As a beginner, I have been fascinated by the tutorial in this thread.· Lets keep it going until the project is finished!
I will probably never build a Darth Vader mask, but the combination of logic direct to hardware, not using a microcontroller has been fascinating.· This has actually shown me how I might build an add on to a stamp project, without using the pins I would otherwise need.· Paul and PJ, you have both been a resource to the users of this forum, and in particular, absolute electronics beginners like me.· Please dont get discouraged!
ydeardorff,
I hate to ask this now, but when the section of the tutrorial is completed, could you let us know how you solved the voice issue? ·I have read this entire thread twice, and I am missing it.· Seems like I was reading along, and all of the sudden you said "OK, Darth has a voice now".·· LOL.· Could you let us know at some point what the solution was, without throwing this thread anymore off track?· I'm learning alot!
Thanks neoteric, Im thinking of coallescing all the posts into a seperate tutorial, filling in alot of the basics I sorta skipped over (lack of time), then use this particular project as one of three examples (first one being the classic stop light example, then a more complicated stop light, then this one). And you bring up an excellent point, state machines can easily help out stamp applications by offloading simple grunt work, leaving the stamp to do more complicated things. Perhaps I should think of a non-trivial example to incorporate both, any ideas?
I too am intested in how the vader voice was done.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ·1+1=10
Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 3/24/2006 3:19:25 PM GMT
I had to buy voice kits, I bought two and ones working the other has a couple of bad solder joints, but Im looking at combining the twos effects. Otherwise the one has a nice effect as is.
Im using, or planning on using one of a set of stereo KOSS speakers with built in amplifier, it has dual inputs, and a nice sized driver. Im hoping to install it in the mouth of the mask and build a small enclosure, in which case I can fit in the voice board in it as well. Then since they both will run off ofa 9vdc batt.
That speaker has bas, bass boost, ·and treble effects, as well as volume controls, so hope fully I can mount it in a way that the controls are just accessible below my chin, and with a simple flip of the switch, the breathing effect (run by a remote mp3 player on repeat) and the voice changer and amp, will be all self contained in the mask.
Its alot of electrical in the mask, but even after that I need to find a way to move air around the mask. If possible Id like to find micro fans of some sort, so I can get cool, air in to the mask from behind my head, and push it into the eye and mouth area. Hopefully something smaller than even laptop fans. If possible Id mount the fans in the rear of the mask, and run a small conduit, or tubing under the lining, like a mini A/C system.
Any ideas?
Post Edited (ydeardorff) : 3/24/2006 5:10:11 PM GMT
Paul Baker said...(trimmed) Yes, this project could have been done with a basic stamp, but it would have been overkill. Should I always force overdesigned solutions on people? Yes, this forum is technically for discussions related to Parallax products, but I am a customer in good standing and frequently get words encouragement and thanks from the staff. I think they will show some lattitude towards me when I occasionally don't push people to a product of thiers.
In the interest of maintaining the peace around here I will say this.· In regards to on/off topic statements.· The changes to the forum description were to prevent the increasing numbers of posts requesting support for non-Parallax products.· That doesn't mean we can't offer other solutions when applicable.· In fact we sometimes refers customers to other solutions if more appropriate.· We certainly don't want to force someone to use something that isn't the best choice for their needs.·
That said, I don't see anything wrong with what Paul said but I do see the opportunity for misunderstanding in the context of some messages.· Before posting something with humor as the intent you should try to stop and think about how that might be interpreted by other parties when they just have the literal text to read.· Certainly if you think you've been misunderstood you should ask in a non-defensive manner so as not to keep things going.· These forums work better when everyone is sharing knowledge and not attacking each other.· I myself have been misunderstood so I can see how easily it happens.
Of course, if a user is a continuing problem there is an ignore button so that you never have to see messages from that user.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Chris Savage Parallax Tech Support csavage@parallax.com
Ydeardoff, here is the schematic for the timer testing you requested. I cant send attachments via PM so I posted it here, a 470Ω resistor should be a good value to make the LED bright enough to see (running the chips @ 3V) without burning out the LED. As I already mentioned you should be looking for the LED to be on 1 second then off 1 second.
Oh and connect /CLR to 3V, forgot to add that to the schematic.
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Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 3/25/2006 12:28:32 AM GMT
So far I have receivd the 3 chips but not the timer circuit. Once I get everything in hand I'll get back in touch with you, and maybe post some pics. Thanks again
BTW what voltage are the LED's I need 3vdc, or 1vdc?
