 Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me. |
Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Screen Interface
| Author | Message | ||||
| ando Newbie  Joined: 05/12/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6 |
Hi all, this is my first post and I've got to say I am very happy that I found this forum. I would like to show an idea I had years ago when I was playing with the commodore 64 and I needed more output ports. Now I'm using a windows laptop and one of my WIP projects is controlling my telescope while I'm inside where it's warm and no mozzies. hehe... It's very simple really. Just by turning little white squares on and off that are lined up with light dependent resistors as part of light activated switches, it can be easy to control many outputs. And by just varying the brightness, fully variable control is possible too. Here's some pics. :) 
|
||||
| ando Newbie Joined: 05/12/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6 |
One extra pic didn't upload... 
|
||||
Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9585 |
Sounds like a variation of the light-pen idea. 
Back in the day, I was an Atari 800XL man, and had played with light-pens to do things like that. Light-pens - that has brought back some memories..... I could never get my light-pens to working right, so I gave up on the idea quite quickly. Welcome to the forums.  Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
||||
| paceman Guru  Joined: 07/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1329 |
Hey that's really different and interesting Ando, welcome to TheBackShed from me too. I can sympathise with the Mozzies thing - I've been a favourite target of the little bug...s all my life, for some reason they love me! |
||||
| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9585 |
You Aussies must have sweet blood. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
||||
bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2949 |
They Get too Drunk on Kiwi blood...
Welcome Ando. Looks interesting, a novel approach. Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
||||
| paceman Guru Joined: 07/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1329 |
Yes, I'm a favourite invite to a BBQ - everyone else gets left alone! |
||||
| ando Newbie Joined: 05/12/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6 |
haha... Thanks for the welcome, and if I was worried about being the only nutter here.....well those concerns have mysteriously evaporated.  |
||||
Prime_8 Regular Member  Joined: 07/12/2014 Location: CanadaPosts: 51 |
yo ando , im in now . Old coder, and bodger of things that may spark. |
||||
| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2949 |
Welcome Prime_8 Are you stating that you are in the NUTTER club or just a TBS forum Member? From the play in your Username I guess the first (or maybe both). Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
||||
| Prime_8 Regular Member Joined: 07/12/2014 Location: CanadaPosts: 51 |
oh yeah! "NUTTER club" and yup. LOL not everyone gets the play in my user name . LOL ando has been translating my code samples for the rest of humanity for a few years. 
I code , build and FLY R/C 'things' , and many other crazy projects. hmm time to update my profile . ~~ ando , have you had any luck with stability at higher pulse speeds by avoiding harmonics of your screen refresh? ~~~ i wonder about multi-CH PWM over audio from PC. I mean , like how I can use the PWM signal formly R/C controller as a joystick , if you could generate that PWM back into a trainer port from sound out, you could control your scope using hobby servos. Old coder, and bodger of things that may spark. |
||||
| ando Newbie Joined: 05/12/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6 |
OH NO... who let Prime in? hehe...
When I was driving the 4 stepper inputs directly from screen to light activated switch and then to motor, I could only get about 3 seconds per rev and I think the main limiting factor is the time it takes for the light dependent resistors to change from high to low and low to high. Roughly 40 ms. So if I want fast steppers, indirectly through stepper circuits seems the only way. I bought all the parts for PWM setup so I'm looking forward to getting that together for some fast and more importantly slow tests with dc motors. Just by dimming one of those squares to make it run slow hopefully with good torque. Actually, I think the kind of slow LDR change rate has the good effect of making the light activated switch not really being affected by screen refresh rates. I mean, if it's on, it stays on. No chatter. So it's good for switching lots of things on or off individually but not good for switching something on and off at high speed. |
||||
| Prime_8 Regular Member Joined: 07/12/2014 Location: CanadaPosts: 51 |
http://www.banggood.com/Multimeter-Tester-for-Servos-ESC-Mul ti-axis-Aircraft-p-915499.html i wonder if you could swap that pot for a LDR & tuning pot , or set of LDR to emulate the range. then you can drive hobby servos. I have some that could swing a whole scope. Old coder, and bodger of things that may spark. |
||||
 Print this page |
 |
The Back Shed's forum code is written, and hosted, in Australia. | © JAQ Software 2025 |
