Looking for guidance with programming my current project. (Firework firing system)

SoonerArnce

My current project is using parallax activity boards, xbee 900hp, 8ch 5v relay boards, and 4d systems 4.3in touch screen. I am using one parallax board, xbee, and the 4d systems display for my controller, 2 relay boards per parallax board and xbee per module.

I am new to micro controllers and to programming them. I am not sure how to integrate the touch screen to control all other modules.

At this point I could be no more confused that I already am and have no idea where to start, if anyone is willing to help me get my project, i would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

Contact email: williamarnce@yahoo.com

bill190

I should think the FIRST thing on your list should be a safe design which will prevent any accidental firing. Note this can happen due to electricity "induced" in electrical lines, nearby lightening, someone using a two-way radio, or even someone using a cell phone!

Here is a start to some safety features - things to think about...

-Deadman switch must be held for firing.
-Shielded wire?
-Pull-down resistors on lines going to fireworks.
-Key operated master switch to prevent firing.


(To fire you need key inserted and turned on plus deadman switch pressed.)


Lockout-tagout proceedures for electrical safety...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockout-tagout

A Guide to Radio Frequency Hazards With Electric Detonators...
http://www.nclabor.com/osha/etta/indguide/ig11.pdf

SoonerArnce

Thanks for the info. I am currently looking for a key switch that will fit inside the control box I have (pelican 1120) with my 4.3 in display. There is not much wiggle room. I have already build the field modules, just waiting on some parts to show up to make the finishing touches. Then the hard parts comes, which I am going to dread,(Programming) because I am not sure how to interface the touch screen display and the parallax module inside the controller and the field modules and being new to micro controllers when my limitations are.

LoopyByteloose

Any asynchronous communications should be RS422 full-duplex, not RS232. It will carry you much further distances (1000 meters) and with far higher immunity to noise -- shielded cable or not.

This is very easy to impliment as any code for the RS232 remains the same.. it is all about using driver and reciever chips of the RS422 standard instead of RS232 driver and reciever chips.

There are off-the-shelf RS232 to RS422 adapters that are quite reasonable. And there are USB to RS422 dongles as well.

Publison

Loopy Byteloose wrote: »

Any asynchronous communications should be RS422 full-duplex, not RS232. It will carry you much further distances (1000 meters) and with far higher immunity to noise -- shielded cable or not.

This is very easy to impliment as any code for the RS232 remains the same.. it is all about using driver and reciever chips of the RS422 standard instead of RS232 driver and reciever chips.

There are off-the-shelf RS232 to RS422 adapters that are quite reasonable. And there are USB to RS422 dongles as well.

Looking at the first post, it looks like he wants to use a wireless configuration.

kwinn

If you are using wireless communications to send commands that set off fireworks you need to make sure that the protocol, error detection, and correction/retransmission is bullet proof. You do NOT want a spurious transmission or electrical noise to set things off.

Heater.

We cannot imagine how many things can go wrong with this idea of setting off explosives programmatically.
I dare not advise.
Only that anything that involves touch screens and wireless is a really bad idea.
That is before we start to talk about the software issues.

Gadgetman

My first question to you is:

What kind of experience do you have in working with fireworks or other explosives?

And please note that I wrote 'or other' as fireworks ARE explosives.

I learned ammunition and explosives handing in the RNoAF years ago, and with that came the equivalent of a civilian blasting license(I took the test, but never picked up the paper).
I've handled dynamite, det cord, black powder fuse, electrical and non--el detonators, in addition to the classical ones for fuses. I've worked on 20mm ammo for F-16(set off with an electrical pulse, so earth early and earth often), rebuilt FFAR 2.75" rocket motors(they're so F! unstable that they may hit the plane they're launched from, so we 'operate' on the motors), hammered on Sidewinder missiles and quite a few other things that go KABOOM when introduced to a spark...
That was 'all in a days work'... Now... fireworks... made to be as cheap as possible... often in China...

Lets just say that I would NEVER EVER touch fireworks produced for sale to the average redneck.

Either you have a license to use the big commercial stuff, in which case you should have some training in explosives, or...
(And access to real fireworks timing equipment)

you're planning to fire off the cheap stuff... which is made to be ignited with matches.
(I assume that if using the cheap stuff, you're trying to improve timing... It definitely isn't because it's so spectacular... Anyway, to get timing you'd need to mount the 'electric match' inside the fireworks, not at the end of the fuse. And in quite a few countries, tampering with fireworks is an offense. Yes, really.)

Wireless...
Just no.
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/ohsregulation/part21.asp#SectionNumber:21.61

And yes, 'electric matches' will count as detonators when using them with fireworks.

Please tell me that I'm worrying over nothing.

SoonerArnce

This is actually going to be the second electronic firing system I will be building. The first one I built was a wired one using a allen bradly 13 card rack with a 5/05 processor card and 1 input card and 12 output relay cards. I set off fireworks for 2 years without incident with this system. The drawback to the system is that I need 120v. I want to get away from this by building a self contained system with less wires and setup time.

I will upload some pictures of both systems shortly.

Thank You

SoonerArnce

First 3 images are of my old system, last two is new system.