Colour Switcher/Fader For Spiro Project

I think it was here where someone did something similar to what I want with a time tunnel. The plan is to do something similar but for a spiro.

I want to make a RGV spiro with automatic colour switching, but the twist is I want to align the lasers as though they were in a scanner so that I can combine the colours and even have multi coloured spiro effects. I have thought about it for a bit and decided that the motors and RPM controll will be powered by a seperate 12V battery and the 3 colours will be wired into their own flex drives and then into a controller of some sort (555 timer has been suggested).

Thats where things get complicated... how exactly can I run red, green and violet from 1 battery (probally another 12V) without damaging the drivers and still providing enough power to run them all at the same time.

It gets slightly confusing at that point...

hm. i know who you mean, but i cant find his thread either. he made a awesome wooden RGV-labby with color fader.

Xer0 said:

hm. i know who you mean, but i cant find his thread either. he made a awesome wooden RGV-labby with color fader.

Click to expand...

That's the one, can't seam to find it at all.

This item covers everything your looking for:

http://74.58.33.200:81/RGBLaserDiodeDriver.htm

It is a kit, so you'll have to assemble it, but it comes with all the parts you'll need. Plus, who doesn't need a little practice soldering? It never hurts...

ElektroFreak said:

This item covers everything your looking for:

http://74.58.33.200:81/RGBLaserDiodeDriver.htm

It is a kit, so you'll have to assemble it, but it comes with all the parts you'll need. Plus, who doesn't need a little practice soldering? It never hurts...

Click to expand...

Exactly what I need but $75?!

It's a bargain at that price for what you're getting.. Three 3A drivers with TTL and analog modulation up to 40 kHz. Everyone knows that playing with lasers might cost you a few bucks from time to time. Three flexdrives will cost you that much, and they can't be modulated or handle up to 3A.

cheaper then 3 flex mods

I could make something like what you want, using a PIC microcontroller.
It would be less than $75 for sure...

The problem is that you'll have to wait until 20th may, because i have lots of exams now.


You should use 3.7V lithium batteries instead of 12V ones. Electronics work perfectly at that voltage, and your drivers too. If you want to get 12V for the motors, a switching booster regulator is what you need.

For the color combining, you would need a chip with 3pwm channels. Cheap PIC's have no more than 2, so the third would be software controlled, or made with second smaller microcontroller.
That is not a very difficult program to make.
The main problem is with the diode drivers, as i don't think it would be very safe to feed them with pulsed current.

erdabyz said:

I could make something like what you want, using a PIC microcontroller.
It would be less than $75 for sure...

The problem is that you'll have to wait until 20th may, because i have lots of exams now.


[highlight]You should use 3.7V lithium batteries instead of 12V ones. Electronics work perfectly at that voltage, [/highlight]and your drivers too. If you want to get 12V for the motors, a switching booster regulator is what you need.

For the color combining, you would need a chip with 3pwm channels. Cheap PIC's have no more than 2, so the third would be software controlled, or made with second smaller microcontroller.
That is not a very difficult program to make.
The main problem is with the diode drivers, as i don't think it would be very safe to feed them with pulsed current.

Click to expand...

I don't believe so... PICs nominally run on 5VDC... some will run at lower voltages...
Then... if you want to drive a Laser with a DDL type circuit (to keep costs down) you will
definitely need more than a 3.7 Volt Battery.... :

Jerry

lasersbee said:

[quote author=erdabyz link=1241011778/0#7 date=1241128114]I could make something like what you want, using a PIC microcontroller.
It would be less than $75 for sure...

The problem is that you'll have to wait until 20th may, because i have lots of exams now.


[highlight]You should use 3.7V lithium batteries instead of 12V ones. Electronics work perfectly at that voltage, [/highlight]and your drivers too. If you want to get 12V for the motors, a switching booster regulator is what you need.

For the color combining, you would need a chip with 3pwm channels. Cheap PIC's have no more than 2, so the third would be software controlled, or made with second smaller microcontroller.
That is not a very difficult program to make.
The main problem is with the diode drivers, as i don't think it would be very safe to feed them with pulsed current.

Click to expand...

I don't believe so... PICs nominally run on 5VDC... some will run at lower voltages...
Then... if you want to drive a Laser with a DDL type circuit (to keep costs down) you will
definitely need more than a 3.7 Volt Battery.... :

Jerry [/quote]

L series runs as low as 2.5V. And most times there's a L version of a PIC model. There are also some models that run perfectly at 3V like 16F628A. There are also power mosfets what have thresholds below 2V, and only some milliohms of RDS on at 3V gate voltage.
And he told he would be using flexdrives for his lasers.

erdabyz said:

L series runs as low as 2.5V. And most times there's a L version of a PIC model. There are also some models that run perfectly at 3V like 16F628A. There are also power mosfets what have thresholds below 2V, and only some milliohms of RDS on at 3V gate voltage.
And he told he would be using flexdrives for his lasers.

