VFD for front panel

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DarkenReaper57

2[H]4U
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Now, I will start off by saying that I am a complete noob to VFD's. I have been poking around the FAQ for VFD's and LCD's - the kind that are used for displaying information such as temperatures.

I would like to add a small inexpensive VFD or LCD to display the temperature of, say, my coolant or CPU on the front of an external watercooling box. Is this feasible? It doesn't need to be connected to the PC at all. I would actually prefer if it to be completely independent, and simply displayed the temperature off of a sensor inline with a w/c system.

I really don't need the other fancy text-displaying features and such.

So, what do I need to do in order to do this? Keep in mind that I am a noob to electronics - I have been reading a book on DC circuits but I have only touched the basics of series/parallel circuits and component failure. Nothing with IC's yet.

Sorry if this is a stupid post, but I am trying to weed out all of the really complicated stuff - I am a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

Thanks.
 
If you want to do it independent of a PC, you will want to us a microcontroller.

The two most common hobbyist microcontroller brands are Microchip's PIC microcontrollers, and AVR. I personally use PIC, but AVR is also just fine.

Although I've never looked at it, Myke Predko wrote some code for controlling an LCD from a microcontroller, available here (scroll to the bottom for the code).
 
mattg2k4 said:
If you want to do it independent of a PC, you will want to us a microcontroller.

The two most common hobbyist microcontroller brands are Microchip's PIC microcontrollers, and AVR. I personally use PIC, but AVR is also just fine.

Although I've never looked at it, Myke Predko wrote some code for controlling an LCD from a microcontroller, available here (scroll to the bottom for the code).
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Now, as I am a complete noob, how do you actually write code to a microchip?

EDIT: I am starting my second year as an electrical engineering major. Is it likely that I will study LCD's and VFD's in classes (not necessarily this year). If so, what courses?

EDIT2: PIC microcontrollers are interesting, and I want to learn more about them. I have some free time in the next 2 weeks, so I might as well do some reading. Is this a decent online book for complete noobs? http://www.mikroelektronika.co.yu/english/product/books/PICbook/picbook.htm. Perhaps I should buy one?

Thanks.
 
It looks good at first glance. I would read it online at first, then decide if you need the added convenience of a paper copy.

Here's a good place to buy microcontrollers, programmers, and misc components: http://www.sparkfun.com/shop/index.php?shop=1&cat=1

Here are the rest of PIC links I have bookmarked:
http://members.cox.net/sonjarob/TUTs/uP4Idiots.html
http://www4.tpg.com.au/users/talking/index_of_chapters.html
http://www.winpicprog.co.uk/
http://www.kmitl.ac.th/~kswichit/
http://www.mstracey.btinternet.co.uk/pictutorial/picmain.htm
http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist/index.htm
 
I thought of something to make my job a lot simpler. What if I were to just pick up a temperature sensor from radioshack (one with a LED display) and used that instead?

Are the thermistors interchangable? I want the sensor to be inline with the water.
 
I'm not positive, because I know there are a wide variety of thermistors available, some with positive temp coeffecients (PTC), or negative (PTC), and they start out at different resistances at room temp as well.

If the thermometer is calibratable, and your thermistor has the correct direction for coeffecient, then I imagine it would work reasonably well at least.

If you got a radio shack temp sensor though, couldn't you simply use the thermistor that came with it?
 
CrimandEvil said:
So your looking for something like this but as a VFD?: http://www.frozencpu.com/tmp-02.html
Click to expand...

A LCD or VFD will work - it doesn't really matter. I actually prefer a blue light LCD for aethetics, but the product you linked to is pretty much what I am looking for (as long as I can put the thermistor inline with the water).

EDIT: After browsing their site, I found this: http://www.frozencpu.com/tmp-25.html. Looks pretty spiffy :). I may very well go with this. It is a LOT cheaper and less complicated than getting a VFD/LCD, controller board, and messing around with all of that stuff. Maybe I'll save that for another project once I understand more about them.
 
jman1 said:
Same thing HERE for 8.50
Click to expand...

Oh snap, thanks for the heads up! I froogled a bit, but I had no luck. This does have a small probe, right? The sensor is not integrated onto the display's backing (this would be bad for me)?

I saw this on their site. http://cool-cases-usa.com/Zen-Cart-v1.2.4/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20&products_id=68It
This is more of the type of display that I am looking for - it looks a lot cooler. How difficult would it be to make this thing display temperatures and perhaps some text that does not change?
 
The text part would be impossible it is just a temp sensor what you want may be This which with the suppkied software can read your motherboard sensors winamp so on.
The sensor is on a lead on the small display that is.
 
jman1 said:
The text part would be impossible it is just a temp sensor what you want may be This which with the suppkied software can read your motherboard sensors winamp so on.
The sensor is on a lead on the small display that is.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I actually I was talking about the same LCD display you linked me to (I provided a link at the bottom of my last post) :).