Sorry I didnt respond to you earlier, for the test structure the LED is assumed to have a forward voltage drop of around 1V, but its not critical it be this value. For the actual project you should use LEDs which have a Vf < 3V and you should set the resistor to R = (3 - Vf)/I where Vf is the forward drop of the LED and I is the desired current, the current will be determined by the specific LEDs you will be using in your final application.
OK, I have received all chips minus the timers still but those should be here any day now.
I have another issue electrically but this one should be easy for you electrical Gods out there to figure out.
I have to wire my belt boxes. I tried running x2 12vdc incandecsent bulbs, and a 12volt 3mm LED in parallel off of a small AA sized 12volt battery. This made all lights, lite up dimly,· and only for a minute or two, in which case the battery ended up getting warm, and the lights went out.
I am illuminating two 16mm green lamp housings, with light diffusers in them (AKA transluscent white plastic behind the green lens) ·and then a small red light. Im figuring on running 1 9vdc battery per box. Each box has this set up.
Would using· 12mm super bright white LED's (I belive their rated at 1.5 volt) for the to green lamps, and a small 3mm red·LED for the mini red on each box. Would running all in parrallel with a 10 ohm resistor per light work?
I·could use some help figuring this out, one cause its been years since ITT, and second because the LED's are 6 bucks a piece and radio quack. And also Im running out of time I need to get this done by or before May 1st.
The key requirements is Im looking for low heat, high illumination (visible even in daytime), long battery life,
and most of all be able to run this on a 9vdc batt, or what ever, but the batt(s) must be to a minumum in size and bulk for comfort and reliability.
I thought you wanted 3V operation? 9V batteries are not advisable, they are the worst on capacity out of all standard battery sizes. Why not get a super bright green LEDs, instead of white? They are cheaper and ussually more efficient. You will need to find what the forward voltage and desired current through each. The LED should at least give a maximum current on the package, and you can figure out the Vf by illuminating them at less than thier brightest, since Vf only changes by a small amount over large ranges of current, you can use the under-illuminated LED Vf in the previous equation I gave to find the Resistor value needed.
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6+6=10 (Long live the duodecimal system)
Hey ydearoff, I'll take a look into it, can you provide the exact chip number? As a side note, coversations about your project are best done in the public forum, my PM box fills very rapidly and it is frequently difficult for me to keep it empty enough to respond without deleting posts with important information I want/need to keep.
Sorry Ill try to get it for you. I got drafted for wharehouse inventory so they've been working us as much as 18 hours a day last few days. If I get off early enough tonight Ill post it for you. I do remember the numbers are different even though I ordered exactly what you posted in here.
Ok, the 8 pin is the version used in the example schematic on page 4 of this doc: http://www.aldinc.com/pdf/ALD1502.pdf·the first schematic should work.
I know this seems lowly, LOL but I have been tinkering with LEDs, incandescents trying to get a bright lighting effect for my belt boxes. Each have a red bulb, and two green. So six lights total, but each box has only 3 lights. I tried using a 12vdc battery kind of like a short AA battery, and hooked all the lights in paralell, they were two incandescent 12vdc bulbs and one 12vdc LED.
This basically drained the battery in about 30 to 60 seconds.
I need the lights as bright as I can get, with at least a 12 hour run time on the batts.
Any ideas here? The simpler the better.
Sorry for such a basic question.
Post Edited (ydeardorff) : 4/20/2006 8:48:06 PM GMT
Thats because you used the wrong battery, you used either an A23 or A27 which have a capacity of 33mAh and 18mAh respectively, and these ratings assume you'll only be draining it at 1/2 mA (greater drains decrease rated capacity).
You need a battery chemistry capable of having higher capacity and discharge rate. Others may talk about lithium batteries, but if you mishandle them you can end up cause damage and potential fire. Not something you want happening next to your body.
I would suggest using a gell cell SLA battery, these are quite heavy at roughly 1.25 oz/in^3. But you can find smaller capacity batteries that should be ok weight wize.
This one for instance is a 6V 0.5Ah and is 2.24" x 0.55" x 1.97" or 2.42 in^3 or ~ 3 oz. Given your 12 hour requirement, this means you could draw 41 mA, likely not enough for what you want.
