Winnipeg Transit LCDproc Client

This page appeared on Slashdot.org Sunday February 9th at 7:40 pm, read the article and responses

For more info on LCDproc or if you dont know what it is, read up here. LCDproc only runs on Linux/*BSD

Purpose:
This client will parse Winnipeg Transit's online schedule files and display times on a LCD screen, updating schedule files daily.

Features:

• Display as many next bus times from as many stops and routes as you can fit on your screen!
• Completely user configureable and fairly easy to use!
• Never miss another bus!

Download:
bus.pl (~15 kB)
It's heavily commented since theres so much parsing that gets confusing after a while.

Install:
I found the easiest way to grab the schedules is with lynx --source so lynx is required.
Setup is fairly simple, theres a main user config section and a little format section so you can display exactly how you want it.

Theres only one file, run with the stop numbers as parameters as explained in the file. eg:
./bus.pl 60401 60402 60380
(that loads the next bus times for the stops around my house)

Hardware:
Have an extra phone line in your house that is no longer in service? Disconnect it from the main line, and use the existing cabling to run the wiring for an hd44780 display. Phone cabling inside the walls has 4 wires which is exactly what you need, but you might have to look around for a 4 wire cable that goes from the wall jack to the device (most of mine were 2 wire). So wiring over the unused line is +5,ground, data, clock, that way no other cables are needed! It may take a while to figure out which wires are crossed etc, but it will work. Of course you need any old computer running linux, which can be anywhere else in the house with 2 wires of parallel output and 2 wires from the power supply going into the phone jack. This will also only work with a 2 wire wiring diagram, such as Andrew McMeikan/Joris Robijn's serialLpt driver. Theres a couple misprints in the diagram, these are the changes (confirmed with the authors of the diagram). Check out my screenshots below, there used to be a phone mounted where the lcd box is now.

I recommend www.eio.com for the lcd, and your local electronics store for the rest. Total cost is probably under $30 canadian.

Pictures:


Line 1: Route 66 Grant to (P)olo park and (D)owntown
Line 2: Route 18 North Main and 78 Crosstown West








Screen is located in my kitchen



Device is connected to a normal phone jack,
which at one point had a phone mounted on it



Cable joins parallel output from computer, and vcc and ground
from power supply into a 4 wire phone cable



Custom cable cable goes into phone jack in basement(top)
Middle jack is another line that is no longer in use,
bottom one is connected to phone



The inside, knob is for contrast

More pics

Disclaimer:
I am not an electrician! Dont do this unless you know what you're doing! Phone lines can be dangerous if they are active
I am not affiliated with Winnipeg Transit

I am a 2nd year computer engineering student at University of Manitoba