Which would be most useful to you?

[mutley]

After completing a 24 channel analogue control voltage inverter for using negative-controlled (ie; 0 to -10V) Strand gear with positive-controlled (ie; 0 to +10V) gear (eg; Strand dimmers on a Zero88 desk or vice versa), I'm just awaiting the "real world" evaluation of the prototype from a Blue Room member....

 

I'm just wondering which to do next?

 

Any other ideas, feel free to suggest...

[samsound]

thats a preety cool idea (the alarm clock)!

[mutley]

PS: The phone ringer would have UK / USA / continuous ringer options (provided the phone itself behaves in the same way), and would be able to ring an old-fashioned electromechanical bell type phone.

[Dj Dunc]

What I think would be handy to have (as in almost off the shelves) but on a budget is some remote midi triggers, (well same principle) for triggering onstage sound effects, such as "actor puts needle onto record", or "actor changes gear", so that theres no issue of trying to get a visual cue to change/cue up a sound effect. However, whats the easiest way of sending something like that down a standard audio multi?

 

Hummmm (cheque in the post)

 

 

Dunc

[mutley]

What I think would be handy to have (as in almost off the shelves) but on a budget is some remote midi triggers, (well same principle) for triggering onstage sound effects, such as "actor puts needle onto record", or "actor changes gear", so that theres no issue of trying to get a visual cue to change/cue up a sound effect. However, whats the easiest way of sending something like that down a standard audio multi?

 

Hummmm (cheque in the post)

 

 

Dunc

 

Hmmmm, I've got an idea of how this could be done, but I'll have a think....

[TomHoward]

Not that it isn't useful, but you can also buy the DMX relay PCBs off the shelf as well from Milford Instruments.

[mutley]

Not that it isn't useful, but you can also buy the DMX relay PCBs off the shelf as well from Milford Instruments.

 

I know you can buy off-the-shelf DMX switches and DMX relay kits, but not with analogue input as well....

[mutley]

So far, the alarm clock has more votes than the other three ideas put together!

 

One extra feature that would be added to it, is a function to count down instead of count up. Why? Make it with a 3" tall LED display and set it up before the performance: "Show starts in" [ hh:mm ] or switch to [mm:ss]. Then reset it via DMX for the interval.

 

Display panels have already been ordered today! 0.8", 1.5", 2.3" and 3.0" tall display, with a blue option in the 1.5"

 

There's still time to register your vote! Whichever is the most popular when all the parts arrive, is the one I will design and build first. I'll then need a volunteer to test the prototype, but that's quite a way off yet!....

[gyro_gearloose]

How do you go about designing your circuits? Do you use one of the many software packages available, or just draw them out by hand? Once you have your design how do you then go about producing the actual PCBs? Do you etch them yourself, or use someone like PCB Express? I only ask because I've recently got myself a Roland desktop CNC machine which I want to use to engrave PCBs for my own projects. I also want to offer that service to other people for one-off designs, prototypes, etc.

 

At the moment I'm looking for software which will work with my machine. I know that Techsoft sell some PCB design/engraving software, but I'm really looking for some software which will allow me to import Gerber files. I think that CopperCAM will do what I need. I'll be downloading the demo and trying it out over the weekend.

[mutley]

How do you go about designing your circuits? Do you use one of the many software packages available, or just draw them out by hand? Once you have your design how do you then go about producing the actual PCBs? Do you etch them yourself, or use someone like PCB Express? I only ask because I've recently got myself a Roland desktop CNC machine which I want to use to engrave PCBs for my own projects. I also want to offer that service to other people for one-off designs, prototypes, etc.

 

At the moment I'm looking for software which will work with my machine. I know that Techsoft sell some PCB design/engraving software, but I'm really looking for some software which will allow me to import Gerber files. I think that CopperCAM will do what I need. I'll be downloading the demo and trying it out over the weekend.

 

I design my PCBs on a CAD program I'm familiar with, which I used at college many years ago (called Boardmaker). Each component, track and pad is placed individually to within 0.025mm!

