smashtv

Nice catch D! ;D

Mouser also sells these displays: http://www.mouser.com/index.cfm?handler=displayproduct&lstdispproductid=410916&e_categoryid=89&e_pcodeid=69603 Same single quantity price as Digikey. Have fun! Smash

The best way to think about toner is that it's -like- powdered plastic while still in the printer, and it's melted (fused) to the paper. The toner transfer process is simply re-melting the toner again so that it sticks to the copper. ;) The Ferric Chloride only attacks metal (but will stain anything, including porcelain under water!), so the transferred pattern is relatively safe when in the etchant. When I do single boards, or don't have enough etching to do to justify filling an etch tank, I do the normal transfer, then use toner reactive foil (usually used to make certificates w/laser printer) fused on to the resist, to make the resist a lot stronger. That allows me to pour a tiny amount of etchant into a tray, then use a sponge to "rub etch". This is the most messy method, you MUST use gloves to do this. But I can etch a board this way in half the time it takes to run it in the tank, use almost no etchant, etc. See more about this method at: http://www.pulsar.gs/1_tts/c_pcb/new_tricks/all_writeups_support/technique_contact_etch.html Pulsar also sells large rolls of toner reactive foil here: http://www.pulsar.gs/5_online_store_no_frames/1_tts_store/c_pcb/master_PCB_listing.html#Anchor-21683 (this is the cheapest way I know of to buy this stuff!, it's a large roll) Have fun! SmashTV

Hey all! Just a suggestion: You should probably use shielded wire for the remote connections, as proximity to other electrical stuff might cause false switch closures, noisy switching (rapid on/off), etc. Have fun! ;D SmashTV

Hehe...You don't even have to ask nicely! ;) Smash

Just a quick note that the last few PIC failures that have been talked about here only had one pin, one set of I/O lines, or one function that failed, not the whole chip. So it's looking like the average failure mode of the PIC is just a few functions, not total failure......In other words any future troubleshooting of certain symptoms should involve swapping the chip with a known good one. ;) Have fun! SmashTV

Hello and welcome m00k13! The last time I looked at Mouser's selection of LCDs (which was quite a while ago!) they were high priced compared to other sources. You might take a look at some of the surplus companies, like http://www.allcorp.com and http://www.bgmicro.com to find some that are cheaper. ;) Have fun! SmashTV

Man I told myself I was gonna stay out of this..... :-/ First off, Thorsten can have whatever logo he wants, as father of the box that's only right. ;) And at the sake of not stepping off the neutral line, I say everyone who has anything to say about the logo should take a minute to make up the logo the way you want it, with whatever changes you think are needed and show it off here (But in the Misc. forum please!) </rant> It sounds like there is a lot of graphic arts type talent here, I personally would like to see what this community is capable of with graphic design stuff. Have fun! Smash

Here is some fuel to the fire...... ;) The Yampp hardware MP3 player project can use the Nokia 3310 LCD, hopefully this is the one that's commonly available. The 3310 appears to use an SPI interface, so a driver might not be too difficult to write for those who understand such things (I'm an SPI newbie, so don't look in my direction! ;) ) Here is the Yampp page detailing the display:http://www.myplace.nu/mp3/nokialcd.htm There you will find some pictures of the display, a small description, and a link to the datasheet for the controller chip used. Here is the description of the display: [tt]The Nokia 3310 LCD is a nice small graphical LCD, suitable for a lot of various projects. The yampp-3/U and yampp-7 MP3 players both can use this display. The display is 38*35 mm, with an active display surface of 30*22 mm, and a 84*48 pixel resolution. The display is easy to interface, using standard SPI communication. A 1-10 uF electrolytic capacitor from VOUT to GND, is the only external component needed. [/tt] Looks like no backlight is possible on these, but side lighting (the way Nokia does it in the phones) looks great and is easier to read in most situations that a standard 16x2 (Higher contrast/wider viewing angle) You could build a really trick box using one or more of these. ;D With this display it might be time to design a mini core module board that would fit in a Ipod size case to run some (limited) MIOS applications........ :) Have fun! Smash

whoop! I guess that would be a good idea.... :) You didn't miss it, I forgot it. Smash

