Okay.

Here they are.  Finally.  Field-tested, known good goodies.

Open Source T3 Controller Schematic [pdf]

Gerber Files (zipped)

Eagle Files (Authored in Eagle 5.10 Professional)

T3 Parts List (text file)

Design Notes:

• Processor is a PIC 18F2610.  It has many pin-compatible brethren.
• Top of the schematic contains a neat RS-485 receive section which is both optically and galvanically isolated from the rest of the world.  This conforms neatly to the official USITT spec, and this particular corner of the schematic has been field-proven by many hundreds of our other customers, over several years.
• There’s a single LED for power, plus a second LED for status / user feedback.
• This PIC contains EUSART and SPI peripherals on (conveniently) separate pins.  To drive 4 different string outputs, we use a flock of ‘AND’ gates to select and route the data to its proper destination.
• Expected power source is 5V DC via a switching supply, rated at 3A per 42 nodes driven.  A fully loaded card requires about 12A.
• There’s no polarity protection included on this board.  Caveat emptor!
• Most parts are SMD.  Chips are SOIC, discretes are 0805.  Easy easy to hand solder.

I have 7 remaining bare PCBs based on this design.  An additional 15 are en route to mrpackethead (.nz) for distribution.  $10 each or 5 / $45.  If you want some, email ‘john AT response-box.com’ with the subject ‘Open Source PCB’

I do not plan to re-run these boards once current supply is depleted.

Source code is coming soon.  Check back!

A few weeks ago, we sent the friendly folks at Light Show Pro a T3 controller and 4 strings of RGB nodes.  They and some of their customers wondered if our controllers and nodes were compatible with the new RGB toolkit they’d designed.

Turns out, they are…

See below for the video clips.  Fun software, very reasonable price.

In January we pulled down the light frames from the windows, the balcony and the grand archway.  The controllers and cable were all put away, but we left the nodes on the raingutters and upper roofline.

Wednesday morning I pulled out the controllers (last year’s Rev1 Art-Net bridge), extension cables and power supplies.  After about an hour of shuffling back and forth, I applied power.

Gratifyingly, the entire rig sparked right up.  I was pleased to see that 6 months of outdoor exposure hadn’t affected the nodes in any measurable way.

Toolchain is Madrix, a T2 USB to DMX bridge, a T3 node controller and 4 strings of 42 nodes.

Front porch is suggested, but neither required nor included.

We’re thrilled to announce that 8-bit DMX-driven RGB nodes and controllers are now available for pre-order.

Click here for more detail.

Thanks!

(Note also that mrpackethead is working on some amazing demo videos to post this weekend.  You’ll see video, graphics & text on a grid of nodes, plus a bunch of other neat effects.)

Enter your name and email address in the top right corner of this page for instant updates when new content is added.

Hi!  Happy Monday.

We’ll start with the pictures, then follow with a few words of explanation.  Click any photo to enlarge.

The top right photo shows a prototype T3 DMX Node Bridge.  All connectors are waterproof, circular and polarized.  The internal circuit board and wiring is encased in waterproof resin, making the entire assembly very rugged.  There are four connections for node output, one connection for power input, and a pair of parallel connectors for DMX in & through.

The production chassis is actually similar to the photo shown in the top left corner.  The two flanged mounting ears allow for easy installation.  The production chassis will also be clearly labeled, either with a silkscreened legend or with a reverse-printed lexan overlay.

Chassis size is about 4″ square.

A T3 controller is designed to drive up to 4 strings of 42 nodes.  This neatly consumes (up to) an entire DMX universe and a 10A, 5V switching power supply.

The T3 includes an internal effects engine.  It’s been designed to be very flexible and powerful. Operating modes (which can easily be changed using a simple PC utility program) include…

• Full discrete control of 168 nodes (4 strings of 42).  Requires 510 DMX channels.
• Discrete control of 42 nodes on string #1.  Data is copied to the remaining three strings, if installed.  Requires 126 DMX channels.
• Discrete control of the first 7 nodes on string #1.  Data is copied in groups of 7 to the remainder of the string, then to strings #2, #3 and #4 if installed. Requires 21 DMX channels.
• ‘Test Mode,’ which sweeps through each color and each node in quick succession.
• ‘Standalone Mode,’ which displays a preset effect (or, alternately, smoothly alternates between pre-chosen effects) at power up.  No incoming DMX data is required.

The effects engine requires between 4 and 7 DMX channels.  Using these channels, various effect types, speeds and color palettes may be chosen.  The engine affords a great deal of flexibility and creativity in display design, without requiring hundreds or thousands of DMX control.  Video clips of the engine in action will be posted soon.

Release date for the T3 controllers and the node strings is planned for May 15, 2010.  Stay tuned!

