Rack KITT

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(from NemWiki, only formatting updated)

Revision as of 22:35, 27 January 2011

A rack mounted LED array of [[1]], 1RU, which emulates [[2]]s scanner by visual, but is similar to the [[3]]'s blinkenlights for function.


Contents

What can it display?

  • Status monitors
    • KITT Scanner
  • Error displays
    • Guru Meditation error
    • BSOD
  • Screensavers (may require multiple in sync)
    • Conways game of life
    • Matrix
    • PONG
  • other
    • snow crash visual
      • heartbeat (slow speed)
      • screensaver (medium)
      • crash indicator(fast!)

Extending the basic idea

The basic display should be standalone, but racks tend to be in servers, stacked... so there should be a way to synchronise multiple rKITTs for easier overall displays. For eg:

  • KITT scanner is at the left at the start of every minute, so ALL displays sync up, and it's easier to see which is fastest...
    • say: scanner scans (a full left-right-left cycle) at X scans per 10 seconds, and only updates the speed every 10th second. That way every 10 seconds it is back to the left. 5 scans/10seconds = default. Integer scan count/10 seconds.
  • most screensavers (esp Matrix) will improve across multiple lines, so a basic protocol to transmit data "down" and "up" (left/right too?)

limitations

  • how many ~LEDs can be lit at once as powered by USB?
  • how many ~LEDs can be controlled at what speed by PIC controllers? (PIC bandwidth?)
  • how much space (depth) to build this. The idea is it can sit in FRONT of a machine in a rack cabinet
    • remember to consider rKITT heatsink issues, and server case airflow issues!

further reading

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