LED Animation Controller for MiSTer

[MeduZaPaT]

Hello MiSTer community, I'm new here, I’d like to announce a program I wrote a time ago for Linux, it allows you to set up a LED controller, to light LEDs on an Arcade cabinet or similar, is a very small program that uses low resources, and allows to create really cool animated effects.
You can see some videos of how it works here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 4-E6xux-Zi
It also allows lighting up the original elements with the correct color like on the original cabinet for a more realistic experience.
Days ago we successfully compiled the program for MiSTer, so now is possible to use it on that hardware, you will need any LED controller from the marked.
It supports this devices:

• Ultimarc Ultimate I/O (96 LEDs).

• Ultimarc PacDrive64 (64 LEDs).

• Ultimarc NanoLed (60 LEDs).

• Ultimarc PAC Drive (16 LEDs).

• Led-Wiz (32 LEDs).

• WolfWare Tech Howder (96 LEDs).

• ADA serieal protocol (variable number of LEDs).

But if you have something new or custom I can easily write a controller for it.

It also support restrictors, rotators, and rotors:

• servoStik

• ultraStik360

• GPWiz49

• GPWiz40RotoX

• GRS TOS-428

There is packages for MisTer thanks to @steelrust, if you want to try it here is a link to the source code https://github.com/meduzapat/LEDSpicer and the old wiki https://sourceforge.net/p/ledspicer/wiki/Home/

[alanswx]

This would be great with the arcade cores. Let me know how I can help.

[MeduZaPaT]

Thanks alanswx,

Yes, arcade cores will get most of the glamour, but it can also provide colors for consoles, and any other system, for example I use the classic colors for neo-geo controllers on player 1 and 2.

Right now I only need help with an easy way to provide binaries for the project, so the users don't need to compile the code.
And I need to hook a command line command to tell ledspicer the information when the user selects a game from the menu.

[SteelRush]

To piggyback off MeduZaPaT, we were able to successfully build the application in a Docker environment and transfer it to the DE-10 Nano and run it in the Linux OS. From the command line, all operations appear to be working properly. Two main questions remain:

1) Is there a preferred way to distribute Linux binaries/libraries for MiSTer?

2) Another application is called to pass commands for LEDs/restrictors at core load. Where is the best place to hook into?

All credit goes to MeduZaPaT. All I did was run a compiler in a Docker environment to get it basically running.

[MeduZaPaT]

Hello everybody, to get MiSTer fully support we did this:

For issue number one (distribution) we (SteelRush and I tested) created some bash scripts and binary packaging, that looks very simple and easy to use.
For issue number two (execution) we (me and SteelRush tested) created a new program that will check for changes on the MiSTer main process, when a core is loaded it will send that information to emitter, the program that handle game information and speaks with the LED daemon to load the game setup onto the LEDs.

Both solutions are working perfectly, and we will provide a distribution package soon. I also need to write some documentation on how to use it, but for MiSTer is kind of easier than the other systems. because its nature of been a single system that loads cores and not a lot of different emulators.
Also users can drop it into the /media/fat/Scripts folder...it will install and leave it ready.
Hope this is useful and easy.

[Vic20-Ian]

To piggyback off MeduZaPaT, we were able to successfully build the application in a Docker environment and transfer it to the DE-10 Nano and run it in the Linux OS. From the command line, all operations appear to be working properly. Two main questions remain:

1) Is there a preferred way to distribute Linux binaries/libraries for MiSTer?

2) Another application is called to pass commands for LEDs/restrictors at core load. Where is the best place to hook into?

All credit goes to MeduZaPaT. All I did was run a compiler in a Docker environment to get it basically running.

Great work. Thank you.

I have a new arcade setup with Ultimate I/O and a DE10 I can test with.

The best way to integrate this into the release is to ask Sorgelig to put it in the official core update.

[SteelRush]

MeduZaPaT wrote a listener to automatically switch profiles based on what core is loaded, so #2 is figured out. For #1, it was planned to release a tar.gz with the compiled binaries, and install/uninstall scripts you simply drop into your Scripts folder, and execute the appropriate script from SSH or the MiSTer interface to make it easy for users. There will still need to be configuration done based on the device(s) you have.

Please PM if you want to contribute to the testing/documentation efforts.

[AnimMaDeR]

Any update on this effort? Has the script to control LED buttons been implemented into the Mister FPGA releases?

There was mention of a distribution package and documentation. Do those exist anywhere?

I am very excited about this but want to confirm it works with MiSTer FPGA before I buy LED buttons for my arcade build.

Thanks for your work on this!

[MeduZaPaT]

last Time I checked everything was done and ready to use on MisTer,
I remember that everything was working amazingly, LED, rotators, restrictors, everything.!
Let me check with steel and come back.

[AnimMaDeR]

That’s wonderful news!

Will this work with two Ultimate I/O boards from Ultimarc? I am building a 4 player cocktail cabinet (see attached) and am about to purchase this product and LED buttons but want to confirm they will work with MiSTer first.

Thanks

[MeduZaPaT]

That’s wonderful news!

Will this work with two Ultimate I/O boards from Ultimarc?

