For part of my thesis, I was investigating the use of pager networks as a method to determine telemetry positioning in the subway and needed a way to test the functionality of the pager device before building the positioning prototype.

Pager Device Testing

I used the pager device to send train arrival data from the internet to a wall-mounted, ambient transit clock which could notify one of an arriving train.

The result was a 10-minute countdown clock that began lighting up as a train approached, if it was fully illuminated it meant the arrival of a train was imminent. It was tested with timetable data scraped from the MTA's web-based trip planner tool, but could be used with any transit system that posts the arrival information of an approaching train.

SIPO Chips forming a PIC-chip driven led chain.

Beginning of countdown.

Halfway lit.

Fully lit.

Without the cover on, I reused part of an old sign to make the device.