Please I need help building a circuit

[MrAl]

And here's a drawing to help with the connection of the diodes and
LEDs and the LED resistors and associated 'switches'...

 

[oldman23]

Hi Again MrAl,
These drawings look great but I still have to wire in the 2 front yellow Led's one on each side. Where would I tie them in at.
I can't believe all the help you have given me so far
you are a Fantastic person
Thank You

 

[Boncuk]

Hi oldman23,

here are schematic and PCP-layout for a car "engine" control circuit. I can be operated from 6V (that's probably what your motor is rated for.) If the motor consumes less than 300mA you might connect it directly to the timer IC output pin, omitting the MosFet transistor.

There are two PCB designs, one using wired components and the other one SMDs to a great deal. However the PCB dimensions don't differ very much in size.

The conventional board is 1.82X1.32inches, and the SMD boad is 1.2X0.96inches.

If you get off the expensive button type batteries you might use a 9V block battery and connect up to three LEDs in series to a constant current source (LM317L). Using that has the advantage of constant current to all LEDs in series with only one resistor (required to determine the amount of current to flow).

Refer to the schematic to find out the pin assignment for the timer IC NE555 (NA555).

Regards

Boncuk

 

[oldman23]

Hi Boncuk

thank you for the motor controller The motor is a micro pager motor and is rated at 1.5 volt max.

The button type batteries I am using are Sony and I buy them for $3.50 a dozen. My 1.5 volt batteries I paid $2.00 for 15 and yes they are current batteries. I buy them from a distributor that sells them for use in computers for powering the CMOS. He really isn't supposed to sell them to me but I do him favors too. The schematics look good but without a key telling me what is what I am lost. I need it simple because I don't know electronic symbol's and I wouldn't know what to do with the boards if I had someone build them for me. Without someone explaining to me how it operates and how to hook it to the motor I'm lost. The motor rev's up when you push the gas pedal or pull back on the throttle linkage under the hood so where does the electronic control fit in? I by no means want to sound ungrateful or sarcastic so Please don't take it that way I appreciate all the work you done for me Thank You very much

 

[MrAl]

Hi again,


Ok, well just in case you change your mind if you want a blink
rate of 1 second 'on' and 0.5 seconds 'off' then the circuit will
have to change like this...

Note also that if you change the upper 33k resistor to a 1k
you get 0.5 second on and 0.5 second off as before, so it's
up to you which circuit you want to use. This last circuit
allows a longer 'on' time than the first by changing only one
resistor, while the first circuit allows a longer 'off' time by
changing only one resistor.

 

[oldman23]

Hi MrAl again we speak (type)
Thank yo so much I'd like to stay with the first schematic and not change the blink rate. Maybe I'll try it on a different board down the road sometime. Could I bother you to just sketch a the yellow light where it ties into the 3 red Led's. I have short term memory loss and I can read it and go to do it and forget what it said and how to do it. I am slightly handicapped. I'm stuck in a wheel chair and I don't have full use of my hands either so what takes someone 5 minutes to do can take me an hour or more. especially wiring and soldering. I hurt my back in an industrial accident and they done surgery and fused 6 vertebra together and then they done 4 more surgeries to straighten out everything else. Now I have permanent nerve damage in my legs and hands. I use 2 fingers on one hand and one finger on the other. So please bear with me on this stuff I'm not stupid just Dumb. Thank You again for all your help and if you are interested in the aftermarket send me a P.M. and I'll tell you who what and why

 

[MrAl]

Hi again,


Sorry to hear about your situation. I would offer to do the board too but i dont
work that often with SMD parts, mainly DIP packages.
If however you think you may want to use a microcontroller (DIP) later on i
can help with that, as long as it's in the DIP package.
BTW, a microcontroller does make the wiring a lot simpler you know?
If you are interested i'll post another circuit.

Here is a new drawing showing the yellow LED also.

 

[MrAl]

Hi,

(see previous post for yellow LED connections)

The micro controller version is so simple i drew up a quick drawing.
Note the use of a 4.5v supply instead of 6v, and the overall simplicity.
It makes wiring it up a lot easier.

 

[Boncuk]

Hi oldman23,

the schematic and layout provided can not be used with 1.5V since the timer IC NA555 requires a minimum supply voltage of 5V.