Click to expand...

Hey erdabyz... I agree...  components can be hunted down to run at non standard voltages...
BTW... once your Spiro PIC design running off a 3.7VDC supply is done I would really like to see
the final product.. I just love new innovative designs..

Jerry

lasersbee said:

[quote author=erdabyz link=1241011778/0#9 date=1241130465]
L series runs as low as 2.5V. And most times there's a L version of a PIC model. There are also some models that run perfectly at 3V like 16F628A. There are also power mosfets what have thresholds below 2V, and only some milliohms of RDS on at 3V gate voltage.
And he told he would be using flexdrives for his lasers.

Click to expand...

Hey erdabyz... I agree...  components can be hunted down to run at non standard voltages...
BTW... once your Spiro PIC design running off a 3.7VDC supply is done I would really like to see
the final product.. I just love new innovative designs..

Jerry[/quote]
Okay, no problem
It's nothing innovative, as now electronics tend to run at lower voltages (3.3V instead of 5V) and this devices are prepaired to run at those voltages.

Oh, and you'll see two innovative designs from me this summer, that now are at "simulation stage" with awesome results. Woud you want to have a completely safe and adjustable current USB lithium ion charger built in your laser?
This summer will be the time when i return to this forum what it has given to me

lamborgini8 said:

[quote author=Xer0 link=1241011778/0#1 date=1241026223]hm. i know who you mean, but i cant find his thread either. he made a awesome wooden RGV-labby with color fader.

Click to expand...

That's the one, can't seam to find it at all.[/quote]


I cant seem to find that post either, but that wooden RGV was done by FireMyLaser.
With a PWM RGB micro controller that cost 6 bucks. You can see it in his youtube video"RGV Laser Awesomeness"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxfQktdH70c

I have 3 of these RGB CONTROLLER CHIPS from http://www.bigclive.com/shop.htm
Clive sells a kit with board, but its made to run arrays of LEDS at high current. The chip itself is active high and can source 20mA, so you could us it on a driver with a blanking or modulation input. With your original 12v plan, you have room for the LM7805 five volt regulator needed by the RGB chip. And I think FireMyLaser used 3 blanking LM317 drivers. I am waiting for parts to do the same.

I have not devised the LM317 circuits yet, but plan two adjustments for each of the three. One for "ON", and one for "OFF" thats set just above threshold. ( maybe LM317, maybe not : )

But I don't know if PWM is what you want for a spiro if the intent is to view it on a wall. Because the beams are broken much of the time, when its displaying colors other than full brightness of the 3 primary colors.


--John

erdabyz said:

I could make something like what you want, using a PIC microcontroller.
It would be less than $75 for sure...

The problem is that you'll have to wait until 20th may, because i have lots of exams now.


You should use 3.7V lithium batteries instead of 12V ones. Electronics work perfectly at that voltage, and your drivers too. If you want to get 12V for the motors, a switching booster regulator is what you need.

For the color combining, you would need a chip with 3pwm channels. Cheap PIC's have no more than 2, so the third would be software controlled, or made with second smaller microcontroller.
That is not a very difficult program to make.
The main problem is with the diode drivers, as i don't think it would be very safe to feed them with pulsed current.

Click to expand...

I think I my use the $75 kit. At least that way all the diodes are wired into one circuit with one single driver for the lot.

All I need then is a simple TTL controller for the lot then and its sorted.

Here is the thread of the RGV:
http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1235775228/0

------------------------------------------------------------
The schematic:



Dots:
Red = bc337 NPN transistor
Orange = LM317 voltage regulator (DDL-style)
Yellow = CNY17-3 opto coupler  
Green = RGB-controller
Blue = 1N4004 diode
Violet = 1000 ohm resistor
Pink = 470 ohm resistor
Brown = laser diode
Gray = +12V


Squares:
Orange = lasing threshold resistor (around 50 ohm, 2W for green, 500 ohm 1/4W for red/violet). Some experimenting needed.
Green = max current resistor for laser (use ohm's law to find your value)
Blue = 100 ohm pot
Violet = 47µF 16V electrolytic capacitor
Pink = 100nF ceramic capacitor
Brown = 10kohm pot
Gray = ground
------------------------------------------------------------

And here is the RGB-controller:
http://www.bigclive.com/rgbcont.htm

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And a vid of the final product:
[media width=480]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9x-Zt3won0[/media]

Awesome, thanks!

The RGV controller is modified from the standard one on that site then? and are the effects in your videos already pre programmed?