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Thread: It's Alive!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2020
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    Default It's Alive!

    Good evening!!

    Following my posts from June earlier this year I set out my lock down project as a laser projector. (LaserBoy as I know you'll be lurking, I was the one asking about the source for your software)

    Well it's here and im super happy with it!

    I had to wait 2 months for the blasted PCBs to arrive from China, and then i blew two of the diodes of which I had to order another laser module from china which took another month.

    I also wrote some code! I have built an ILDA reader and manipulator(less of the later currently). The code takes a file and converts to a .wav with a really easy to use. It's '''semi''' real-time, editing files on the fly and previewing them. The tripe quote marks are used as really it just stops playing computes the new file and starts playing and seeks. Comparing this method to some of the other pieces of software however does a good job for Audio DAC's, it however does fall down with larger files as the computations on a 50MB file is around 4 seconds but fine with smaller ones.


    PCB problems still: originally I wanted to control a PWM for laser output with the arduino reading the analog voltage from the DAC, whilst I havent actually tried this, i carried out some tests before hand and its not close enough for a 48k audio sample. This needs to be spot on so the image doesn't become odd out of sync, to do this I will need to think of something different. Also one track is incorrect!

    Another reason for the arduino was to create patterns from it via another on board SPI DAC, I accidentally connected the wrong pins and i couldn't really salvage it so I decided just to rip out the DAC and actually the laser is more impressive with a laptop instead.... Will I order another PCB? PCB design is actually not something Im super into any more and takes a lot of effort.

    I could invest in an intelligent expensive show card but my miss' isn't happy as we are currently saving for our first property.... (mortgage accepted btw )

    If anyone is looking for the software please get in contact, its not in a releasable state and theres loads more that could be added. The only annoying fact with this at the minute is that I'm having to generate the audio and save it to the HDD to play it, I haven't found any method so far to play it from RAM. (I can do it with 2 channel but not 6....) maybe a game engine developer might stumble across this and send me an email to trevor.boultwood@hotmail.co.uk

    A question before you get to look up at the images - Any fancy trick into aligning the 3 lasers other than my hand? Bloody modules got shipped in a plastic bag!
















    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Capture.png  

    Last edited by tboultwood; 09-05-2020 at 10:53.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
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    your software looks awsome trev but where did you source the ilda files from ? Some of these files are pangolin property I recall like the skeleton skull and the WIM (World in Motion) show.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    Cleveland Ohio
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    Yup same thing I was thinking. Those are not meant to be ilda files. If you want that quality work at least buy an fb4. Would have saved a lot of work too. Never the less better than I could do. Well done.

  4. #4
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    May 2020
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    Quote Originally Posted by masterpj View Post
    your software looks awsome trev but where did you source the ilda files from ? Some of these files are pangolin property I recall like the skeleton skull and the WIM (World in Motion) show.

    OOO, I found these files in a massive FTP server i think from around here, would you advise I remove it?

    Thank you for the compliment however...

  5. #5
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    May 2020
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    Quote Originally Posted by kecked View Post
    Yup same thing I was thinking. Those are not meant to be ilda files. If you want that quality work at least buy an fb4. Would have saved a lot of work too. Never the less better than I could do. Well done.

    The software isnt that complicated (easy for me to say i suppose) just took a bit of time. Thank you, how much is licensing? As stated, this was really a technical project so i avoided buying software though you are right would of been a lot easier.

    Thank you however.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by tboultwood View Post
    OOO, I found these files in a massive FTP server i think from around here, would you advise I remove it?

    Thank you for the compliment however...
    Good to know about the ftp server. I'd say: yes I recommend doing so. I don't know the story about how those files ever made it there.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2020
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by masterpj View Post
    Good to know about the ftp server. I'd say: yes I recommend doing so. I don't know the story about how those files ever made it there.

    I removed one of the pictures for peace of mind, a gold mine for ILDA files none the less, half of the time of the project was exploring all the 'funky' designs.

    I have just looked up the helios DAC and didnt realise it was open source, im now installing ATMEL studio to peak around the code, USB functionality is pretty difficult but migrating to the spaghetti software would turn the project up a notch.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Cleveland Ohio
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    I think you can get in pangolin for land for under 500.00. Not actually sure anymore. That’s quick show. Beyond is much more but well it’s also. Much More.

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