Is it possible (or feasible) to use the 4 x 20 LCD to display temperatures (and maybe static text such as "Temperature" or "Liquid Cooled to [insert temperature here]" with a microcontroller? I don't want to connect it to my motherboard because it will be in a completely separate cooling unit. I only want 3 wires going to the separate box: power, water tube in, and water tube out. Each one of these has a quick disconnect.

Besides, I want to monitor the water's temperature, not that of the CPU or motherboard.

Maybe I should just go with the simple LED temperature monitor...
 
DarkenReaper57 said:
Now, I will start off by saying that I am a complete noob to VFD's. I have been poking around the FAQ for VFD's and LCD's - the kind that are used for displaying information such as temperatures.

Sorry if this is a stupid post, but I am trying to weed out all of the really complicated stuff - I am a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
I got a hard drive cooler (Vantec) from a friend recently. The display is green VFD, numerical only with up to 175 degrees max I think. It only displays temp in celcius or fahr, and has three digits. It came with two probes and you can easily mod a water passage or plug with one of these sensors by drilling a hole/filling with epoxy around the wire. It won't hurt the water or leak if you are careful. The whole HDD cooler is available at Staples, not sure where else. It also comes with two 40mm x 20mm fans (the thick ones, and they are 3-wire too) so you will have those plus the 5 1/4" HDD mount with smoked acrylic face.
Sounds like what you really need and you won't have to fool with [H]ardcore elecronics engineering! :D
 
zeusenergy said:
I got a hard drive cooler (Vantec) from a friend recently. The display is green VFD, numerical only with up to 175 degrees max I think. It only displays temp in celcius or fahr, and has three digits. It came with two probes and you can easily mod a water passage or plug with one of these sensors by drilling a hole/filling with epoxy around the wire. It won't hurt the water or leak if you are careful. The whole HDD cooler is available at Staples, not sure where else. It also comes with two 40mm x 20mm fans (the thick ones, and they are 3-wire too) so you will have those plus the 5 1/4" HDD mount with smoked acrylic face.
Sounds like what you really need and you won't have to fool with [H]ardcore elecronics engineering! :D
Click to expand...

Hmmm, link? :) I can't seem to find what you are talking about...
 
zeusenergy said:
Crap, wrong manufacturer... It's an Antec model.
http://www.directron.com/antechdcooler.html
I forgot, since the mount is in my parts bin unused... only needed the VFD.
Click to expand...

Ah, thanks for the link. I have a blue theme with my case, though, and prefer the cheaper blue LCD temperature monitor :).

Does anyone know if this http://cool-cases-usa.com/Zen-Cart-v1.2.4/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20&products_id=114 uses a thermistor attached to a wire (so I can put it inline with the water)?

Also, would anyone happen to know the dimensions of the LED display?

Thanks.
 
CrimandEvil said:
If not you might be able to use this and splice it in.
Click to expand...

Erm, that adds quite a bit to cost. It would be cheaper to just get a thermistor or something from radioshack and wire that in.

Maybe I should go with something like this? http://www.xoxide.com/thermaltake-t-type-water-temperature-indicator.html
Does anyone know how restrictive it is?

My intention was to just make my own tee to save some bucks and so I have something to make for fun, and just stick the sensor in it. I would seal everything accordingly, of course. I saw a nice guide that weapon wrote a while back, but I haven't been able to find it. I'll keep looking, though :).

I can always email the company to see if their $8.50 LCD temperature display has a small thermistor that is on the end of a wire, too, I suppose.
 
Wow, I stumbled across this killer deal: http://www.pctoys.com/840556011316.html. I am a bit confused as how to get them to "fit it into an envelope" though. The shipping kinda kills the deal. Maybe I'll contact them about it.

Could this be used for anything useful? It looks like it has the controller board integrated...
 
Ok, I found a picture of the sensor itself. http://www.watercoolingshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=191

Does anyone know if it will work if I placed the tip in the water? I plan on following weapon's guide I posted above. Basically, I will make a tee out of a 1/2'' ID tube and a smaller one that fits the thermistor. I will then fill the smaller end with epoxy, only allowing the tip of the thermistor to contact the water.

It also looks like there is some sort of protective covering over the thermistor, so this should help my case, right?
 
So far all I've seen posted are LCD's...

I have this VFD...

3sm.jpg


4sm.jpg


0sm.jpg


It's a Itron VFD that is LCD compatible, uses the LPT1 port and an app called LCD smartie that has a plugin for speedfan...
 
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