The capacity needed depends on the current required to operate the lights. LEDs will be more efficient than incandescents in illumination. If you use LEDs you could likely get away with 3V and stack batteries in parallel to gain the length of time you need.
I have a feeling you will not be able to find a suitible battery of light enough weight to drive the lamps you want for 12 hours.
It depends on the ratings for the LEDs, you'll probably have to experiment some to find a winning combination. The goal is to make the voltage drop across the resistors as small as possible, since that is energy lost.
I am interested to see how you resolved your problem. I am in a similar situation. Could you please post how you came up with a solution for creating the Darth Vader voice changer?
·I got it finally!!!
I have a correct circuit to make the Vader Chest box blink slower, it is a·the 3 bit binary counter circuit---modified.
I basically ripped the guts out of my Rubies Chest box added the circuit plus a 2ea AA battery holder. When you make the circuit it is 6 volts. The circuit was provided by Ron of VaderFaker and I modified it a little. It works great and his has lasted a couple of years now. He has a video on "Youtube." Type in "vader chest box circuit," and you'll find it. This circuit can be tricky to build·but it does work and once you build it correctly, it becomes easier. The circuit is attached to this post·in MS Word format, to see the pictures on it you need to save the file then view it. I added pictures on how to identify the pins for each IC Chip.
On the subjest of changing the square light lense from green to blue!· You can try to google "blue square pilot lights" or "blue square pilot light lenses".· They are made in millimeter (MM) so measure the ones you have and order the closest size, you may have to modify the·lense a bit to fit. I got my lenses from·"Granger."
Comments
I will probably never build a Darth Vader mask, but the combination of logic direct to hardware, not using a microcontroller has been fascinating.· This has actually shown me how I might build an add on to a stamp project, without using the pins I would otherwise need.· Paul and PJ, you have both been a resource to the users of this forum, and in particular, absolute electronics beginners like me.· Please dont get discouraged!
ydeardorff,
I hate to ask this now, but when the section of the tutrorial is completed, could you let us know how you solved the voice issue? ·I have read this entire thread twice, and I am missing it.· Seems like I was reading along, and all of the sudden you said "OK, Darth has a voice now".·· LOL.· Could you let us know at some point what the solution was, without throwing this thread anymore off track?· I'm learning alot!
I too am intested in how the vader voice was done.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
·1+1=10
Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 3/24/2006 3:19:25 PM GMT
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Just tossing my two bits worth into the bit bucket
KK
·
Im using, or planning on using one of a set of stereo KOSS speakers with built in amplifier, it has dual inputs, and a nice sized driver. Im hoping to install it in the mouth of the mask and build a small enclosure, in which case I can fit in the voice board in it as well. Then since they both will run off ofa 9vdc batt.
That speaker has bas, bass boost, ·and treble effects, as well as volume controls, so hope fully I can mount it in a way that the controls are just accessible below my chin, and with a simple flip of the switch, the breathing effect (run by a remote mp3 player on repeat) and the voice changer and amp, will be all self contained in the mask.
Its alot of electrical in the mask, but even after that I need to find a way to move air around the mask. If possible Id like to find micro fans of some sort, so I can get cool, air in to the mask from behind my head, and push it into the eye and mouth area. Hopefully something smaller than even laptop fans. If possible Id mount the fans in the rear of the mask, and run a small conduit, or tubing under the lining, like a mini A/C system.
Any ideas?
Post Edited (ydeardorff) : 3/24/2006 5:10:11 PM GMT
That said, I don't see anything wrong with what Paul said but I do see the opportunity for misunderstanding in the context of some messages.· Before posting something with humor as the intent you should try to stop and think about how that might be interpreted by other parties when they just have the literal text to read.· Certainly if you think you've been misunderstood you should ask in a non-defensive manner so as not to keep things going.· These forums work better when everyone is sharing knowledge and not attacking each other.· I myself have been misunderstood so I can see how easily it happens.
Of course, if a user is a continuing problem there is an ignore button so that you never have to see messages from that user.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
csavage@parallax.com
Oh and connect /CLR to 3V, forgot to add that to the schematic.
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·1+1=10
Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 3/25/2006 12:28:32 AM GMT
So far I have receivd the 3 chips but not the timer circuit. Once I get everything in hand I'll get back in touch with you, and maybe post some pics. Thanks again
BTW what voltage are the LED's I need 3vdc, or 1vdc?
