New to electronics. Need help with digital up-down counter

[jholder82]

2digit up down counter

Hey all, let me just start by saying that I am completely new to circuit boards and such. But I am looking to build my first simple device. I want this prototype to be as cost effective as possible and as small as possible. (no bigger than a cigarette pack.

Heres my ultimate goal: Have a slim box that has a large 2 digit digital display on the front, and a wheel on the side. When you turn on the device I want it to display 10 on the screen (as starting count). Then When you spin the wheel one direction, the number counts up. 11,12,13,14,15... Then when you spin the wheel the other direction...it counts down. Additionaly I would like the numbers to change colors depending on which number is displayed (not too important)


Now that is what I want to build my way up to, if that is too difficult for a beginner. For my prototype, I would be happy with:

a box with 3 buttons on it and a large 2 digit display on the front. It defaults to display 10, when the up button is pressed, it counts up 1, and the down button subtracts one from the number. Then the third button can be the reset button. I don't need color changing on the prototype. But I would like the numbers to be big and red.

One more question, I wuld love to make it with a LCD display and be able to display a custom font, or symbol....like instead of displaying 0, display a picture, or instead of 99, an infinity symbol...how much harder would that be? and how much more expensive?

Thanks for all your help!

 

[brumi]

updown counter schematic

look these schematics.
and here the link -----http://members.shaw.ca/roma/up-down.html
It is complete with pcb design and all you need.

 

[jholder82]

digital counter schematic

Thank you for the schematic...but does sort of confuse me a bit. Is that for making a circuit board?

well, I think i've decided against the LCD screen. I don't think it will be cost effective.

I would still like to have it change colors...but I dont know if thats possible with LEDs.

So if someone could help me out with this, I would be ecstatic. I was looking at some arduino boards....but I need the smallest and cheapest board possible.

Could someone tell me the smallest board I could use to count up and down and reset?

 

[brumi]

digital up/down counter

In the link is all you need but is LED output.
For LCD you need a more complex circuitry, with LCD output the best choice is use a microcontroller but you need to program it and is not for beginers (as me).
Look at the link I think is what you need to start.
LCD advantage is that needs very low power to work.
See LCD counter schematics
**broken link removed**

 

[jholder82]

4029 up down counter

Cool, for this project I am trying to keep it as cheap as possible. After researching some LCD displays and controllers...I think I ruled it out as being too expensive. I am also trying to keep it fairly small. no bigger thana cigarrette pack.

Is there any small premade boards that I could buy that would run my LED's, count and reset for under 10$? Or would building my own board be the way to go?

I saw some tri color LED's for sale, would it be possible to have a 2.5-3" 2 digit display that switches between colors depending on the number? If this will Defeat my purpose of staying cheap , then I will just stick witbh a 2 digit red LED display.

 

[jholder82]

pcb layout for 2 digit up down counter

Alright, I have decided to use that first schematic for my counter. Now I just need to figure out how to use a wheel that spins one way to count up, and spins the other way to count down. Any advice?

 

[brumi]

small program for 2 digit up counter

Simplest , a optocoupler with a smithtrigger to generate a square wave input signal.

 

[jholder82]

single button down count on up down counter

Would it be hard to hook up to that schematic? Would I need to change the PCB layout?

Added after 21 minutes:

Ok that was a stupid question. I researched and learned more about it. Now my question would be Where do I put it on the board..and where do I run the traces? And do i still need to buy a rotary switch?

Should be my last question once I figure out all the part I need, I will begin ordering and putting them together.

 

[jholder82]

design two digit up/down counter

Excuse me Brumi..I have a question. I had decided on using that first schematic you posted. and after researching around, that page displays the counter to be a 4510....but shows it as 16pins... but when I looked up the 4510 datasheet..it is a 14pin IC.

That diagram appears to be a 4029. is that correct?

 

[brumi]

arabic down counter

Look again , the 4510 is a 16 pin IC.
**broken link removed**