I've been working with some Adaptive Signs creating arcade based animations. I'm going to post here how it can be done, and files to do it. The signs can be found pretty easily on eBay. There are different models, with different specs. They are all mostly compatible, programming wise, but the specs are different.
Here are the steps to make this work:
a) Get a sign. I've used the following Adaptive signs:
213c (Beta Brite) 8 color 80 x 7 pixels (one line sign, 8 color is really 3 color with some variations)
https://www.alpha-american.com/p-alpha-213c.html
320c 8 color 120 x 7 pixels (one line sign)
https://www.alpha-american.com/p-alpha-320c.html
4120c 3 color 120 x 16 pixels (two line sign)
https://www.alpha-american.com/p-alpha-4120c.html
4160c 3 color 160 x 16 pixels (two line sign)
https://www.alpha-american.com/p-alpha-4160c.html
7200c. 3 color 200 x 24 pixels (three/four line sign)
https://www.alpha-american.com/p-alpha-7200c.html
I believe the 215c is similar to the 213c except it's 90 x 7 pixels.
https://www.alpha-american.com/p-alpha-215c.html
Generally, the animations work on a similar sign with similar pixels. So a file for the 213c beta brite will work on the 320c, it's just centered on the sign since the file is based on 80 pixels wide, and the 320c has 120 pixels. However, a 320c file based on 120 pixels might have mixed results on a 213c sign as it's too big.
b) get a cable. Your sign might have a cable with it. Most signs use an RS232 connection. Sometimes they also have a RS485 connections as well. They connect with a RJ12 connection. The first problem is that computers no longer have an RS232 connection. I've worked up a cable, modifying a USB Cisco console cable. It requires cutting off the RJ45 end, and repositioning the wires to an RJ12 connection. I'll post how, but If someone wants one, I'll sell you one already done. Basically at cost so not trying to make any money on this, sometimes it's just easier to give you the end result, rather than trying to explain it. These USB cables seem to auto-configure with all the windows versions that I've tried. Your mileage may vary. The other option is to configure an actual serial cable and plug that into an existing serial port. Even if you have a port, the USB is probably still the easiest. You can also connect Digiport Server (with RJ45 serial ports), and put that on your network. A little more complicated. I'll post about that at some point.
c) Once your cable is auto-configured, you'll need to determine what COM port it created. You'l have to go into your device settings and see. I've seen them come up as COM4 or COM3. It really depends on your setup, but you'll need to know the COM port in a later step.
d) Programming: the protocol for the adaptive signs is pretty lengthy. The manuals are available online. I'll post a link if I can find one. There is limited free software out there. The AlphaNet program from Adaptive is pretty expensive unless you plan on doing a lot of changes. I believe that most of the BetaBrite signs come with limited software. Coding it all by hand would be pretty tedious and difficult but once you are hooked up you can play around with it. Might be easiest just to take one of the files I post and send it to your sign.
e) Animations: The big problem with these signs is twofold. Limited resolution, and limited color pallet. 7 pixels high isn't all that much to work with. Even 16 pixels isn't that much. Luckily, classic arcade games didn't have great resolution either. If you look at the sprite graphics, you can find some good examples of what can work and what can't. Pacman, Defender, Centipede, and Space Invaders all have sprites that are doable. The color pallet is another problem. Red, green, amber and black don't give you much to work with. So Pacman and a red ghost are ok, but the Blue ghost has to show up as Green. Acceptable, but not perfect. You work with what you can.
An animation on one of these signs is really made up of different graphic frames. You can do about 100 frames total (internal sign number limit). You are also limited by total memory space. You can determine the delay between frames, or no delay. The Files I've been working with are playing at the smallest delay (but not NO delay). No delay really works better, but then you need more frames to smooth it out. An animation then is made up of some text programming, plus up to 100 80 x 7 pixel images strung together. I've had to basically draw the frames by hand with Paint. Once you start seeing everything in pixels, you know you've been at it too long!
Stay tuned for more updates!
Here are the steps to make this work:
a) Get a sign. I've used the following Adaptive signs:
213c (Beta Brite) 8 color 80 x 7 pixels (one line sign, 8 color is really 3 color with some variations)
https://www.alpha-american.com/p-alpha-213c.html
320c 8 color 120 x 7 pixels (one line sign)
https://www.alpha-american.com/p-alpha-320c.html
4120c 3 color 120 x 16 pixels (two line sign)
https://www.alpha-american.com/p-alpha-4120c.html
4160c 3 color 160 x 16 pixels (two line sign)
https://www.alpha-american.com/p-alpha-4160c.html
7200c. 3 color 200 x 24 pixels (three/four line sign)
https://www.alpha-american.com/p-alpha-7200c.html
I believe the 215c is similar to the 213c except it's 90 x 7 pixels.
https://www.alpha-american.com/p-alpha-215c.html
Generally, the animations work on a similar sign with similar pixels. So a file for the 213c beta brite will work on the 320c, it's just centered on the sign since the file is based on 80 pixels wide, and the 320c has 120 pixels. However, a 320c file based on 120 pixels might have mixed results on a 213c sign as it's too big.
b) get a cable. Your sign might have a cable with it. Most signs use an RS232 connection. Sometimes they also have a RS485 connections as well. They connect with a RJ12 connection. The first problem is that computers no longer have an RS232 connection. I've worked up a cable, modifying a USB Cisco console cable. It requires cutting off the RJ45 end, and repositioning the wires to an RJ12 connection. I'll post how, but If someone wants one, I'll sell you one already done. Basically at cost so not trying to make any money on this, sometimes it's just easier to give you the end result, rather than trying to explain it. These USB cables seem to auto-configure with all the windows versions that I've tried. Your mileage may vary. The other option is to configure an actual serial cable and plug that into an existing serial port. Even if you have a port, the USB is probably still the easiest. You can also connect Digiport Server (with RJ45 serial ports), and put that on your network. A little more complicated. I'll post about that at some point.
c) Once your cable is auto-configured, you'll need to determine what COM port it created. You'l have to go into your device settings and see. I've seen them come up as COM4 or COM3. It really depends on your setup, but you'll need to know the COM port in a later step.
d) Programming: the protocol for the adaptive signs is pretty lengthy. The manuals are available online. I'll post a link if I can find one. There is limited free software out there. The AlphaNet program from Adaptive is pretty expensive unless you plan on doing a lot of changes. I believe that most of the BetaBrite signs come with limited software. Coding it all by hand would be pretty tedious and difficult but once you are hooked up you can play around with it. Might be easiest just to take one of the files I post and send it to your sign.
e) Animations: The big problem with these signs is twofold. Limited resolution, and limited color pallet. 7 pixels high isn't all that much to work with. Even 16 pixels isn't that much. Luckily, classic arcade games didn't have great resolution either. If you look at the sprite graphics, you can find some good examples of what can work and what can't. Pacman, Defender, Centipede, and Space Invaders all have sprites that are doable. The color pallet is another problem. Red, green, amber and black don't give you much to work with. So Pacman and a red ghost are ok, but the Blue ghost has to show up as Green. Acceptable, but not perfect. You work with what you can.
An animation on one of these signs is really made up of different graphic frames. You can do about 100 frames total (internal sign number limit). You are also limited by total memory space. You can determine the delay between frames, or no delay. The Files I've been working with are playing at the smallest delay (but not NO delay). No delay really works better, but then you need more frames to smooth it out. An animation then is made up of some text programming, plus up to 100 80 x 7 pixel images strung together. I've had to basically draw the frames by hand with Paint. Once you start seeing everything in pixels, you know you've been at it too long!
Stay tuned for more updates!
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