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Thread: Open Laser Show DAC (USB)

  1. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by cfavreau View Post
    That is a great idea. I thought of the same thing a while back. Well... I would probably make it TTL color and use an ARM chip with 2 x 12 bit DACs built in. That would simplify the circuit a bit. You would still need a a quad opamp, DC to DC converter, and some passives... plus a battery and maybe charging circuit. Did you want a device like this? What would be your target price you would pay for such a device? Which test patterns would you use?
    Yeah, my idea was to build something like this myself, but it's way outside my pay grade. So given that, yeah, I'd like to have one. I'd probably pay $100 for something like this in a nice little package.. (especially if it could play .wav laser shows from an SD card).

    I was involved with another (non-laser) product that used 2 and 3 letter commands over serial BLE to change settings on an arduino based light board. I then wrote a Cordova mobile app to give dozens of two and three letter commands a GUI instead the provided command line interface. Worked great -- users didn't have to memorize dozens of commands. So I thought using the same approach, having BLE on Arduino or RPi would eliminate any buttons on the laser device and we could control it via any smartphone from up to 30m away. Also firmware/feature upgradable.

    Especially at SELEM, there's constant needs to throw up test patterns for scanner or driver tuning, but we need to find someone with a computer, software, dac, etc.

    Quote Originally Posted by cfavreau View Post
    On another note the OLSD firmware has test patterns built in. It has ILDA Test Pattern, Laser Media Test Pattern, Square Wave, a custom Test Pattern I made for tuning. It displays them in Color and Monochrome and at 12kpps and 30kpps. The button on the OLSD board cycles through them. It can be run without a computer ... just add a battery.
    Yes, I saw that. Would the same firmware be portable to a new device like this?


    thanks.

  2. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by HankLloydRight View Post
    Yeah, my idea was to build something like this myself, but it's way outside my pay grade. So given that, yeah, I'd like to have one. I'd probably pay $100 for something like this in a nice little package.. (especially if it could play .wav laser shows from an SD card).

    I was involved with another (non-laser) product that used 2 and 3 letter commands over serial BLE to change settings on an arduino based light board. I then wrote a Cordova mobile app to give dozens of two and three letter commands a GUI instead the provided command line interface. Worked great -- users didn't have to memorize dozens of commands. So I thought using the same approach, having BLE on Arduino or RPi would eliminate any buttons on the laser device and we could control it via any smartphone from up to 30m away. Also firmware/feature upgradable.

    Especially at SELEM, there's constant needs to throw up test patterns for scanner or driver tuning, but we need to find someone with a computer, software, dac, etc.



    Yes, I saw that. Would the same firmware be portable to a new device like this?


    thanks.
    It would be roughly portable. I would probably just rewrite it. It would not be a big effort.

    What controls would you want on it? Currently there is one button to cycle through patterns. Keep in mind not to get out of control with features.

  3. #53
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    Something like this? https://shop.stanwaxlaser.co.uk/ilda...tool-563-p.asp

    Anyway, an Arduino is not fit for laser projection. It does not have analog outputs, only PWM modulation. It's also a bit slow.

    The Pi is faster, but also does not have analog outputs (save the audio out).

  4. #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by colouredmirrorball View Post
    Pretty much, but needs more test patterns.



    Quote Originally Posted by colouredmirrorball View Post
    Anyway, an Arduino is not fit for laser projection. It does not have analog outputs, only PWM modulation. It's also a bit slow.

    The Pi is faster, but also does not have analog outputs (save the audio out).
    Dan B told me that Ardunio is coming out with a much faster board soon (if not already).

  5. #55
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    It can be as fast as it wants, it's still gonna need a good quality DAC to be useful.

  6. #56
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    Hello,

    I have a device like this on my bench right now.

    It uses a 16-bit DAC and contains the following test patterns:

    Laser Media
    ILDA 30K
    ILDA 12K
    Sharp Dots
    Blanking Shift
    Gray Scale
    Dark Color
    Grid Test
    Light Color
    Orientation
    Quadrature
    Medium Color

    It runs at an adjustable rate up to 35K.

    It's Arduino based but I'm programming it using AVR code. I'm pretty much only using the Arduino boot loader.

    Here are a couple pictures:









    It also tests shutter and interlock.


    6 buttons select patterns, functions and other options.


    I hope you found this useful.

    ED
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 1.jpg  

    2.jpg  


  7. #57
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    anymore these days you can have a full computer in a box 6" square. Just add a little 7" lcd, mouse, usb dac and you have a full setup in nearly the same space as these arduino units plus it can do show playback.

  8. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by kecked View Post
    anymore these days you can have a full computer in a box 6" square. Just add a little 7" lcd, mouse, usb dac and you have a full setup in nearly the same space as these arduino units plus it can do show playback.
    Sure, but you'd still need a FB3 or etherdream or other DAC on top of the computer. What I envision is a unit the size of the Stanwax unit, but more features, like additional test patterns and BLE for control.

  9. #59
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    I guess the LaserDock comes close, but I'd like it to be wireless and about half the price, and support iOS.

    https://www.wickedlasers.com/laserdo...eros_dongle_id

  10. #60
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    Quote Originally Posted by ekeefe View Post
    Hello,

    I have a device like this on my bench right now.

    It uses a 16-bit DAC and contains the following test patterns:

    ED
    Thanks for posting your project. Are you able to share anything from your project besides pictures? I am curious as to what DAC you are using? It looks like one of the max SPI ones.

    I guess I never showed any pictures of the OLSD board and such. It is not 16 bit however it was designed to keep the cost down and features up. It uses an Arduino board for the controller and the boot loader. I did not use the Arduino library as it is a bit slow and bloated.

    Here is a link to the project if anyone is interested: http://www.fab-favreau.com/index.php...enLaserShowDAC

    There are some pictures as well as source code, schematics, board layouts, etc.

    Here are the specs for the Rev 4 board:


    • Scan Rates: 1 kpps to 30 kpps
    • XY Resolution: 12 Bits
    • Color Resolution: 5 bits (for a total of 32,768 colors)
    • Colors: Red, Green, Blue outputs
    • TTL Shutter Output
    • Built in test patterns accessible by button.

    Picture of the Rev 4 board:
    Click image for larger version. 

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