basic stamps in connection with DVD players + sensors

Archiver

I am an artist currently working on an interactive video
installation. The video is a projection run from a DVD player. The
DVD has 2 tracks, track 1 is a 30 minute loop and track 2 is a
brief 10 second sequence.

On the floor, near the video projection is a 'pressure mat' motion
sensor. When the audience treads on the pressure mat, a signal
needs to be sent to the DVD player to jump to track 2 on the disc.
At the end of the 10 second sequence on track 2, the DVD player
automatically jumps back to the beginning of track 1 and plays
this track until the motion sensor is triggered again.

I have been advised that I can use a microcontroller, a BASIC
Stamp, and a programming board to control the DVD player +
pressure mats. Although I have considerable experience with
Mac's, I have no experience of using microcontrollers/stamps
and I was wondering if anyone has had similar experience of
this, and can give me advice on how to go about making the
circuit or getting it made.

Equipment I have for installation:

1 x Phillips ProDVD 175 player (with RS232 input)

1 x pressure mat

(maximum ratings: operating voltage 25V dc/ac
wattage 10VA
switching current 0.25 Amps
contact resistance 1 Ohm - dependant on operating
pressure)


Equipment to download code:

Apple PowerMac G4 computer

I'd be grateful for any advice anyone could give.
Thanks

Richard Squires

Archiver

On Mon, 2003-05-19 at 06:36, rich_squires wrote:
> I am an artist currently working on an interactive video
> installation. The video is a projection run from a DVD player. The
> DVD has 2 tracks, track 1 is a 30 minute loop and track 2 is a
> brief 10 second sequence.

To make this whole project much easier, you're best off making the 30
minute loop the "intro" or menu portion of the movie, and make the 10
second part the "movie", which plays when you hit play. Then, there is
no back-and-forth manipulation of tracks or current state to worry
about. Simply send an IR "Play" signal to the DVD player whenever
someone steps on the mat. Or, if you don't want to do IR signals with
the stamp (If you do, I recommend Sony equipment), wire a relay across
the play button of the DVD player and have the stamp activate the relay.

In all honesty, you really probably don't even need a stamp at all, just
wire the pressure mat to a 555 timer setup (to prevent retrigerring
before the end of the 10 second loop) and wire the 555 timer output to
the play button relay.

Archiver

--- In basicstamps@yahoogroups.com, "rich_squires"
<rich_squires@y...> wrote:
> I am an artist currently working on an interactive video
> installation. The video is a projection run from a DVD player. The
> DVD has 2 tracks, track 1 is a 30 minute loop and track 2 is a
> brief 10 second sequence.
>
> On the floor, near the video projection is a 'pressure mat' motion
> sensor. When the audience treads on the pressure mat, a signal
> needs to be sent to the DVD player to jump to track 2 on the disc.
> At the end of the 10 second sequence on track 2, the DVD player
> automatically jumps back to the beginning of track 1 and plays
> this track until the motion sensor is triggered again.
>
> I have been advised that I can use a microcontroller, a BASIC
> Stamp, and a programming board to control the DVD player +
> pressure mats. Although I have considerable experience with
> Mac's, I have no experience of using microcontrollers/stamps
> and I was wondering if anyone has had similar experience of
> this, and can give me advice on how to go about making the
> circuit or getting it made.
>
> Equipment I have for installation:
>
> 1 x Phillips ProDVD 175 player (with RS232 input)
>
> 1 x pressure mat
>
> (maximum ratings: operating voltage 25V dc/ac
> wattage 10VA
> switching current 0.25 Amps
> contact resistance 1 Ohm - dependant on
operating
> pressure)
>
>
> Equipment to download code:
>
> Apple PowerMac G4 computer
>
> I'd be grateful for any advice anyone could give.
> Thanks
>
> Richard Squires

Richard,
I design & build musuem technology systems and do this type of
exhibit all the time. There are a few ways to go about this. The
Stamp product can do the job for you if you have the time and
patience to design your input and output interfaces and make a
circuit board for the stamp controller. Typically for this type of
exhibit, I use a AlcornMcBride Digital video player (www.alcorn.com)
that plays MPEG-II digital files. This unit has the control logic
built in and all you would need to do is convert yout DVD video files
to MPEG-II (very easy) and connect your mat to the contact/button
inputs and it will do exactly what you described. If you have to stay
with the Philips DVD player and you need to implement this quickly,
you might want to look at the VC16B manufactired by BCD Associates
(www.bcdusa.com). However, if you have the time, to make the
interface from the Stamp, you will have a litte circuit that you can
duplicate and use again and again for similar type exhibits. Let us
know which way you want to proceed with your DVD project/interface.

--Guy

Archiver

On Monday, May 19, 2003, at 11:36 AM, rich_squires wrote:

> Equipment to download code:
>
> Apple PowerMac G4 computer
>
> I'd be grateful for any advice anyone could give.
> Thanks

Shameless plug:

<http://www.muratnkonar.com/MacBS2/> will allow you to use your G4 to
program the STAMP (if you're running Mac OS X 10.2 or later). Otherwise
you'll have to get Virtual PC or a an actual PC.

_murat

Archiver

Hi
On Monday, May 19, 2003, at 08:55 PM, Brian wrote:

> On Mon, 2003-05-19 at 06:36, rich_squires wrote:
>> I am an artist currently working on an interactive video
>> installation. The video is a projection run from a DVD player. The
>> DVD has 2 tracks, track 1 is a 30 minute loop and track 2 is a
>> brief 10 second sequence.
>
> To make this whole project much easier, you're best off making the 30
> minute loop the "intro" or menu portion of the movie, and make the 10
> second part the "movie", which plays when you hit play. Then, there is
> no back-and-forth manipulation of tracks or current state to worry
> about. Simply send an IR "Play" signal to the DVD player whenever
> someone steps on the mat. Or, if you don't want to do IR signals with
> the stamp (If you do, I recommend Sony equipment), wire a relay across
> the play button of the DVD player and have the stamp activate the
> relay.
>

Do you have any examples of IR signal generation for a sony DVD with
the stamp ?

Archiver

thanks for the advice. what stamp do you think i need to use?

on 21/5/03 7:48 am, robin@o... wrote:

> Hi
> On Monday, May 19, 2003, at 08:55 PM, Brian wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 2003-05-19 at 06:36, rich_squires wrote:
>>> I am an artist currently working on an interactive video
>>> installation. The video is a projection run from a DVD player. The
>>> DVD has 2 tracks, track 1 is a 30 minute loop and track 2 is a
>>> brief 10 second sequence.
>>
>> To make this whole project much easier, you're best off making the 30
>> minute loop the "intro" or menu portion of the movie, and make the 10
>> second part the "movie", which plays when you hit play. Then, there is
>> no back-and-forth manipulation of tracks or current state to worry
>> about. Simply send an IR "Play" signal to the DVD player whenever
>> someone steps on the mat. Or, if you don't want to do IR signals with
>> the stamp (If you do, I recommend Sony equipment), wire a relay across
>> the play button of the DVD player and have the stamp activate the
>> relay.
>>
>
> Do you have any examples of IR signal generation for a sony DVD with
> the stamp ?
>
>
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