GB: Low Cost 15K Scanner Galvo Set with DMX & ILDA Complete - $75 **ARRIVED**

^^^^^^^ nice, Pontiac. Looking good.

My aluminum plate has been sitting down by the mill for weeks waiting to be machined

I completely know what you are talking about with buying parts and confusing the clerk. It actually happens alot to me.... The one time I stopped in at radio shack to buy proto boards for a circuit. Long story short, the cashier said that when the aliens use lasers to take over the world, she'll know who was inolved. :crackup:

Once I get around to having a permanent galvo setup, I will post some pics. :beer:

I just want to chime in and let you all know that a cheap set of 30K scanners isn't going to give you the results you wanted. Iv done a whole lot of reading on PL and in this hobby you get what you pay for. I can almost guarantee the knock off 30k scanners are only going to be 30k at a very limited scan angle and more likely 20k after tuning.

Pontiacg5 said:

C'mon guys, I wanna see what you are doing with these scanners! Here's what I've thrown together so far, everything you see there came from a scrap bin (minus the hardware.)
.

Click to expand...

Lookin good, gathering everything seems to be the hardest part. Are you going with PSUs and electronics on the bottom side and lasers optics on the top side? Its supposed to be the superior design to keep the optics clean and sealed.

I started my own build thread. http://laserpointerforums.com/f47/my-rgb-build-thread-65742.html

Prepare to be shocked


Untitled by damoib, on Flickr


Untitled by damoib, on Flickr


Untitled by damoib, on Flickr


Untitled by damoib, on Flickr

Oh yea the hole on the side was for a fan which i powered from the power supply but it was 9.2 amps too much :S. any idea how I should power the fan using the same psu as the galvos and laser?

Mine looks so dreadful compared Adrians above me

I understand this is a bit older post but I'm working with these galvo's and have a question.

I using this set to build my Laser Harp and need to connect the harps board to the galvo's amp.

This is a quote from PL on the subject but I don't really get it in relation to these galvo's from the GB, although I do think they are talking about the same kind of galvo's.

"@ Colouredmirrorball
To me it sound like you are using single ended 12k scanners with both X and Y amps on one board, correct?
If so you just want to use the Galvos + and G on the harp PCB and wire them to the X and G of the scanner amp. You won't be making any use of the Y input."

My question is: Where is this X and G on the scanner amp? The output from the laser harp board is clear, I'm just not clear to where on these amps It should go? There is an unused three pin connection just above where the galvo plugs in, but it is un-labled, as is everything on the board.

Thanks for the help, working hard on getting a Laser Harp working......PS if anyone is working on the same project with these galvo's ANY PICTURES would help alot. I am very new to all this and photo's always help!

Do they mean the ILDA input for the X input? If so that is pin 1 and 14 for x+ and x-.

I don't think you need to solder anything directly to the board.

Pontiacg5..
I may be wrong, but I don't think they are talking about ILDA input. The harp uses DMX and not ILDA so this is what I am basing this off of.

There is an output from the Laser Harp board labled + G - (galvo). This throws me off as it looks like the galvo's are powering through the Harp board.(there is another + G - (PWR)on the harp board as well).

Just a bit confusing because they seem to be talking about power and XY control in the same sentence.

Couple of photo's of the Harp board and the Galvos board.....
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i was wondering the same exact thing...

There is a 6-pin header for each galvo motor. I would guess that 1 set of 3 is +V, G, -V and the other is for sensing.

watching this thread.

The output on the laser harp board is a differential output. That means that the signal swings between the + and - pins. G is ground.

Most galvo amps have a + and - input for EACH axis, and a signal ground.

Things said:

The output on the laser harp board is a differential output. That means that the signal swings between the + and - pins. G is ground.

Most galvo amps have a + and - input for EACH axis, and a signal ground.

Click to expand...

Sorry Things, but i'm still a bit unclear.
From what you seen the the picture above, I would think that I leave my galvo as is...... and plug from the galvos output on the harp board to some other point on my galvo's board.(or would I somehow split of my galvo's wire itself to the harp board?
Sorry to need more help than others.....this is why I had you solder the board for me...I knew I was already a bit over my head here

Looking at that galvo driver board, it's a really interesting setup.

