Comments on: New Ruby BetaBrite – 0.0.2 http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/ The act of making love, tenderly. Mon, 07 May 2012 22:50:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Adam Florin http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/comment-page-1/#comment-132686 Adam Florin Fri, 11 Mar 2011 04:28:55 +0000 http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/#comment-132686 FYI, I had to do some monkey-patching to get the 'betabrite' gem to work with my 1040 series model, to fix the serial comm settings (http://www.780tech.com/betabrite). After lowering the baud rate, I was able to drop the sleeps as well, which sped up the loading process significantly. My patch: module BetaBrite class Serial def write_memory! sp = SerialPort.new(@serialport, 4800, 7, 1, SerialPort::EVEN) memory_message.split(//).each{|chr| sp.write chr} end def write! sp = SerialPort.new(@serialport, 4800, 7, 1, SerialPort::EVEN) message.split(//).each{|chr| sp.write chr} end end end Would love to see this code on GitHub so I could just fork it. Anyway, great work, THANKS! FYI, I had to do some monkey-patching to get the ‘betabrite’ gem to work with my 1040 series model, to fix the serial comm settings (http://www.780tech.com/betabrite). After lowering the baud rate, I was able to drop the sleeps as well, which sped up the loading process significantly. My patch:

module BetaBrite
class Serial
def write_memory!
sp = SerialPort.new(@serialport, 4800, 7, 1, SerialPort::EVEN)
memory_message.split(//).each{|chr| sp.write chr}
end

def write!
sp = SerialPort.new(@serialport, 4800, 7, 1, SerialPort::EVEN)
message.split(//).each{|chr| sp.write chr}
end
end
end

Would love to see this code on GitHub so I could just fork it. Anyway, great work, THANKS!

]]> By: Hammer http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/comment-page-1/#comment-23584 Hammer Sat, 09 Feb 2008 08:20:36 +0000 http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/#comment-23584 <p>No driver, just libusb (http://libusb.wiki.sourceforge.net/) and ruby-usb (http://raa.ruby-lang.org/project/ruby-usb/). I had some trouble getting libusb to work, so I ended up grabbing a binary from http://www.ellert.se/twain-sane/. I used USB Prober (from an OS X Dev Kit) to identify the device so I could send messages to it. Once you get a handle to the device, it's pretty much the same as talking to a non-USB serial device.</p> <p>Also, since my last post, I figured out what was wrong. I don't yet know why, but the USB version chokes on ETX. I stopped sending that, and it started working.</p> <p>If you'd like a look at the code I've written to tie it all together, I'd be happy to email it to you.</p> No driver, just libusb (http://libusb.wiki.sourceforge.net/) and ruby-usb (http://raa.ruby-lang.org/project/ruby-usb/). I had some trouble getting libusb to work, so I ended up grabbing a binary from http://www.ellert.se/twain-sane/. I used USB Prober (from an OS X Dev Kit) to identify the device so I could send messages to it. Once you get a handle to the device, it’s pretty much the same as talking to a non-USB serial device.

Also, since my last post, I figured out what was wrong. I don’t yet know why, but the USB version chokes on ETX. I stopped sending that, and it started working.

If you’d like a look at the code I’ve written to tie it all together, I’d be happy to email it to you.

]]> By: Aaron Patterson http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/comment-page-1/#comment-23581 Aaron Patterson Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:27:29 +0000 http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/#comment-23581 <p>Hey! Can you send a link to the driver you used to get the USB betabrite working? I haven't been able to get it working, and if I could get a driver for it, I could much better answer your questions. Or even update the library! :-D</p> Hey! Can you send a link to the driver you used to get the USB betabrite working? I haven’t been able to get it working, and if I could get a driver for it, I could much better answer your questions. Or even update the library! :-D

]]> By: Hammer http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/comment-page-1/#comment-23573 Hammer Sat, 09 Feb 2008 06:15:25 +0000 http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/#comment-23573 <p>I've had some success getting the new USB sign working with Ruby on a Mac via libusb/ruby-usb. The Betabrite message protocol is the same, as far as I can tell, and I'm able to set Files on the device. However, when I send new messages, the device just goes blank. I can use the remote control to run the File, so I know it's taking the changes that I'm sending over USB. I feel like I'm overlooking some sort of run command, but I didn't see one in your Ruby library, nor in the protocol guide (http://www.ams-i.com/Pages/97088061.htm). It does seem reasonable to me that there would be a run file command though, since the operations are just updating files in the device's memory. Did you encounter anything like this when working with the serial version?</p> I’ve had some success getting the new USB sign working with Ruby on a Mac via libusb/ruby-usb. The Betabrite message protocol is the same, as far as I can tell, and I’m able to set Files on the device. However, when I send new messages, the device just goes blank. I can use the remote control to run the File, so I know it’s taking the changes that I’m sending over USB. I feel like I’m overlooking some sort of run command, but I didn’t see one in your Ruby library, nor in the protocol guide (http://www.ams-i.com/Pages/97088061.htm). It does seem reasonable to me that there would be a run file command though, since the operations are just updating files in the device’s memory. Did you encounter anything like this when working with the serial version?

