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  • Author Author: colporteur
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Fireworks Simulation with Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) Day 8 final post.

colporteur

Mounted the controller breakout board (i.e. perf board) and routed the RGBLED OFC cables through cable holders. Cable holders are just pieces of heat shink tubing, super glued to back board. In addition mounted the power supply assembly and routed power cables and input/output cables.

image

 

The fireworks light display will be triggered by a button mounted on the layout. A scope creep request was presented to make the display unit portable. A two button fireworks triggering solution was needed. A button on the display panel is recessed (below voltage display segment in the picture) and is wired in parallel with the button that will be mounted on the layout. Either button pressed will trigger the fireworks sequence.

 

haircut1.jpg: cutoff strands flush to the panelimage

 

haircut2.jpg: one down two to goimage

 

haircut3.jpg: cutting strands flush with side cuttersimage

 

The optic fibre cable strands poking through the display needed a haircut. Using a pair of side cutters the strands were cut flush to the display panel. With all components mounted and a quick meter test to prove no shorts the display assembly was powered up. NO SMOKE!

 

Summary

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The plan for this off-the-shelf project was to use an optic fibre cable lamp to create a model railroad layout fireworks light simulation. A series of blogs posts were created to document and track progress.  A short video to demonstrated the projects success is enclosed.

  • One more thing from the school of hard knocks to share - most projects I build are taken to maker faires , museums, and schools, where the ambient noise level is loud.

    I'll take the MP3 player output thru a audio transformer ( actually I use 600 ohm :600 transformers I believe used to be for servers ? )

    The higher impedance and isolation keeps from loading the mp3  IC to the audio amp of choice 15W to 100W. Once getting to that point, then speakers and their enclosures get some focus , bare speaker cones dont cut it.

  • in reply to robogary

    I managed to get the last DFPlayer working.

     

    I have been researching the DFPlayer and just because something works doesn't mean it should be used. One example is dual speakers. Yes it works but they tax the module to the point it can cook itself.

     

    I have read comments that endorse your suggestion of not using Arduino power supply to feed the module. Noise seems to be the major complaint.

     

    I see to recall 3VDC was recommended in some posts but the specs say three to five volts is supported. Your suggestion of dropping the voltage using diodes is a technique I have used in the past.

     

    I have a batch of DFPlayer modules on order. I also ordered a MP3 module that has onboard memory and doesn't require the SD Card. I'm hoping the module proves successful for the small projects that require sound. Small size SD cards are hard to come by.

     

    I've been tied up with fall projects so I haven't been able to work on the fireworks. Hopefully in the next week I might free up some time.

  • in reply to colporteur

    I've had really good luck using WTV020s and DFplayers, once I found out a secret ..........the sound players show some cheapy ways in the data sheet  to supply to 3.3V to the player, using a couple dropping diodes from an Arduino 5V supply, etc,

    I'd smoked a couple WTV020s, have strange intermittent operating, etc  powering the player this way.

     

    For example when using an Arduino, I usually have a  9 or12V power supply feeding it.

    If I used a separate buck power supply to convert 9 or 12V to 3.3V, and feed that sound player power separately from Arduino it magically fixes the majority of problems I had.Make sure to keep all COMs tied together.

    yep the buck power supply  adds a little cost and takes up more space than the player, but it works reliably.  I often get a LM386 amp card ( I built one once, cost twice as much to build as a surface mount one already built) fed by the 9V or 12V power supply to drive a speaker.  

     

    The WTV020 is mono and has no guts to drive a speaker. DFplayer is much better to do stereo and has a little amp in it, and can use higher capacity easier to find SD cards.

  • That is pretty cool addition to the RR - I could almost hear the crackling and booms. I enjoyed Asia in the audio background while listening for the crackling and booms:-)

  • in reply to DAB

    Some trepidation is keeping me from starting sound.

     

    I have one DFPlayer module. It is the last of ten I purchased last year. Since that I have gotten back order notices when I have tried to order them. I just got confirmation that a recent order was accepted. That doesn't mean much to me in today's supply chain management. Until they arrive I don't consider them available.

     

    My trepidation is that I have four similar DFPlayers that failed to work or worked once and never again. I'm not sure if it something I am doing or they are just defective. I had another ten before this order and distributed them for use in a model railroader workshop. They all worked. This latest batch is flaky or I am flaky.

     

    I will get up the courage in the next little while to unseal the anti-static wrap packaging and see what I can do. I wish I knew what the failure issue was. If it is something I am doing, then I'm all-in for change.