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Sayso Globord software archive

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scruss

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Update: I thought I’d work out this audio format some day. I haven’t yet, and since I no longer have the hardware, likely never will.

You may still be able to get Sayso Globord programmable LED signs in surplus stores. It’s a 7×24 LED scrolling sign that you can program with a lightpen or with audio input.

sayso-001

The unit comes with no software, but has a link to https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q1q9yhahwtblb23/AACpMeXQjYyD8ZWC-65vNgcxa printed on the box. (Link is still active in December 2024!). It’s an archive of the programming software, manual, and canned audio files for a whole bunch of standard messages. Here’s an archive if the dropbox link goes away: SaySo.zip

If this page goes away, the software is now on Internet Archive: SAYSO Globord LED Sign archive

The audio files used for programming the display are clearly FSK-encoded, but I haven’t quite worked out the relationship between the tones and the display bits. Here’s what I’ve worked out so far:

  • Files are made up of 12 audio blocks, each about 0.9 seconds long. Each block appears to correspond to one 7×24 display screen.
  • Mark (1 bit): Three cycles, 96 samples at 44100 Hz: 1378.125 Hz
  • Space (0 bit): Four cycles, 256 samples at 44100 Hz: 689.0625 Hz

The editor runs nicely under DOSBox, so you can experiment and save samples as WAV files. Here’s a sample display with its corresponding audio linked underneath:

sayed1_0_003

I’m not sure how much extra work I have time or inclination to put in on getting this working, but I hope that my preliminary work will be useful to someone (maybe this person).

Comments

7 Responses to “Sayso Globord software archive”

  1. Decoding Frequency-Shift Keying Audio Files for the Sayso Globard LED Sign Matrix « Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers!

    […] Russell over at scruss blog has an interesting analysis of these Sayso Globords, LED message displays programmable via light pen, or audio input. As far as […]

  2. Pete Homme Avatar
    Pete Homme

    Thanks for posting this. I found one of these sort of retro signs and wondered if I would be able to program it. With an ausio input I had my doubts that I would find the necessary tools. BTW The still have some at KW Surplus in Kitchener Ontario for $6.99.

  3. scruss Avatar
    scruss

    Hi Pete – I didn’t get any further than looking at the FSK output. The sticking point was that the Sayso needed to be reset to display a new message. It wouldn’t be impossible to hack up a remote reset switch, but it was too much work for me.

    Please don’t give me another good reason to go to K-W surplus …

  4. PIP Avatar
    PIP

    So, I was cleaning my office up to move, found this LED display I got when I was a kid in a yard sale for like $2, and thought “there’s no way someone still has the tool to do this.” but here you are you mad lad. Thank you so much. runs like a dream in DOSBOX.

  5. scruss Avatar
    scruss

    You’re welcome. Kind of wish I’d kept mine now …

  6. Jason Avatar
    Jason

    The program does not support Windows 11. Is there an app version of this or do I have to manually create one pixel at a time?

  7. scruss Avatar
    scruss

    The program doesn’t support anything later than MS-DOS. Pretty sure there are no apps for this one.

    I don’t even have the hardware any more.

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