It looks like what you'd want to do, is figure out which pins are what in that ILDA connector. This is where you feed the galvo signals if you're using a DAC, and just think of the harp board as a DAC

Is there a pdf or something that details the pinouts for these galvos?

Things said:

Looking at that galvo driver board, it's a really interesting setup.

It looks like what you'd want to do, is figure out which pins are what in that ILDA connector. This is where you feed the galvo signals if you're using a DAC, and just think of the harp board as a DAC

Is there a pdf or something that details the pinouts for these galvos?

Click to expand...

AAAhh so I do need to go to the ILDA.
So from Harp board galvos input(+...G...-) to ILDA on galvos (X+...G...X-)?

Pontiacg5 made the suggestion that would be where it is connected, I didn't figure that's where I should have been looking.
He is saying that it is pins 1 & 14 for x+ & x-. Unfortunately I have not seen ANY details for the pinnouts on the galvo's. I had to put it together from photo's and other's experiments.

To figure out which is which on the galvo board you could probe with a multimeter and figure out what goes where.

What I would do is get an empty DB25M connector and wire everything through there. They are relatively cheap...

Comprehensive DB25M DB25 Pin Plug with Hood Connector

I'm not sure how the harp board does blanking, but the three sets of 2 pin connectors on the galvo amp are TTL/Analog outputs. They are continuous with the corresponding pins of the ILDA connector. You may be able to keep your setup more organized by running the TTL and X signal connections from the harp board through the galvo's ILDA input. Pin 6 is green +, 19 is Green -. Pin 25 is ground which is where I assume the ground from the harp board goes.

An advantage of doing it this way is you may be able to use the setup as both a projector and laser harp, depending on how Thing's kit works.

I am assuming you have the DB25 header cable that came with these galvos. If you don't I'll probe mine for you and tell you what's what on that 10 pin header for ILDA input.

Pontiacg5 said:

To figure out which is which on the galvo board you could probe with a multimeter and figure out what goes where.

What I would do is get an empty DB25M connector and wire everything through there. They are relatively cheap...

Comprehensive DB25M DB25 Pin Plug with Hood Connector

I'm not sure how the harp board does blanking, but the three sets of 2 pin connectors on the galvo amp are TTL/Analog outputs. They are continuous with the corresponding pins of the ILDA connector. You may be able to keep your setup more organized by running the TTL and X signal connections from the harp board through the galvo's ILDA input. Pin 6 is green +, 19 is Green -. Pin 25 is ground which is where I assume the ground from the harp board goes.

An advantage of doing it this way is you may be able to use the setup as both a projector and laser harp, depending on how Thing's kit works.

I am assuming you have the DB25 header cable that came with these galvos. If you don't I'll probe mine for you and tell you what's what on that 10 pin header for ILDA input.

Click to expand...

Thanks very much for your reply, I do have the DB25 header cable that came with the galvos but perhaps you would still be kind enough as to probe yours as doing this might very well take me hours as I try to figure out 'how' to probe with a multimeter and read what I am seeing.:tinfoil:

Again sorry for my lack of skill here, this laser harp is a bit over my head but I really want to get it up and running!!

I will mull over all that you have said here and try to get my head around where all my wires will be going.
Lol only 3 wires....

If you have the header it's as easy as looking for the numbers on the connectors. This should help you a lot! You just need to put those three wires to the correct pins on the header and then plug that header cable into the galvo board.



Probing for continuity with a multimeter is easy, there should be a setting on the meter with the symbol for a diode (-|>|-) When you "probe" between two points the meter will show a very low number, usually 000. That means there is continuity between whatever points you are touching. (If your lucky your meter will beep at you ) If there is no connection then the meter should show a 1, usually a single digit all the way to the left.

Now, if you have the header it is as simple as touching the correct number pin on the header, whichever pin you are trying to trace back to the board, and then touch each pin on the 10 pin connector till you get a beep (or 000 )

The harp kit may be over your head now, but it doesn't need to be forever!