Here is a super simple control circuit for your "car engine". Connect a sliding pot (or rotary via linkage) to the gas pedal. The pot should have a value of 1K. Connect a fixed value 270Ω resistor to the lower end of the pot, and connect the resistor to ground. The upper end of the pot is connected to 3V.

(You must have at least 3V to have a reasonable output voltage with the circuit. The transistor's forward voltage drop is approx. 0.7V which will be missing when operating the motor.)

Connect the transistor as shown in the screenshot. (EBC are marked). Attach an 1N4148 directly to the motor with cathode at the transisor emitter to prevent back EMF which will destroy the transistor.

You won't need a PCB for a circuit like that. Just connect parts using fairly strong wires.

The upper end of the pot must physically be down for full throttle. The fixed value transistor takes care of almost no current flow when the gas pedal is released and also for quick reaction as soon as it is off the "idle" position. (voltage across the motor 900µV.)

The maximum output voltage at full throttle could go as high as 2.3V, but the motor is designed for short time operation anyway, and it shouldn't matter at all.

Boncuk

 

[MrAl]

Hi again,


In addition to my previous two posts which showed two
schematics, here is a newer drawing of the microcontroller
version showing the connections for the LEDs better.

Note that with this circuit it is possible to operate the RED
brake lights while the YELLOW front parking/blinker lights
do not come on. Thus, the yellow lights only come on for
the blinker and not the brake.

 

[oldman23]

FANTASTIC MrAl,
it will take me a couple of days to set it up and test it out on a breadboard then I'll build up the SMD circuit. Thank You Mr Al if you need any of my extra stuff let me know and I'll ship it to you. Bye the way What do I owe you for all your time and knowledge?

 

[oldman23]

Hi again,


In addition to my previous two posts which showed two
schematics, here is a newer drawing of the microcontroller
version showing the connections for the LEDs better.

Note that with this circuit it is possible to operate the RED
brake lights while the YELLOW front parking/blinker lights
do not come on. Thus, the yellow lights only come on for
the blinker and not the brake.

Mr Al How much room does this need as far as length x width x height?
Also what do I need to use it . Thank You

 

[oldman23]

Boncuk
Thank You very much This will work just Fine and I have a false floor to hide it in.
Thank You

 

[MrAl]

FANTASTIC MrAl,
it will take me a couple of days to set it up and test it out on a breadboard then I'll build up the SMD circuit. Thank You Mr Al if you need any of my extra stuff let me know and I'll ship it to you. Bye the way What do I owe you for all your time and knowledge?

Well let's see, at $270 dollars an hour, that comes out too:
(just kidding).

I dont expect to get paid from you, i just like to help with circuits
that's all. I hope that you get a lot of enjoyment with this circuit,
and maybe win something at one of the shows too.

The microcontroller circuit ic chip DIP package is about 1/8 inches
high. That's the height only, and the length is about 0.5 inches
long and the width just a hair over 0.3 inches wide.
See i can make one of these if you think it could fit, but it would
be harder for me to do the SMD package because for one i dont
have any stock ic chips so i would have to order them and also
i would have to set up a jig with a socket to hold the SMD package
because my programmer uses a DIP socket. It's possible but it
would take me some time to set up. On the other hand, i could
probably have a DIP package made in a couple days.
The dip package leads could be soldered to directly or else
bent out at right angles and soldered down like an SMD part
only the leads are spaced 0.1 inches apart instead of 0.05 inches.

I would have jumped with this idea sooner but you had told me that
your height restriction was 0.087 inches, and this would be about
0.1 to 0.125 inches high. Is there any chance at all that you could
squeeze another 0.02 to 0.04 inches for the height?

Another idea i guess is to prototype using a DIP package, and if
that works out switch to SMD at a later date.

Your thoughts on this?

Also, may i ask how you are soldering the SMD packages as they are small?

