Iskelderon
Sr Member
Always great to see progress on this beauty!
Inspires me to one day do a Lost Era tricorder.
Inspires me to one day do a Lost Era tricorder.
The Unused Voyager Tricorder V2
- Thread starter MangyDog
- Start date
So just been figuring out how to connect the boards.
I maybe could have given more thought how best to connect the boards during construction while designing things. as this turned out to be more awkward than I would have liked...
Anyway managed to figure out the best way to do it.
The front sensor cluster goes in first.
I then connect its FFC to the main board. while i have easy access, I then connect the lcds cable, and then fit the lcd into its space.
The main downside to this is, I then put on the main front face and its buttons. This will seal in the LCD (that part i did design in) but it means if anything goes wrong. Theres no way to get access to the front sensor cluster ffc cable to fix anything... This project is still a sandwiching situation.
At least I figured out how to connect things. That one was bothering me for a while, till i started trying...
I maybe could have given more thought how best to connect the boards during construction while designing things. as this turned out to be more awkward than I would have liked...
Anyway managed to figure out the best way to do it.
The front sensor cluster goes in first.
I then connect its FFC to the main board. while i have easy access, I then connect the lcds cable, and then fit the lcd into its space.
The main downside to this is, I then put on the main front face and its buttons. This will seal in the LCD (that part i did design in) but it means if anything goes wrong. Theres no way to get access to the front sensor cluster ffc cable to fix anything... This project is still a sandwiching situation.
At least I figured out how to connect things. That one was bothering me for a while, till i started trying...
Great work sir.
Ok so i ran into a problem, the magnets ive picked and designed slots for to glue into are not strong enough to trigger the reed switches....
So over the last few days ive been trying to figure out what to do about it, including the option of getting more powerful magnets. But ive struggled to find magnets that would fit, and it would also mean having to desolve the glue and break epoxy glue... Not keen on that!
So as another option is to use hall effect sensors instead. The downside though is a tiny waste of power, as each sensor takes roughly 5mA...
I only had some 5v sensors on hand, and the IO im using on my microcontroller is 3v, so I had to do a little experimenting... and put in a high value voltage divider. This at least gives me a good signal for high or low without blowing the IO port.
The magnet on the front of the door!
First reed switch, same model as the old one i used...
Hall effect sensors with the voltage divider resistors attached.
So over the last few days ive been trying to figure out what to do about it, including the option of getting more powerful magnets. But ive struggled to find magnets that would fit, and it would also mean having to desolve the glue and break epoxy glue... Not keen on that!
So as another option is to use hall effect sensors instead. The downside though is a tiny waste of power, as each sensor takes roughly 5mA...
I only had some 5v sensors on hand, and the IO im using on my microcontroller is 3v, so I had to do a little experimenting... and put in a high value voltage divider. This at least gives me a good signal for high or low without blowing the IO port.
The magnet on the front of the door!
First reed switch, same model as the old one i used...
Hall effect sensors with the voltage divider resistors attached.
Well with the hall effect sensors doing their job, I was now ready to glue shut the door parts...
Epoxied shut with gorilla glue so should be good... When its all hard (tomorrow) ill sand then flat and start using filler and super glue to make the edge seamless
Wasnt super straight forward though, before sealing up the doors, I wanted to double check all the functions... LEDs and buttons.
And discovered a little design mistake with the emergency button. I forgot that MCU im using in the door didnt have an internal pulldown resistor, as I was used to using STM32s like the one im using in the main body. So i had to make a small hacky alteration, removing and bridging one 10k resistor and then putting in a 10k pull down resistor. Would prefer that fix designed on the pcb but its going inside this sealed part so I wasnt going to do another PCB spin just for this little fix.
But anyway all sealed and now ready to finish this part, then continue assembling the main bodies.
Woooo
Epoxied shut with gorilla glue so should be good... When its all hard (tomorrow) ill sand then flat and start using filler and super glue to make the edge seamless
Wasnt super straight forward though, before sealing up the doors, I wanted to double check all the functions... LEDs and buttons.
And discovered a little design mistake with the emergency button. I forgot that MCU im using in the door didnt have an internal pulldown resistor, as I was used to using STM32s like the one im using in the main body. So i had to make a small hacky alteration, removing and bridging one 10k resistor and then putting in a 10k pull down resistor. Would prefer that fix designed on the pcb but its going inside this sealed part so I wasnt going to do another PCB spin just for this little fix.
But anyway all sealed and now ready to finish this part, then continue assembling the main bodies.
Woooo
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Sealed up and seams being hidden with super glue and filler...
I sadly dont think im going to get quite the hard edge i was hoping for but it shouldnt be too bad... Will see after first repaint.
Next got to mask off the buttons, sad back some of the grey paint and use another coat of yellow filler primer and then the grey paint...
I sadly dont think im going to get quite the hard edge i was hoping for but it shouldnt be too bad... Will see after first repaint.
Next got to mask off the buttons, sad back some of the grey paint and use another coat of yellow filler primer and then the grey paint...
Cries. Just noticed this and now i need to crap open the glue parts and some how take this apart... and replace the hinge.
So effed off by this....
Was about to do the final pain work on the door before attaching it to the main bodies...
The other two are fine. Its just this hinge.
With a scalpel carefully scoring acetone to try and soften the glues and paints and lot of patience, i managed to crack it open without breaking anything...
But now i need to decide what to do about the hinge :/
I just cant trust the resin hinges any more :/ And as im making 2 of these for some one i really cant give them something that might break at any time.
So i have plan c, something i kinda was thinking about in the past.
Create custom brass hinges. This time splitting the brass into 2 parts per hinge. With a dummy link in the middle isolating the two halves. Sending power and data down the links rather than wires...
