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Thread: PT-30K scanner troubles

  1. #1
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    Default PT-30K scanner troubles

    Hello everyone. I recently started a RGB projector build.Click image for larger version. 

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    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	53794After getting this thing aligned for now, I decided to run it through the scanners that I bought, Spacelas PT-30K's. and this is what I got :

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I went through every tuning procedure I could find and nothing seems to be working. It is supposed to be the ILDA test pattern. It is being run from my computer into a usbstreamer into a Alesis blackface (yes it has been modified), then into the projector.

    I am at a loss, any insight would be greatly appreciated.

    Casey

  2. #2
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    Any chance the ground is floating?
    "There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun." Pablo Picasso

  3. #3
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    I've tried every configuration for ground. Everything connected to single poit ground, only the galvos and signal grounded together, only the signal grounded through to the galvos inputs, full isolation ofgounds.... Everything is even on a filtered circuit. (APS UPS).

    I'm beginning to wonder if the incoming signal is bad. Be it the adat is actually bad, the usbstreamer is configured wrong or something. But I've gone through everything many times and haven't found anything.


    If I fiddle with the scanner amps enough you can see some of the parts of the test pattern but they are horribly off, like the image is tilted, 3d, and then stretched low right, if that makes sense. I can make out the outline square and the inner square. But the inner square is outside of the larger square and low right

  4. #4
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    If you don't have test equipment you can test the galvos/amps with a battery, some resistors, and a potentiometer. If the galvo mirrors track the pot the galvos and amp work (more or less - the default troubleshooting technique shouldn't involve jumping to screwing with the driver alignment) once you know the galvos work then you can build a quick and dirty voltage follower as your input stage to your poor man's o'scope, build a sawtooth ramp generator, and actually troubleshoot the problem... Or just buy a cheap old analog o'scope...
    "There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun." Pablo Picasso

  5. #5
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    Does the image start normal and distort? What scan angle are you trying to scan at? It may be that your poly-switches are tripping. Try displaying the test pattern at a really small angle, say 5 degrees. If it displays correctly, try scaling up until the image distorts. The poly-switch is a resettable "fuse". It will trip if the gavlos are pulling too much current and the image will distort and look very close to what you have in your original post.

  6. #6
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    Not my first rodeo with galvos. At first it looked like the tuning was just jacked up, which is what I expected from Chinese galvos. So I then attempted a tune. Scan angle is minimal at best, I de-tuned and started from 0. No I did not adjust offset or lin pot. Just reset size, gain, lf, and hf.

    The image never looks clear no matter the scan angle.

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    This image looks familiar...

    You might want to double check the wiring from your interface board to the Alesis and scanners/diodes as the interface boards shown in that thread have IDC connectors on it. Many moons ago I wired up an FB3 and was confused by the wiring diagram as it showed the IDC connector and not the ILDA db connector wiring...resulting in basicly the same pattern. Another member on PL had the same problem, here is that thread but unfortunately his pictures are not available for comparison. Note post #14 & 15.
    https://www.photonlexicon.com/forums...B3-hookup-help!!!

  8. #8
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    I am using a stanwax ilda breakout board. Db25 is wired as per ilda specs x+ on 1, x- on 14, y+ on 2, and y- on 15. And I don't think you can mess up on the breakout board. I will ohm check all connections, maybe there is cross talk somewhere in the signal input, I'll see if there is any cross channel resistance indicative of a break/short on both the cable and the board

  9. #9
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    How about ILDA pin 25? Do you have that attached to the scanner power supply?

    If you’re playing thru the USBStreamer, then I assume you are playing a wave file? What application are you using to playback the file? I have a few wave files on a shared google drive that you can download if you’d like to try a different file.

  10. #10
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    I cannot remember if I tried that configuration for grounding, I will try that when I get home this weekend.

    I am actually using LFI player to try for the ilda test pattern. I could not find a good wav of the ilda pattern, and it may be that LFI is not playing nice with my setup. If you could point me In the direction of some good wav's I can run them through and see. Using cool edit pro for output, once again, it's something I'm used to from my old laserist days

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