 

[oldman23]

Hi MrAl
I figure if I cover the backside of the board with .005" thick styrene I can use it as the part of the floor in place of the one that came with the kit. so I can give up another .070".
Will that be enough? .170 height max and that is squeezing it. SMD's are pretty easy for me compared to wiring parts. My wife or son strips the wires for me and hold them while I solder them. My Son (he's 33) modified allot of my hobby tools so I can use them. He extended the handle on the soldering pencil and put a wrist strap on it so I can hold it between my fingers. The tip is bent at about a 20 degree angle and I can control it pretty good. I only burn myself when I use it I have a 3" vise on my table and a small Plate mounted to it and a raised boarder around it I just set up my parts in the corner of it and they stay in place. I have a 6" lit magnifying glass mounted to the table and it has an extension arm so i can move it in about a 160 degree ark. For boards I use Schmartboard's. If it wasn't for them I couldn't do it. Have you ever used them? Check out the picture I sent you earlier, They come pre soldered and you can buy them in different layouts and configurations. The SMD's just fall in place and I hold them with a hard plastic wand I made.I buy them at Fry's Electronics (frys.com) and from (Schmartboard.com). They will make any configuration you need 1 piece at a time if needed. I usually scan the board then print multiple copies of it and pencil in my layout first so I don't screw it up. They are a big help. If you want to build the controller OK I can replace all the parts or send you some George Washington's if you want.

 

[MrAl]

Hi again,


Oh ok you sound like you have all the tools you need then.

I measured the package height and it is truely 0.10 to 0.11 inches high,
so that should be ok right?
One way to mount it then would be to bend the leads out at right angles
from the body and either wire up directly or solder to a perf board like you
are used to using. If you dont use a DIP surf board then you could use a
SMD surf board that has 14 pins, you use only 4 pins on each side (a
total of 8 pins). The DIP package should be even easier to solder to
the board that way.
The entire height would be say 0.110 inches PLUS the height of the PC
board itself. If you can use 1/32 inch thick PC board the entire height
will total up to 0.142 or less. With standard 1/16 inch board the entire
height would total up to 0.172 so that's pushing it a little.
Alternately if you have to use 1/16 inch board then cut a rectangular
hole in the board and place the IC chip Through the hole upside down,
then solder the leads on top, which would make the whole thing
only 0.110 inches high, with either thickness of PC board.

As far as any costs, i could send you the first piece for you to try out
and make sure everything works and fits as required. If you want more,
then you'd have to pay for the chips themselves plus mailing. The chips
i can get for as little as $2 each (two dollars USD) and mailing even 10
chips i think only costs about 4 or 5 dollars for USPS Priority mail.

The catch is that you absolutely MUST win something at the next show
(just kidding of course, but hope you really do!).

You'll have to send me your US post address and also answer these questions:

1. Are you sure you want 1/2 second on and 1/2 second off (that's one half
second on and one half second off)? Any timing is possible so now's the time
to say what you really prefer.
2. Only the red LEDs will turn on when the brake switch is activated, not the yellow.
The red AND yellow LEDs will blink when the blinker switch is activated. This is the
way a typical automobile system works. Is this ok?

The only thing i ask in return for the mailing of the first piece with no charge even
for mailing is that you really try to build up at least one of these to see how it works.
I'd like to get some feedback as to how it all turned out, that's all i really ask for.

If it ends up that you really cant fit this into your car then i'll look into doing the
SMD type microcontrollers.

Alternately for the second and more pieces, there is another option and that is that
you obtain a programmer and start programming your own chips. You can have
a blast with some of that stuff and come up with all sorts of programs to do things
that could almost never be done with discrete parts. That's entirely up to you
however as i dont mind programming more chips.

 

[oldman23]

I still need help BUT JUST A LITTLE MORE

MrAl
I sent you a PM a few minutes ago.

The answer to your first question is I don't want them blinking like a strobe. I have seen the one second on and 1/2 second off and that looked really good to me. So if you can I would prefer that.

The answer to your second question is yes this is what I need . When the brake lights are on the front Led's stay off
and they only work with the flashers.

I have some 1/32 inch thick PC board I don't see a Problem.
My address will be in a PM when I am threw here.
I also understand that you don't mind programing the chips But the least I could do for all your help is bye you some cold ones or something. I like to get people to do my drinking for me since I can't drink anymore. I also have a medication pump implanted in my side and it's filled with concentrated morphine. If i drank I would have a stroke or Heart attack, So I encourage others to do it for me.