]]> By: Aaron Patterson http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/comment-page-1/#comment-21022 Aaron Patterson Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:42:49 +0000 http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/#comment-21022 <p>I have one of the new usb beta brites too. Unfortunately I don't have windows, and Adaptive won't open the spec so I can get a USB driver on linux or os x.</p> I have one of the new usb beta brites too. Unfortunately I don’t have windows, and Adaptive won’t open the spec so I can get a USB driver on linux or os x.

]]> By: Semone http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/comment-page-1/#comment-21014 Semone Wed, 02 Jan 2008 18:58:42 +0000 http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/#comment-21014 <p>Aaron, I have one of the "New" Beta Brites and I am trying to send messages to the sign. I am programmer that uses Delphi, I am having trouble sending messages. The BetaBrite now has a dll that you use to access the sign with the USB. Do you have a newer betabrite as yet? If so, maybe you can help me tackle this sign.</p> Aaron, I have one of the “New” Beta Brites and I am trying to send messages to the sign. I am programmer that uses Delphi, I am having trouble sending messages. The BetaBrite now has a dll that you use to access the sign with the USB. Do you have a newer betabrite as yet? If so, maybe you can help me tackle this sign.

]]> By: Jason Weill Web Productions » Blog Archive » How I Built an LED Confession Board http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/comment-page-1/#comment-15048 Jason Weill Web Productions » Blog Archive » How I Built an LED Confession Board Mon, 24 Sep 2007 01:19:46 +0000 http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/#comment-15048 <p>[...] LED signs for a hundred dollars or less. I specifically looked for BetaBrite after reading about a Ruby module specifically to talk to BetaBrite signs. A complete BetaBrite sign with all the needed accessories cost about $120 shipped. The sign [...]</p> [...] LED signs for a hundred dollars or less. I specifically looked for BetaBrite after reading about a Ruby module specifically to talk to BetaBrite signs. A complete BetaBrite sign with all the needed accessories cost about $120 shipped. The sign [...]

]]> By: Aaron Patterson http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/comment-page-1/#comment-14577 Aaron Patterson Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:30:54 +0000 http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/#comment-14577 <p>Hey Tami. If you look under the script directory of the gem, you should find some sample scripts. One of them called "dots_file.rb" is an example of writing dots files to the sign.</p> Hey Tami. If you look under the script directory of the gem, you should find some sample scripts. One of them called “dots_file.rb” is an example of writing dots files to the sign.

]]> By: Tami Takamiya http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/comment-page-1/#comment-14561 Tami Takamiya Fri, 14 Sep 2007 04:00:06 +0000 http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/#comment-14561 <p>Aaron,</p> <p>I recently got to know there was a ruby library to manipulate Betabrite. It is really great! Thank you for your efforts on this.</p> <p>May I ask a question on the library? While I could display text files pretty easily with the help of your library, but could not find a way to display dots files... If you have simple samples to use dots files, could you make them available? Thank you.</p> <p>Tami Takamiya</p> Aaron,

I recently got to know there was a ruby library to manipulate Betabrite. It is really great! Thank you for your efforts on this.

May I ask a question on the library? While I could display text files pretty easily with the help of your library, but could not find a way to display dots files… If you have simple samples to use dots files, could you make them available? Thank you.

Tami Takamiya

]]> By: Aaron Patterson http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/comment-page-1/#comment-6677 Aaron Patterson Mon, 07 May 2007 08:46:29 +0000 http://tenderlovemaking.com/2006/09/28/new-ruby-betabrite-002/#comment-6677 <p>Hi Jason,</p> <p>It is an older model. I haven't tried it with the new BetaBrite model because I haven't had the money to buy one.... From what I can tell, the new one just sets up a USB serial interface, so all of my code <i>should</i> work with it, but I haven't tried. I'm hoping to get a newer BetaBrite to try out before the next Ruby conference.</p> Hi Jason,

It is an older model. I haven’t tried it with the new BetaBrite model because I haven’t had the money to buy one…. From what I can tell, the new one just sets up a USB serial interface, so all of my code should work with it, but I haven’t tried. I’m hoping to get a newer BetaBrite to try out before the next Ruby conference.

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