Lots of I/O pins

MikeMl

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Jan 19, 2011

• #41

Here is another way to fire the fusee. I'm using a "logic gate SCR". Advantage over a FET: cost, short duration trigger, trigger directly from PIC or decoder chip. This SCR is rated to deliver an 80A pulse lasting 10ms. I'm guessing that at >20A, 220W the fusee will not take very long to blow.

In the simulation, light blue is the trigger pulse from the logic. Dark blue is the voltage at the anode of the SCR. Red is the current thru the fusee, and green is the power dissipation in the fusee.

 

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Last edited: Jan 19, 2011

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Pommie

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Jan 20, 2011

• #42

If you want them to blow fast then double the current by using a 2Ω resistor.

Mike.

 

4pyros

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Jan 20, 2011

• #43

Some back ground

**broken link removed**

 

4pyros

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Jan 20, 2011

• #44

It uses 30 gauge Nichrome wire, about an inch long. So I resist it down to just enough power to fire the fuse?

Click to expand...

You need to shorten your bridge wire to 1/4" or so, and you will have to have a current limiting resistor on the output. The igniters offen short out after firring.

Some day you will what to look at buying E-Matches, thay realy are not all that expensive. Anyway you should stay as close to the real matches as posible so you dont have to toss your system, after you stop making the igniters. Andy

 

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MEMPHIS91

New Member

• Jan 20, 2011

• #45

I really like the SCR, looking more into it.

Yes I will need to be about 2Ω.

And yes I could buy ematches but I like doing it on my own. Cause one day I may come up with a fantastic idea on how to make them better.
I'm thinking of going back to the 36 gauge. Its faster and requires much less current to blow.

I cant find where in the world to buy the Olsen 595 board. Does anyone know?

 

4pyros

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Jan 20, 2011

• #46

Yes you should use the 36 gage nicrome. How are you soldering them?

The Olsen bds are part of a group buy in the lighting forums. Some come up on ebay now and then. Andy

 

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MEMPHIS91

New Member

• Jan 20, 2011

• #47

Just hand soldering. Its a pain. Basically I just twist them, and let a a drop of solder land on it.

Ah ok, dern I wasted 3 hours looking for them.

 

4pyros

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Jan 20, 2011

• #48

Ah ok, dern I wasted 3 hours looking for them.

Click to expand...

ya all that stuff is DIY

 

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MEMPHIS91

New Member

• Jan 21, 2011

• #49

Well I need some pictures, and someone who i willing to sell some. Unless there is another board that vixen can run that I can just buy.

 

4pyros

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Jan 21, 2011

• #50

Unless there is another board that vixen can run that I can just buy.

Click to expand...

Vixen can run lots of boards, and other hardware. Did you look at the sites suggested? Andy

 

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MEMPHIS91

New Member

• Jan 21, 2011

• #51

Yep but most those boards are at least $100.
And like you said, most look to be DIY
Which I am fine with, but I want to test and play with one board before I go and buy 10

Is there a way for Vixen to run with arduino? I would think it could. Just need some basic code. But then if I did get it to run, would it be able to read the 74HC595s?

 

4pyros

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Jan 21, 2011

• #52

Google "vixen 74HC595" and spend the night reading. have fun Andy

 

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MEMPHIS91

New Member

• Jan 21, 2011

• #53

Ok BIG question, can I connect the Olsen boards to my laptop? Cause I cant carry a desktop in the middle of a live field....

EDIT: Yes I can NVM. It looks like a can build this thing on my own, but where do I find the board itself?

 

Last edited: Jan 21, 2011

MrDEB

Well-Known Member

• Jan 22, 2011

• #54

Will have some pics hopefully on Monday (its Saturday here)
I have a HDD that I need to recover some data from as I had a motherboard crash.
I know I have an Olsen 595, all the parts to populate(already has 80-90% populated)
Have the opticouplers, the 595 somewhere in a box. Have 25+ cat 5 ends, about 20+bare ssr boards, have the triacs, 6 pin sockets and ?
will get an inventory today while I am retrieving data off my HDD. Accidentally formatted and installed Win 7. Using Easy Recovery Pro.
And yes you can run from a laptop but you need to tweek it some. Over at computer Christmas and DIY Christmas they explain how. There are probably some Olsen 595 bare boards available as well as fully assembled. Most everyone has gone to the Renard 64 for 128 levels of dimming.

 

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MEMPHIS91

New Member

• Jan 22, 2011

• #55

Ok sweet, just let me know what ya have and prices. Where exactly is here? I live in Oxford, MS.

Edit: What about the GRINCH? Looks cheap to build and does the same thing. But I only need 32 Channels. So I would only need half. I would like 6 boards that control 32 each, making 192 channels.

EDIT EDIT: I did more thinking last night. All i need is 3 64 channel GRINCH boards. The wiki "how to" said I could get them from wjohn. But I have had no luck finding this guy. I dont need the Ethernet connections because I am using VGA. That takes my cost down to $5 per board (plus cost for the PCB board itself).
Any help finding this guy would be great! Thanks!

EDIT EDIT EDIT: I found him, and sent him a message. Waiting on reply. Problem now is find the dang chip for the board. It says I need a MBI5026GN, but I cant find one. I did find this though, https://www.newark.com/allegro-microsystems/a6276ea-t/ic-led-driver-constant-current/dp/87K3398

Will that work?

 

Last edited: Jan 23, 2011