Hehe cool! ;D Be sure to check out the encyclopedia (I added a few hundred definitions today). I really could use some help with the web links area, so if you want to add a link, but don't see a good category for it, just select "I don't see a good category for my link....." and I will create a category for it as I approve the link. Also I created a few forums there for use for anything -not- midibox, like the ADAT projects that Pilo, me, and others are working on. Remember that all discussion related to midibox stays here, but this forum isnt really the place for a discussion on a Green Pre for a DIY ADC. Oh yeah suggestions for the user surveys are needed also, it will be a great easy way to ask the opinion of all midiboxers. Thanks for all the positive comments, and I agree that the layout is a bit busy. ;) (I'm sure I will add and remove some modules as needed, but easy navigation is the goal) All suggestions are welcomed and appreciated, if you see something that should be there but is not, add it if you have the time or just email me about it if you don't. Have fun! SmashTV

Thanks Pay_C! Which link specifically is it that does not function? (I can't find which one you are talking about) ;) Have Fun! SmashTV

Hi all! Just wanted to let everyone know, The new portal is up and running. This one uses a content management system, so it should be very easy to add to it for everyone. The direct link is http://www.avishowtech.com/midibox or you can get there from http://www.midibox.org as usual. Take a look and let me know what you think! SmashTV

Hehe, there's nothing like that feeling when your project wakes up, winks at you, and says "hello world". ;D Have fun! SmashTV

hehe.... ;D That's sweet! Smash

I have no clue, sorry! I have been looking too though. ;) SmashTV

I have no clue, sorry! I have been looking too though. ;) SmashTV

The words servo motor are thrown around a lot in electronics, but it's usually used to describe a DC motor with a connected pot or encoder to feed position information back to the motor controller. There are large high-torque units (like I use with CNC) and small units (like a motorfader). RC servos are a slightly different breed since they have the motor controller built in, and read a PWM signal to go to position. That said, what kind of servo motor are you wanting to run from the AOUT? Drive of RC servos (like futuba) from the AOUT should be fairly easy with a small circuit that changes voltage level to PWM. I have a schematic for this somewhere but I'll have to dig it up. On the TC4427, It does flip the voltage to throw the the motor in reverse. This won't make the average RC servo happy though! Have fun! SmashTV

I have seen pots that were so bad that they were not useable in other equipment I have worked on. A great example is a pot in some of the open-frame monitors I used to service, if you put anything but a bournes or piher in place of the factory pot the picture would never sync because the resistance would jump around too much! At least you know the source of the problem, and I'm sorry I led you in the wrong direction trying to cure it. :) Have fun! Smash

I have seen pots that were so bad that they were not useable in other equipment I have worked on. A great example is a pot in some of the open-frame monitors I used to service, if you put anything but a bournes or piher in place of the factory pot the picture would never sync because the resistance would jump around too much! At least you know the source of the problem, and I'm sorry I led you in the wrong direction trying to cure it. :) Have fun! Smash

Fat Kick (soundman slang for great drum sounds!)

Almost forgot, did you etch your own boards, buy from Mike, or buy from me? (Just wondering if your boards have the ground plane) Also I'm thinking if we cant find the cause of this, we *might* be able to add some cheap bypass caps to your box to kill off the interference. Smash

Almost forgot, did you etch your own boards, buy from Mike, or buy from me? (Just wondering if your boards have the ground plane) Also I'm thinking if we cant find the cause of this, we *might* be able to add some cheap bypass caps to your box to kill off the interference. Smash

I have a project here that has run reliably for years, and the power supply is just like the one in the core and it runs from a 20VAC supply. 10vac should be no problem. Your regulator should run cooler than with the DC pack. I don't know about the isolated plug thing, fill me in on what the AC wall current is like over there, here it's 120VAC, 60hz. Hopefully this will be the end to your problems! SmashTV

I have a project here that has run reliably for years, and the power supply is just like the one in the core and it runs from a 20VAC supply. 10vac should be no problem. Your regulator should run cooler than with the DC pack. I don't know about the isolated plug thing, fill me in on what the AC wall current is like over there, here it's 120VAC, 60hz. Hopefully this will be the end to your problems! SmashTV