Qrest Fourstar
Sr Member
I've wathed a few FMMF build diaries and have made note of many ideas but that light kit of yours is awesome. Wish I had the brains to light it that way.
IR remote LED switch for my Millenium Falcon
- Thread starter vixr
- Start date
I've wathed a few FMMF build diaries and have made note of many ideas but that light kit of yours is awesome. Wish I had the brains to light it that way.
vixr
Well-Known Member
vixr
Well-Known Member
Guys,
I was thinking that the current configuration of the IR switch allows for on/off only... Well, I'm using a CD4017 decade counter IC. It counts when I drive the clock pin high with a IR remote pulse. So why not have the CD4017 count to three instead of just two? :facepalm So my question is: What would be a "in-flight" lighting configuration and what would be a "parked" lighting configuration? The IR remote control switch would work as follows: first press of the TV remote turns on "in-flight", a second press switches off "in-flight" and switches to "parked" and a third press turns the lights off...a 4th press starts the whole sequence again...
here is a look at the schematic and the PCB layout. I will try to etch one of these up ASAP for testing, let me know what you think...
I was thinking that the current configuration of the IR switch allows for on/off only... Well, I'm using a CD4017 decade counter IC. It counts when I drive the clock pin high with a IR remote pulse. So why not have the CD4017 count to three instead of just two? :facepalm So my question is: What would be a "in-flight" lighting configuration and what would be a "parked" lighting configuration? The IR remote control switch would work as follows: first press of the TV remote turns on "in-flight", a second press switches off "in-flight" and switches to "parked" and a third press turns the lights off...a 4th press starts the whole sequence again...
here is a look at the schematic and the PCB layout. I will try to etch one of these up ASAP for testing, let me know what you think...
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vixr
Well-Known Member
WOO HOO!!! the dual switch works perfectly...The LEDs are not in the correct configuration, this was just for the video. I plan to have the engine, gun turrets and headlights as well as the cockpit lights on the first push of the TV remote and the floodlights and red lights on the bottom hull as well as the ramp, landing gear wells and secondary cockpit lights on the second push of the remote...here is some video.
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Qrest Fourstar
Sr Member
Cant get the video to work.
vixr
Well-Known Member
I think I got the video working now...
Here is the finished board in place.
here it is with most of the components installed.
here is is side by side with the old board, I added a second relay, resistor, 5volt LEDs and transistor to the bottom left side, a small tantalum capacitor to the input of the IR sensor to settle it down so ambient light changes wont be a problem...I also added a nice little fader circuit to the bottom right side and then found out I didnt have the chip I need to make it work...I ordered the part.
I tried to make a little more sense with my power consumption by adding a second 5 volt regulator on the switched 12 volt side. Now I'm only powering the EL tape inverter with 12 volts and all the LEDs on the 12 volt side are running off of the second 5 volt regulator...this means I can use a much smaller Ohm value resistor on the LEDs when the main engine it lit.
Here is the finished board in place.
here it is with most of the components installed.
here is is side by side with the old board, I added a second relay, resistor, 5volt LEDs and transistor to the bottom left side, a small tantalum capacitor to the input of the IR sensor to settle it down so ambient light changes wont be a problem...I also added a nice little fader circuit to the bottom right side and then found out I didnt have the chip I need to make it work...I ordered the part.
I tried to make a little more sense with my power consumption by adding a second 5 volt regulator on the switched 12 volt side. Now I'm only powering the EL tape inverter with 12 volts and all the LEDs on the 12 volt side are running off of the second 5 volt regulator...this means I can use a much smaller Ohm value resistor on the LEDs when the main engine it lit.
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Qrest Fourstar
Sr Member
Very cool.
vixr
Well-Known Member
Thank you... I think I've settled on this as the configuration I need. I will post some pictures of it all in place when the soldering is done.
vixr
Well-Known Member
So, I had the chip I needed for my fader circuit after all...its a simple dual operational amplifier IC. I used a OP2132PA chip which is a bit of overkill for a fader, but the fader is working...the whole remote switch is up and running. All thats left is to drill the holes in the model where I'm putting fiber optics. I will post pictures soon. A little snag I hit is some of the LEDs are brighter than others...I will have to either add some trimmers to the LEDs or find some fixed resistors that will match the brightness up a bit...
vixr
Well-Known Member
Guys,
I am seriously close to having a production version of the switch for sale to whoever wants one. I have prototyped the PCB to the point that I feel comfortable with the configurations and would have the boards professionally produced and hand built by me with the best parts and quality I can provide. I have just a few last tweaks to do with the LED brightness matching and I could sell a few prototypes to some qualified beta testers to provide feedback and offer me thier expert opinions on the installation of the switch.
I can give a breakdown of the cost to build and ship the fully functional switch to qualified RPF members. Please PM me if you consider yourself to be an above average or expert modeler with a decent grasp of what I need for feedback. Thank you for all of the kind comments and encouragement from everyone. Rob
I am seriously close to having a production version of the switch for sale to whoever wants one. I have prototyped the PCB to the point that I feel comfortable with the configurations and would have the boards professionally produced and hand built by me with the best parts and quality I can provide. I have just a few last tweaks to do with the LED brightness matching and I could sell a few prototypes to some qualified beta testers to provide feedback and offer me thier expert opinions on the installation of the switch.
I can give a breakdown of the cost to build and ship the fully functional switch to qualified RPF members. Please PM me if you consider yourself to be an above average or expert modeler with a decent grasp of what I need for feedback. Thank you for all of the kind comments and encouragement from everyone. Rob
vixr
Well-Known Member
I wasnt really happy with the floodlights on the bottom hull with regard to the size of the fiber optic strands and the bluish tint to the superbright white LED. When the 1mm strands are heated and mushroomed they expand to about twice their original size, so today I bought some 3mm fiber optic cable and I think, once heated, they will be much closer in scale than the 1mm...they should be close to 6mm diameter.
I also bought some 10mm warm white LEDs and after a quick test they are waaay nicer and closer to a typical floodlight in color. I will post some pictures as soon as possible with the fiber optic changes.
I also bought some 10mm warm white LEDs and after a quick test they are waaay nicer and closer to a typical floodlight in color. I will post some pictures as soon as possible with the fiber optic changes.
Avanaut
Well-Known Member
I used 3mm warm white leds for the bottom hull lights, they had a lot of variation in individual unit temperatures, that's very bad in a photograph. To the naked eye warm looked great, but eventually I changed them all to cool white. They're a little blue but in camera closer to daylight than the warm ones and they were all the same exact temperature.
I did not know fiber optic strand expands when heated, is that just a certain brand or is it common to most brands? Looking forward to seeing how this will turn out. Maybe some extreme detail shots below the hull after the strands are in place? Ot would be great to see the lit pits closely. I might do my next Falcon with fiber, too.
I did not know fiber optic strand expands when heated, is that just a certain brand or is it common to most brands? Looking forward to seeing how this will turn out. Maybe some extreme detail shots below the hull after the strands are in place? Ot would be great to see the lit pits closely. I might do my next Falcon with fiber, too.
vixr
Well-Known Member
Here is the original superbright white LED at 1mm diameter fiber optic. I bought all of the fiber optic strands from
the fiber optic store
here is the 3mm strand with the warm white LED
here is the fiber optic strand with the end heated with a bic lighter. Slightly melted the end to make it clear again, after a light sanding to get the end true from cutting with my flush cutter...the end will melt in a more uniform way but I did it quickly just for a test.
