Author Topic: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle  (Read 2932 times)

Offline bisquit476

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So, after I built my EtherDongle, I was looking at it, setting it up etc., when it hit me that the LED was worthless in the case unless the lid was off.  So I un-soldered it from the board, drilled a hole in the case similar to how it was done in the DMX Dongle and then bent the leads of a new LED and installed it. Seems more user friendly to me this way.

Offline deanathpc

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Re: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2012, »
Does make more sense this way doesn't it?  I didn't understand why it wasn't designed this way myself.  I just haven't gone back to mod it yet.

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Offline rrowan

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Re: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2012, »
What do you think the led indicates?

It does Not indicate that there is power
It does Not indicate its receiving or sending data

It does indicate that the pic was programmed and it can "talk" with the ethernet chip.

So really once you see it lit once then there is really no reason to see if it still there.
To put it another way, once the board is built and you see that led lit, its really no longer needed until you reflash the pic (i.e.: for the conductor). Also does your mod interfere with the conductor board (assuming you are getting one)

just my 2 cents (if  that much)

personally I don't see a reason for that a mod.

Rick R.
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Offline bisquit476

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Re: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2012, »
Then don't do it Rick, and why the attack?

Offline rrowan

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Re: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2012, »
No attack

Just posting facts

Sorry you felt that way

I guess I can't also have opinion

Rick R.
Light Animation Hobby - Having fun and Learning at the same time. (21st member of DLA)
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Offline Rainlover

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Re: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2012, »
I count all of the LEDs that show on my equipment as part of my Christmas Light count ;D

John
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Offline mykroft

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Re: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2012, »
would it not be easier in the lid above the led to drill a hole and pop in a small round truculent indicator cover if you need to see the led lit?

Myk

Offline rogerwh

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Re: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2012, »
The more blinking (or steady) lights one can see on the equipment, the more impressive it looks.   ;D

Offline JoeFromOzarks

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Re: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2012, »
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The more blinking (or steady) lights one can see on the equipment, the more impressive it looks.   ;D

Oh good.   :)   I put an oLED 16x2 display in one of the drive bay blanks that spells out "Merry Christmas!"

:) joe
"If it was easy, everybody would be doin' it!!!"        :)

Offline Steve Gase

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Re: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #9 on: September 13, 2012, »
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would it not be easier in the lid above the led to drill a hole and pop in a small round truculent indicator cover if you need to see the led lit?

Myk
I'm thinking of a ziplock bag instead of the box.  apply some silicone where the cables go through -- but that light is shining all green and purty!
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Offline mykroft

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Re: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #10 on: September 13, 2012, »
now I know why i dont reply to alot of these topics.....

 :-\

Offline rm357

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My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #11 on: September 14, 2012, »
No, no, no,

This is great.

We get to see a lot of great ideas and also get to see that those of us with CLAP (Christmas lights addiction something) are sometimes firing on 9 cylinders in an 8 cylinder engine...

It's hard to tell in text when someone is being serious, sarcastic, or just messing with you.

The plastic bag with silicone is just messing with you... Although he will probably reply to this and say he is serious...

RM
Robert
Warner Robins, Georgia, USA

Offline jeffcoast

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Re: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #12 on: September 14, 2012, »
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What do you think the led indicates?

It does Not indicate that there is power
It does Not indicate its receiving or sending data

It does indicate that the pic was programmed and it can "talk" with the ethernet chip.

So really once you see it lit once then there is really no reason to see if it still there.
To put it another way, once the board is built and you see that led lit, its really no longer needed until you reflash the pic (i.e.: for the conductor). Also does your mod interfere with the conductor board (assuming you are getting one)

just my 2 cents (if  that much)

personally I don't see a reason for that a mod.

Rick R.
I did the same thing by drilling the hole and bending it like in the usb dongle, and I don't see how in any way it would block the conductor. If anything it is less in the way of anything. And actually once the PIC is programmed it does show that the board has power, since it lights up when I plug it in.
Jeff Cook
Orlando, FL

Offline PJNMCT

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Re: My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #13 on: September 14, 2012, »
I was lazy and just drilled the hole (in both my ETDs). Laying it down allows me to see it at anytime during testing.
Leesburg, FL

Offline rm357

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My thoughts..... before you build your EtherDongle
« Reply #14 on: September 14, 2012, »
Well, I was going to say that "won't the Ethernet port lights also tell you that you have power?" but then I thought about the conductor... Once it is installed, there will be no need for an Ethernet connection in a single dongle setup... So, yeah I guess it would be good to indicate power...
Robert
Warner Robins, Georgia, USA