It is released here
http://shoutbox.menthix.net/showthread.php?tid=28388