I know there are more "automated" packages out there such as Eagle Layout Editor, but I find designing PCBs quite therapeutic yet challenging - a bit like how some people do Sudoku puzzles!

 

Once designed, I print it onto transparency and use pre-sensitised photoboard in a UV exposure unit (which I made using an old scanner and about 84 UV LEDs!). Repeat this process for the other side if double-sided.

 

Then develop the board before etching it in ferric chloride, followed by cleaning off the photo-resist mask and putting the PCB in tin-plating solution.

Finally, solder each component in place. The analogue control voltage inverter I mentioned above uses 48 surface mount resistors measuring just 2.0mm x 1.25mm, and 6 14 pin surface mount ICs - all soldered in place manually!

 

 

Once everything is in place, I normally use a transparent blue coating and lacquer to protect the tracks from oxidisation (and make it look pretty!)

[mutley]

Another suggestion off a friend of mine who works as a console operator in TV, was a "DMX Override Interface Smoke/Haze Regulator"

ie; Optical sensor for smoke/haze density (like that used in some smoke/fire alarms), linked to a pass-thru DMX circuit. When the smoke/haze density reaches a pre-determined level (possibly set by another DMX channel), it will zero the output of the selected DMX channel that controls the smoke/haze machine in order to stop it, regardless of what the input value is.

 

Similarly, I had another idea of a "DMX button pusher" for non-DMX controlled smoke/haze machines. put the machine's controller into the "slipper" of the button-pusher, line the button up with the solenoid, and clamp the controller in place.

Taa-daa! One DMX-controlled smoke/haze machine!

[dbuckley]

I know you can buy off-the-shelf DMX switches and DMX relay kits, but not with analogue input as well....

That would be the units I use from Northlight Systems.

 

Though I've never actually used the analogue inputs. The predecessor relay box for use with +10V control was nothing more than RS transistorised relays in a box.

[mikienorth]

I like the idea of optical over-rides for smoke/haze.

 

You could shove one nice and high in your trusses, by your movers, and, after much experimentation, reach a setting that allows the beams to look good and it be done. Then haze becomes almost automated.

Potentially saving money from fluid use, potentially getting less gunk inside movers, amps, dimmers, anything with a cooling fan.

 

Also, if you set it really sensitively, it could also help you those venues that cannot over-ride the smoke detection systems. We all know they exist...

 

I'd start by acquiring a professional optical detector head, and seeing how it behaves first of all though.

[mark_s]

I know there are more "automated" packages out there such as Eagle Layout Editor, but I find designing PCBs quite therapeutic yet challenging - a bit like how some people do Sudoku puzzles!

 

I use EAGLE, and find it quite brilliant :)

 

Another suggestion off a friend of mine who works as a console operator in TV, was a "DMX Override Interface Smoke/Haze Regulator"

...

Similarly, I had another idea of a "DMX button pusher" for non-DMX controlled smoke/haze machines. put the machine's controller into the "slipper" of the button-pusher, line the button up with the solenoid, and clamp the controller in place.

Taa-daa! One DMX-controlled smoke/haze machine!

 

I love both of those ideas. Have you considered a DMX 'interface' to non-DMX smoke machines? Plug it in to the machine, plug DMX into it, and it takes your DMX value and translates it to control signals for the machine? Obviously it's tied to the protocol that the machine uses...but I can't think of any good smoke machines (ie machines that might use a clever control protocol of their own) that don't have DMX as well, and most of the cheaper ones just use the remote as an inline switch don't they? So that shouldn't be an issue in practice.

 

My latest project is a DMX projector dowser - it wasn't long before I realised that I could build my own for less than the hire price of the City Theatrical version (which I have to say is really extortionately priced, isn't it?). Originally I was going to buy a DMX servo controller board and a servo...but then I realised that servo control really isn't all that difficult, and designed my own board from scratch. I've finished the schematic but haven't had a chance to price it up yet - I can't see it being more than £15 including servo though. Crazy.