Ive ordered some brass to see if its something I can make with the tools i have. If it works ill fab up some hinges.
The only fear after this would be later if the contact becomes unstable on teh data side of the hinge, through the pin and brass... This is something ill have to try and negate, even if it means making a stiff hinge and ill maybe look into some kind of conductive filler or grease. to put with the hinge and pin links.
But this is going to put a horrible delay on getting this finished :/ Really very pissed off about that tbh. As I WANT THIS DONE!
But now i need to decide what to do about the hinge :/
I just cant trust the resin hinges any more :/ And as im making 2 of these for some one i really cant give them something that might break at any time.
So i have plan c, something i kinda was thinking about in the past.
Create custom brass hinges. This time splitting the brass into 2 parts per hinge. With a dummy link in the middle isolating the two halves. Sending power and data down the links rather than wires...
Ive ordered some brass to see if its something I can make with the tools i have. If it works ill fab up some hinges.
The only fear after this would be later if the contact becomes unstable on teh data side of the hinge, through the pin and brass... This is something ill have to try and negate, even if it means making a stiff hinge and ill maybe look into some kind of conductive filler or grease. to put with the hinge and pin links.
But this is going to put a horrible delay on getting this finished :/ Really very pissed off about that tbh. As I WANT THIS DONE!
Your dedication and problem solving skills are commendable - I could never imagine wiring in hinges, please keep us posted
A brass hinge would be so much more robust.
20mm brass hinge, e-bay UK
20mm brass hinge, e-bay UK
Yes but off the shelf ones won't work as I need 2 signals per hinge... Power and serial...
I also have model hinges used by the mark IX tricorders. But they're a tad too small for my design. So going to have to make custom ones.... Wish me luck
Ah that's understandable.Yes but off the shelf ones won't work as I need 2 signals per hinge... Power and serial...
I also have model hinges used by the mark IX tricorders. But they're a tad too small for my design. So going to have to make custom ones.... Wish me luck
Good luck.
AnubisGuard
Master Member
Change the design to use four hinges? You could run power through two and signal through the other two, if I'm understanding the setup correctly.
AnubisGuard
Master Member
There was a similar challenge for the VOY: Endgame tricorder and they solved it with three hinges. Maybe that would work?
AnubisGuard
Master Member
I don't know the electronics of it, but the Endgame door has sequencing lights in it, so they must have needed an additional wire for signal.
Re staying true, if they had actually produced this design, there would have been changes. I doubt they could have used two hinges and probably would have approached that area differently. Given its similarities -- like opening flat, the rounded top, and the elaborate lights in the door -- I've always suspected that the Endgame tric was based on the original VOY tricorder design, finally realized with the higher (?) budget of the finale.
This has far from been easy.......
Ive had a right nightmare with the brass lately. Not making the hinges so much... ill get to that, but just getting hold of it...
I got some brass sheets a few weeks back but at the time I had no way to cut into strips.
So I found a shop that was selling 4mm wide strips... Perfect.... Only I find out 2 weeks after placing the order that they were out of stock...
After wasting sooo much time waiting for that, I tried to cut some strips on my bandsaw and nope, the blade I had was too course and blunt and wouldnt cut the brass...
So I found a blade on amazon that was 24 teeth per inch, perfect... Checked the size to what I thought was the size of blade on my saw.....
And nope... I try installing the blade after delivery and it was too small... I reread the specs on my saw and found I was reading the wrong measurement
Anyway turns out my saw doesnt have a terribly common saw length, so i had to order a made to order band blade...
Slightly more expensive and had to wait several more days yet again......
But at least now after several weeks, Ive managed to start
Im not going to lie this project like many of mine, is starting to get overly complicated.
Anyway
Soooo heres the strips
I intentionally slightly over sized the width as I knew the edge wouldnt be clean, So i cut back all the rough edges.
Double checking it fits.
bunch of strips......
one tricorders set of loops.
Soooo i made a little mistake.
I need to cut another strip as I dont have enough hoops for all three hinges.
But damn this is being a super pain.... The brass is hard which is good... but its also really difficult to shape. Im using pliers and a vice to help shape the hoops... And its taken several several hours to just make this one set of hoops...
joy!
Anyway its getting done!
Ive had a right nightmare with the brass lately. Not making the hinges so much... ill get to that, but just getting hold of it...
I got some brass sheets a few weeks back but at the time I had no way to cut into strips.
So I found a shop that was selling 4mm wide strips... Perfect.... Only I find out 2 weeks after placing the order that they were out of stock...
After wasting sooo much time waiting for that, I tried to cut some strips on my bandsaw and nope, the blade I had was too course and blunt and wouldnt cut the brass...
So I found a blade on amazon that was 24 teeth per inch, perfect... Checked the size to what I thought was the size of blade on my saw.....
And nope... I try installing the blade after delivery and it was too small... I reread the specs on my saw and found I was reading the wrong measurement
Anyway turns out my saw doesnt have a terribly common saw length, so i had to order a made to order band blade...
Slightly more expensive and had to wait several more days yet again......
But at least now after several weeks, Ive managed to start
Im not going to lie this project like many of mine, is starting to get overly complicated.
Anyway
Soooo heres the strips
I intentionally slightly over sized the width as I knew the edge wouldnt be clean, So i cut back all the rough edges.
Double checking it fits.
bunch of strips......
one tricorders set of loops.
Soooo i made a little mistake.
I need to cut another strip as I dont have enough hoops for all three hinges.
But damn this is being a super pain.... The brass is hard which is good... but its also really difficult to shape. Im using pliers and a vice to help shape the hoops... And its taken several several hours to just make this one set of hoops...
joy!
Anyway its getting done!
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