How many push-buttons for settings?

[newxito]

My first clock did not have any buttons because there was nothing to adjust. For my next clock I plan to use 6 buttons. I already made a prototype of the connector PCB.

button Menu: navigates through menus, menu numbers are shown on the left nixies

button Set: navigates through possible values for a menu, value numbers are shown on the center nixies

button Esc: always returns to clock mode

button Red, Green and Blue: directly set brightness level if in rgb colors menu. The current level (0-16) is shown on the right nixies.

 

Example:

Menu 8 = led mode:

Value 1 = off, 2 = constant, 3 = hour, 4 = transition

Menu 9 = led colors:

Value 0 – 23 = hours, 24 = constant color

                        Level Red 0-16 (shown on right nixies if button Red pressed, press button Red again to adjust to next level)

                        Same for button Blue and Green.

 

What do you think about this? Too many buttons?

It’s just a hobby, I don’t sell the clocks but maybe I will give some away to friends and relatives. My experience is that older people (like me) have problems with multi-functional or timed buttons. I think that the Esc button is important if I must give “remote support”.

[JohnK]

An aside:  If that board gets buried in a hard to open box, consider "gluing" the clear plastic sides on those 3mm sockets. It sometimes doesn't take very much angled force on the plug [like a cable pull] to pop the side off.

 

John K

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/2b2be45a-01b3-4fd5-8888-26ea18f64ec6%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Andy Tefft]

For increasing or decreasing a value, as a user I prefer a knob over buttons - it's generally quicker and you don't have to think about schemes such as speeding up the increment of change as you hold down the button.

On Thu, Oct 12, 2017 at 9:11 AM, JohnK <yen...@internode.on.net> wrote:

An aside:  If that board gets buried in a hard to open box, consider "gluing" the clear plastic sides on those 3mm sockets. It sometimes doesn't take very much angled force on the plug [like a cable pull] to pop the side off.

 

John K

----- Original Message -----

From: newxito

To: neonixie-l

Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2017 10:26 PM

Subject: [neonixie-l] How many push-buttons for settings?

My first clock did not have any buttons because there was nothing to adjust. For my next clock I plan to use 6 buttons. I already made a prototype of the connector PCB.

button Menu: navigates through menus, menu numbers are shown on the left nixies

button Set: navigates through possible values for a menu, value numbers are shown on the center nixies

button Esc: always returns to clock mode

button Red, Green and Blue: directly set brightness level if in rgb colors menu. The current level (0-16) is shown on the right nixies.

 

Example:

Menu 8 = led mode:

Value 1 = off, 2 = constant, 3 = hour, 4 = transition

Menu 9 = led colors:

Value 0 – 23 = hours, 24 = constant color

                        Level Red 0-16 (shown on right nixies if button Red pressed, press button Red again to adjust to next level)

                        Same for button Blue and Green.

 

What do you think about this? Too many buttons?

It’s just a hobby, I don’t sell the clocks but maybe I will give some away to friends and relatives. My experience is that older people (like me) have problems with multi-functional or timed buttons. I think that the Esc button is important if I must give “remote support”.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/2b2be45a-01b3-4fd5-8888-26ea18f64ec6%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/C16A22E85C1F4701816007F472970A27%40compunet4f9da9.

[blkadder]

That is a pretty amazing looking board.  I am a fan of both buttons and knobs.  I wish I had the talent or skill that all of you guys have.  I would love to see how this is integrated into the clock.

Ron

[Nicholas Stock]

The more twiddly bits the better in my opinion......but it's just that, an opinion!

Looks good to me.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/CAM1F4kT8hYOBCZ6e7amTrtmjbAYB2SSemYiVzkb634aDA_R-Kw%40mail.gmail.com.

[newxito]

Thanks for the input! I will order some incremental rotary encoders (with button) to make a knob based prototype as well. Just retired, I have time :-) 

[Paul Andrews]

I prefer a web GUI that I can use from my phone - this is one reason I no longer buy off-the-shelf hardware (I've yet to actually build my own, but that is another story. I have retrofitted web GUIs to the more open hardware). With a web GUI you can expose as much as you like and make it simple to adjust without the user having to sit with a manual on their knee (or just never using any of the features of the clock).

Barring that, consider adding a small OLED panel that can indicate where you are in a menu hierarchy and where you can go next.

Finally, The best button-based menu hierarchy I have come across uses just three buttons - UX design is a serious business.