Perfect firing system

[Laser]

Hi everyone.

I´m developing a new digital firing system for more than a year, and since I´m not a pyrotechnician, I´m always very curious about the opinions of professional people working on this field.

I have read many things about the systems that are currently being used, and in all of them, I can see many restrictions.

And I´m sure that many of you that work with these systems at a professional level can also feel that there are some things missing, or things that you think that should be done in a different way.

So, I would like to hear your opinions on what might be the system that only exists on your dreams.

A system that would let you do anything you wish in the easiest way and without any kind limitations.

What would that be?

Please, tell me about all off your ideias.

 

And dont be afraid to exagerate.

Dreams are just like that .

 

Thank you all

[mac.calder]

TBH - the costly digital firing systems often only have limitations that restrict you based on safety.

 

I have only played with a couple of proper digital pyrotechic firing systems (and only one of them was with live pyro) - however the ones I did play with were extreamly versatile, and there were no real limitations I could see - excepting safety measures put in place to ensure a 100% Go/NoGo situation (ie if a book fell on the keyboard of the PC controler, there was no chance of accidental firing even when the system was show ready - ie the remote units 'armed' and the deadmans held)

 

I suppose the main thing I would be looking for in a digital firing system would be that whilst control comes from the PC, safety measures IMO should be implemented in the hardware - I am a big fan of keys for pyro - so key lock on remote units, keylock on the master control interface, and if this is for large scale pyro, the ability for multiple deadmans devices situated a decent distance from the control area.

 

Added to that, full redundancy, packet checking and sanity checking.

[Sam Jelfs]

First point is safety... as mac.calder has said, multiple key locks, deadmans etc. How do you ensure accurate data transmission?

 

what do you mean by digital? digital control surface / pc interface? digital communications between control position and firing locations?

[Laser]

"First point is safety... as mac.calder has said, multiple key locks, deadman's etc. How do you ensure accurate data transmission?"

Accurate data transmission can be made using a communication protocol that uses CRC as a data correctness check.

what do you mean by digital? digital control surface / pc interface? digital communications between control position and firing locations?

By digital, I mean a system with all the state of the art features that modern electronics can offer. A large tactile screen, with a very intuitive user interface, and real time information about every important parameters happening in the show, all shown in a graphical way.

 

PC interface, yes, but only if there is some kind of hardware redundancy.

 

Of course, safety is the number one priority, and that is one of the reasons why I would like to hear your opinions.

 

For example:

I have noticed that there are some system makers that are creating self powered RF firing modules.

What do you guys think of this?

Wouldn't it be safer to have a radio modem with the batteries inside, and a key to power everything a few meters away from the firing modules?

 

But besides safety, what features would you guys like to have in a firing system?

[Wuddy]

Hi everyone.

I´m developing a new digital firing system for more than a year, and since I´m not a pyrotechnician, I´m always very curious about the opinions of professional people working on this field.

I have read many things about the systems that are currently being used, and in all of them, I can see many restrictions.

 

So you're not a pyrotechnician but you are developing a safety critical piece of kit for the industry, ok.

 

After reading many books you see many restrictions with current systems, how do you know they are restrictions if you don't work in the industry, what you see as a restriction may have perfectly logical reasoning.

 

You say you are curious about the opinions of professionals within the industry, surely the opinions of professionals are paramount to the design of a firing system, not a curiosity.

 

You say that you have already spent more than a year developing the system and yet are only now coming to such as us for input, I would have though that after that length of time you would have spent many hours in the company of working pyrotechnicians, not coming onto a public forum for public opinion, no matter how good it is.