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·1+1=10
I have another issue electrically but this one should be easy for you electrical Gods out there to figure out.
I have to wire my belt boxes. I tried running x2 12vdc incandecsent bulbs, and a 12volt 3mm LED in parallel off of a small AA sized 12volt battery. This made all lights, lite up dimly,· and only for a minute or two, in which case the battery ended up getting warm, and the lights went out.
I am illuminating two 16mm green lamp housings, with light diffusers in them (AKA transluscent white plastic behind the green lens)
·and then a small red light. Im figuring on running 1 9vdc battery per box. Each box has this set up.
Would using· 12mm super bright white LED's (I belive their rated at 1.5 volt) for the to green lamps, and a small 3mm red·LED for the mini red on each box. Would running all in parrallel with a 10 ohm resistor per light work?
I·could use some help figuring this out, one cause its been years since ITT, and second because the LED's are 6 bucks a piece and radio quack. And also Im running out of time I need to get this done by or before May 1st.
The key requirements is Im looking for low heat, high illumination (visible even in daytime), long battery life,
and most of all be able to run this on a 9vdc batt, or what ever, but the batt(s) must be to a minumum in size and bulk for comfort and reliability.
Here is a link to some pics of what I am trying to do.· http://www.sithplanet.com/images/vader_gallery_04.jpg
Let me know
Thanks
ydeardorff
Post Edited (ydeardorff) : 4/6/2006 6:44:52 PM GMT
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6+6=10 (Long live the duodecimal system)
There are 2 green lights and one red per box. And there are two boxes on the belt.
It looks like my timer circuits just cam in today, I have to go sign for them from the mail clerk. WOOT
Ok Ill see what I can come up with on the belt boxes.
Thanks
Post Edited (ydeardorff) : 4/11/2006 3:37:17 PM GMT
Thanks
ydeardorff
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1+1=10
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1+1=10
ydeardorff
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1+1=10
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1+1=10
This basically drained the battery in about 30 to 60 seconds.
I need the lights as bright as I can get, with at least a 12 hour run time on the batts.
Any ideas here? The simpler the better.
Sorry for such a basic question.
Post Edited (ydeardorff) : 4/20/2006 8:48:06 PM GMT
You need a battery chemistry capable of having higher capacity and discharge rate. Others may talk about lithium batteries, but if you mishandle them you can end up cause damage and potential fire. Not something you want happening next to your body.
I would suggest using a gell cell SLA battery, these are quite heavy at roughly 1.25 oz/in^3. But you can find smaller capacity batteries that should be ok weight wize.
This one for instance is a 6V 0.5Ah and is 2.24" x 0.55" x 1.97" or 2.42 in^3 or ~ 3 oz. Given your 12 hour requirement, this means you could draw 41 mA, likely not enough for what you want.
The capacity needed depends on the current required to operate the lights. LEDs will be more efficient than incandescents in illumination. If you use LEDs you could likely get away with 3V and stack batteries in parallel to gain the length of time you need.
I have a feeling you will not be able to find a suitible battery of light enough weight to drive the lamps you want for 12 hours.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
1+1=10
Post Edited (ydeardorff) : 4/20/2006 9:52:25 PM GMT
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1+1=10
He said it would run for days like that. Ill let ya know how it comes out.
Thanks
I have a correct circuit to make the Vader Chest box blink slower, it is a·the 3 bit binary counter circuit---modified.
I basically ripped the guts out of my Rubies Chest box added the circuit plus a 2ea AA battery holder. When you make the circuit it is 6 volts. The circuit was provided by Ron of VaderFaker and I modified it a little. It works great and his has lasted a couple of years now. He has a video on "Youtube." Type in "vader chest box circuit," and you'll find it. This circuit can be tricky to build·but it does work and once you build it correctly, it becomes easier. The circuit is attached to this post·in MS Word format, to see the pictures on it you need to save the file then view it. I added pictures on how to identify the pins for each IC Chip.
On the subjest of changing the square light lense from green to blue!· You can try to google "blue square pilot lights" or "blue square pilot light lenses".· They are made in millimeter (MM) so measure the ones you have and order the closest size, you may have to modify the·lense a bit to fit. I got my lenses from·"Granger."
If you need any help please email me at:·· ray_vader28@yahoo.com
Enjoy!
Post Edited (RayVader) : 6/20/2008 10:02:38 PM GMT