You can add as many as you need (hardware cap is 4, but you can add 4 pad64 if you need ) , and mix different controllers/ boards / joysticks, the program merge all of them like a single huge one, and you only care of creating nice animation, effects and whatever you need.

I am building a 4 player cocktail cabinet (see attached) and am about to purchase this product and LED buttons but want to confirm they will work with MiSTer first.

Thanks

Steel tested only one on the MisTer, but I know they will work in groups because they use the USB protocol,
Lovely !! I want to see it working

[AnimMaDeR]

Awesome. Thanks so much for the help and encouragement Meduza. I’ll order buttons tomorrow and will post here when I’m all finished.

[MeduZaPaT]

Awesome. Thanks so much for the help and encouragement Meduza. I’ll order buttons tomorrow and will post here when I’m all finished.

what buttons your will get if I can know?

[AnimMaDeR]

Likely these gold leaf LED ones from Ultimarc. Unless you have a better suggestion:

https://www.ultimarc.com/arcade/buttons ... ttons-rgb/

[MeduZaPaT]

Likely these gold leaf LED ones from Ultimarc. Unless you have a better suggestion:

https://www.ultimarc.com/arcade/buttons ... ttons-rgb/

That ones are perfect! also they are ultimac hardware ready (ultimate or pacled64) I can only suggest that you may need extension cords for the far away buttons.

[AnimMaDeR]

Looks like they only have 7 of those left. Will these do?

https://www.ultimarc.com/arcade/buttons ... shbuttons/

[MeduZaPaT]

Looks like they only have 7 of those left. Will these do?

https://www.ultimarc.com/arcade/buttons ... shbuttons/

Yep, Andy sells stuff that is 100% compatible with his hardware.
from the item description:

These are pre-wired with 500mm wires and connector for plugging into our PacLED64 or I-PAC Ultimate I/O controller boards.

PS: when you are ready to install LEDSpicer and need help, join the slack channel (link only works for a week or two.

[AnimMaDeR]

You rock Meduza! Will do, thank you

[annette]

good this has mister support, I think I may use it in my soon arcade cabinet build.

[AnimMaDeR]

Hey Meduza,

Finally got my Ultimarc led buttons installed and hooked up to an iPad ultimate I/o board connected to my Mister FPGA.

I think I will need help getting this going. Can you resend your slack invite?

Thanks
Mark

[MeduZaPaT]

Hello AnimMaDeR, Cools stuff, you got the best controller card from ultimarc, I am trying to contact steel, he is the one that have the recipe to get ledspicer working on the Mister. anyway check his comments, I think he left a how to somewhere.

[AnimMaDeR]

I searched and could not find instructions. I also sent a PM to Steel a couple weeks ago and waiting on a response. MeduZaPat, do you happen to know of a link to download and is talk the scripts needed? Is it possible to still join your Slack workspace for this?

This was Steels last comment from a year ago:

MeduZaPaT wrote a listener to automatically switch profiles based on what core is loaded, so #2 is figured out. For #1, it was planned to release a tar.bgz with the compiled binaries, and install/uninstall scripts you simply drop into your Scripts folder, and execute the appropriate script from SSH or the MiSTer interface to make it easy for users. There will still need to be configuration done based on the device(s) you have.

Please PM if you want to contribute to the testing/documentation efforts.

[AnimMaDeR]

Bumping thread to see if there is any new development on this.

[AnimMaDeR]

Happy Holidays MeduZaPat!

I have sent both you and SteelRush a PM but I’m not sure it actually sent, it’s in my outbox. So I’m just bumping this thread one more time to see if I can get my hands on the script you mentioned above that gets LED Spicer running on MiSTer.

All I want for Christmas is LED Spicer!

-Mark

[BritX]

Bump on this aswell...Would be awesome to get an update as im adding a mister to my 4 player setup with two ipaq IO boards....
MeduZaPat! and SteelRush.....you have the skills....would be cool if you could look into PRGB....for effects....i have this on my VPIN but having it with MiSTer would be cool also.....
thanks for all the work you have done...

[SteelRush]

MeduZaPat! is the one with the skills. I have only tested on MiSTer and gotten it to compile. Please check out his project LED Spicer to see if it is compact with your LED board.

I plan to try and compile it again to verify it still works.

[SteelRush]

I was able to compile LED Spicer on the most recent MiSTer build. Automatic profile switching (needed for cores to automatically switch lighting profiles) is currently not working. If I can get ahold of MeduZaPat! and he has some time, I will see if we can get that aspect working.

If anyone has a supported LED device and wants to play around with it, feel free to PM me.

[SteelRush]

And automatic profile switching at least for arcade cores is working. Will need some testers with supported LED devices if anyone is still interested in this.

[SteelRush]

Have had a successful test with Ultimarc PacDrive and Ultimarc Ultimate I/O. So far have tested with Arcade cores.

Any additional testers are welcome. PM me so a beta build can be provided.

Supported Devices:
https://sourceforge.net/p/ledspicer/wik ... ted-boards

[Rolyen]

Hi there. I came across this page doing a google search. I was wondering if there's been any update/progress with this project. Seems like a great idea, allowing the Nano FPGA to control LED buttons. Thank you for any info.