[geeks] geeks Digest, Vol 83, Issue 13

[Fred]

On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 geeks-request at sunhelp.org wrote:

> Message: 8
> Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:55:34 -0400 (EDT)
> From: der Mouse <mouse at Rodents-Montreal.ORG>
> To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
> Subject: Re: [geeks] Telesign TS-16 LED sign
> Message-ID: <200910220159.VAA06569 at Sparkle.Rodents-Montreal.ORG>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> > I am in possession of a Telesign red led sign model ts-16.  Every now
> > and again I get the thing out of the closet in the hallway in an
[cut]
>
> It strikes me as plausible, at least, that it is a parallel-port device
> rather than a serial-line device.
>
> Perhaps open it up and at least look at which pins on the DB25 are
> actually wired to something?  If it's 1-2-3-7, that's a strong
> indication it's serial; if lots of them, especially with lots of the
> high-numbered pins tied to ground, that's a hint it could be parallel
> (the classic peecee parallel port has ground on pins 18-25).

Gotcha - I never considered that it could be parallel.    Query: Would a
parallel device give garbage if connected serially?  The end of the
device where the connector is is rather fragile (I've had it apart a few
times) :)

I'm out of town currently but when I return I'm going to hook it up with
some straight through DB25 and see what hooking it up parallel does.

> Of course, it may be completely custom.  But I wouldn't give up without
> at least _trying_ - not that that's advice you seem to need! :-)

One of these days I'll crack it!  I want to hang it up in my downstairs
bar and when the Linux based "jukebox" is running I want it to display
song title or whatever else ... :)

I'll keep at it ... and will let the list know what transpires.

Fred