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Offline DaleSchultz  
#1 Posted : 02 April 2016 17:51:16(UTC)
DaleSchultz

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2006(UTC)
Posts: 3,997
Hi all,

As some of you may be aware, I have a program called RemoteSign that I use to display train arrivals and departures on my layout. It has long been a dream to fetch real data from the internet and display real data on such screens. A couple of week ago I found that DB Vertrieb GmbH started making schedule data available in February 2016. I have therefore written a Windows program to fetch actual schedule data from DB Vertrieb GmbH and display it in RemoteSign!

I have made the software available at http://remotesign.mixmox.com/1/db

Here is a sample of the display:

Altona.jpg


You can search for any station that handles long distance trains - even those in neighboring countries!
Once you pick a station, you selection is remembered for next time. The display of arrivals and departures are updated automatically every minute.

Please feel free to try it out. Feedback can be sent to me directly too, see http://remotesign.mixmox.com/1/feedback

It runs on Windows only. If you must see it on another platform consider using a screen sharing solution such as:
Windows + Chrome Remote Desktop -> Android device -> ChromeCast -> TV

Dale
Intellibox + own software, K-Track
My current layout: https://cabin-layout.mixmox.com
Arrival and Departure signs: https://remotesign.mixmox.com
thanks 11 users liked this useful post by DaleSchultz
Offline xxup  
#2 Posted : 02 April 2016 23:08:00(UTC)
xxup

Australia   
Joined: 15/03/2003(UTC)
Posts: 9,458
Location: Australia
I was just thinking that this would be a great project to port to a Raspberry Pi with a small screen or two (not sure if it can support more than one screen - then again each Pi is less than A$50) to show the signs inside a station like Dammtor.
Adrian
UserPostedImage
Australia flag by abFlags.com
Offline DaleSchultz  
#3 Posted : 02 April 2016 23:25:43(UTC)
DaleSchultz

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2006(UTC)
Posts: 3,997
Originally Posted by: xxup Go to Quoted Post
I was just thinking that this would be a great project to port to a Raspberry Pi with a small screen or two (not sure if it can support more than one screen - then again each Pi is less than A$50) to show the signs inside a station like Dammtor.


I think the easiest would be to use an old smartphone and simply cast the schedule to it treating it as a raw display device. I am on the lookout for such an item so that I can put my actual train arrivals and departures in the main station. I am thinking of building the the display onto the side of a building, so that extraneous thickness can be hidden with the building.

I am running the real station traffic in my train room now on a huge 70" plasma screen and it looks awesome.
Dale
Intellibox + own software, K-Track
My current layout: https://cabin-layout.mixmox.com
Arrival and Departure signs: https://remotesign.mixmox.com
Offline DaleSchultz  
#4 Posted : 02 April 2016 23:35:21(UTC)
DaleSchultz

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2006(UTC)
Posts: 3,997
Originally Posted by: xxup Go to Quoted Post
I was just thinking that this would be a great project to port to a Raspberry Pi with a small screen or two (not sure if it can support more than one screen - then again each Pi is less than A$50) to show the signs inside a station like Dammtor.


even easier, just connect this product directly to an old win PC:

https://www.adafruit.com/product/1033
Dale
Intellibox + own software, K-Track
My current layout: https://cabin-layout.mixmox.com
Arrival and Departure signs: https://remotesign.mixmox.com
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by DaleSchultz
Offline kiwiAlan  
#5 Posted : 03 April 2016 16:50:50(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,082
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: DaleSchultz Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: xxup Go to Quoted Post
I was just thinking that this would be a great project to port to a Raspberry Pi with a small screen or two (not sure if it can support more than one screen - then again each Pi is less than A$50) to show the signs inside a station like Dammtor.


I think the easiest would be to use an old smartphone and simply cast the schedule to it treating it as a raw display device. I am on the lookout for such an item so that I can put my actual train arrivals and departures in the main station. I am thinking of building the the display onto the side of a building, so that extraneous thickness can be hidden with the building.

I am running the real station traffic in my train room now on a huge 70" plasma screen and it looks awesome.


I would like to see your program rewritten in Java, with hooks that would allow it to be integrated with JMRI, for those who would like that. This would also allow it to run on a RPi model 2 or faster, which JMRI can do.

Having it in Java also allows it to be platform independent.

Offline DaleSchultz  
#6 Posted : 04 April 2016 03:07:02(UTC)
DaleSchultz

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2006(UTC)
Posts: 3,997
the RemoteSign part of this can be driven from any OS. It uses simple TCPIP communications through a port of your choice. I talk to it from my train control software and JMRI could be made to do so too.
Fetching the real-time data from the German servers could be written in anything too, but I have no interest in doing so.

Java makes poor programmers into mediocre programmers. It also makes good programmers into mediocre programmers. Platform independence is still to be attained.
Dale
Intellibox + own software, K-Track
My current layout: https://cabin-layout.mixmox.com
Arrival and Departure signs: https://remotesign.mixmox.com
Offline DaleSchultz  
#7 Posted : 27 April 2016 00:33:04(UTC)
DaleSchultz

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2006(UTC)
Posts: 3,997
I have made what I think is a nice update to the DB program. The DB installer installs a copy of RemoteSign, and the DB program has a button that will launch RemoteSign for you. This makes is very easy to to run both on the same machine!

Updated instructions and link to the installer etc. is all at http://remotesign.mixmox.com/1/DB

(I have still to update the German instructions)
Dale
Intellibox + own software, K-Track
My current layout: https://cabin-layout.mixmox.com
Arrival and Departure signs: https://remotesign.mixmox.com
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by DaleSchultz
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