- JEC & mrpackethead

(Oh… If you haven’t already, enter your name and email address on the top right corner of this page.  You’ll get automatic updates when new items are posted…)

This clip comes from New Zealand, courtesty mrpackethead & co.

It’s 40 of the RGB Tubes, driven by DMX and some pixel-mapping software they ginned up.

More details, plus information about the release of the strings & controllers, is coming very soon.  Thanks, everyone, for your patience through this R&D phase.  We’re confident that you’ll be thrilled with the result.

Unbelievable.

The interest this project grown far beyond anything we ever imagined.

When we started out we had a few ideas about what we wanted to achieve.  We are pleased we’ve got over our own ‘line’, and are now able to ramp things up & make the technology available to everyone else.

In the process, we’ve been asked a thousand questions concerning ‘when’ and ‘how much?’

So here goes.

During 2009, we spent a lot of time (and money) researching and developing various design ideas. Where we are today is a long way down the track from the original classic pixels first released in 2005.  Our goal in 2009 was to find an affordable, reliable RGB node, suitable for large scale deployments. Getting a working design is only part of the challenge.  We’ve looked at various production options as well.

The difference in build quality between factories is significant!  Component choice is also important: inferior parts will run for a few days  or weeks, then completely or partially fail.

Sometimes cheap parts come at  a very high overall price.

Our testing will continue on some new products this year as well, but the new nodes that we have now, are performing well.

We’ve now invested a significant amount time and money ensuring our nodes will be reliable.  R&D is like that – lots and lots of sunk costs, destructive field testing, and often very little apparent result.

The nature of the Internet (and hardware hackers in general) almost certainly guarantees that someone else will find and start to sell an apparently similar product. There’s not much we can do to stop that.  And frankly, we’re not interested in trying.

Competing solely on price only leads to disappointment and frustration for all parties, and it’s not a game we’re interested in playing.

Know also that components which appear identical on a computer screen may behave in a radically different way in real life.

What we will offer – on absolutely everything that leaves the shop –  is a 100% money-back, no-questions-asked, we’ll-be-devastated-if-your-system-doesn’t-run-perfectly guarantee of support and service.  Each system will ship with a hearty helping of peace of mind.

That’s the value we’re adding to the process, and we think it’s significant.

To stay informed, just enter your name and email address in the top right corner of this page.  You’ll be the first on your block to receive  project updates.

We have got a number of other products now ready for release in 2010.  We’ve thought long and hard about how to proceed.  Our goal is to offer something useful to both the ‘DIY’ crowd and those seeking a complete turnkey solution.

Led Wall Washers and Tubes

We have some very bright tubes and wall washers that we have almost finished testing.  More details will be released as they become available.

Thanks!

Again, to stay updated on the project, just enter your name and email address in the upper right corner of this page.

Questions?  Comments?  Want to reserve your bits right now?  Send a quick email to ‘john AT response-box.com.’  We’d love to hear from you.

Warmest regards,

JEC & mrpackethead

Down-under colleague mrpackethead designed this plug-in module for the Art-Net controller.  Sized to fit in the footprint of two existing logic chips, it generates 4 universes of DMX.  As boards size is limited, it contains outputs on .1″ pin headers only.  Each output is based on a discrete RS-485 driver chip and a high-speed optocoupler.

Yes, the optocouplers may not be needed.  But the extra layer of protection isn’t very expensive to include.

A few days ago, I spoke on the phone with a gentleman who installs large-scale Christmas light displays.  Apparently his client’s system was hit by lightning.  The better part of 40 controllers were destroyed, likely by current traveling up and down the data distribution network.

“I’ve never seen the inside of so many chips!  no only were the  485′s blown open but in many cases the PICs and the 74xxx chips  that go between the PICs and the optos were also blown open.  it  was amazing.

-Drew Hickman, Holiday Technologies, www.holidaytechnologies.com”.

Ouch.

'Daughterboard' for the Art-Net controller which generates 4 universes of DMX

They say that when calculating time required for a project, you should make your best estimate and double it.

Then add an order of magnitude.

So an hour becomes two days, a week becomes two months, etc.

This adage certainly holds here.

Not much new to mention today, so I’ve included a picture of the prototype controller.

It’s big – 8.12″ x 4.0″.  The end user wanted field-replaceable driver chips, so we picked some chunky DIP parts.  This board can drive 16 separate strings, and each string can contain 2048 nodes.

The original design had 2 x LM1117 SMD voltage regulators, one each for the +5 and +3v3 rails.  But heat dissipation was a problem – nearly 2 W – they were swapped out for  a TO-220 package + heat sink.  The ethernet controller (Wiznet W5100) is only available in a .3mm pitch, 80-TQFP package.  Getting all those leads soldered in only the proper place takes a steady, steady hand.

Rev2 boards are being manufactured right now, and ought to ship on Monday.

Onward!