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Author Topic: Shoto Saber With Only a DFPlayer  (Read 1647 times)

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Offline BipeFlyer

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Shoto Saber With Only a DFPlayer
« on: March 25, 2019, 10:55:10 PM »

I'm pretty new to saber building, so I missed out on the early years.  This is my attempt to make something a little more "old school".

I was designing a breakout for the DFPlayer Mini when it occurred to me that I might be able to make a saber board with just a DFPlayer and a couple of components.  The inputs are already debounced, so all I had to do was add a few resistors and create a little longer signal for the clash sensor using a mosfet - mostly because that's what I had on hand.


I used a white LED with some poker chips/tiddlywinks to change colours.  The LED is running of the speaker output with a 2.7 Ohm resistor.  It may be pushing the on board amp a little and isn't super bright, so it could benefit from a separate circuit.  I played with the sound font to make the LED flicker more and ramp up and down a bit. 


The most complicated part is actually the power/activation switch.  The switch slides in a housing, making contact with a momentary switch while the power is applied.  When turning it off, it contacts another momentary switch before the power is turned off.


It's not the fanciest, but it's cheap and it actually works.


I can share the files if anyone is interested.


 





Offline jbkuma

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Re: Shoto Saber With Only a DFPlayer
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2019, 05:52:24 AM »
Nice! I've done similar in the past.  You can use the speaker signal with a transistor to drive the LED from the battery. (the old hasbro trick) you could also use a clash sensor to trigger a flash via a transistor.

Offline JakeSoft

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Re: Shoto Saber With Only a DFPlayer
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2019, 06:44:05 PM »
That's slick! A few years ago I did something similar with a WT588d sound chip. I never got it to work as well as your example, though. I couldn't seem to get clashes to work when I wired it to a clash sensor (but it worked fine with a button).


To make your blade stay on solid and be brighter, try using the busy pin signal to drive a FET. That's what I did and it worked perfectly. If you want some flicker, you could do some combination of driving it with the speaker output as you already are.

Anyway, I love seeing people invent stuff and playing around with new ways of doing things. Nice job!

Also, the saber itself looks great too!

Offline BipeFlyer

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Re: Shoto Saber With Only a DFPlayer
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2019, 07:42:33 PM »

Cool!  Thanks for sharing the video.  It looks like I'm a few years behind, but following the same path as you guys.  My testbed is even using the same speaker you used.  Did you get if from a Walmart "Space Sword" by any chance?    :cheesy:



When I first started out trying to make my TK lighstaber I started with WTV020, then a WT588d-U before Xl97 on the RPF turned me onto the DFPlayer.  Mine has a couple of buttons on the bottom of the hilt for blaster and lockup.  I should put a driver transistor for the LED on V2 of the board.

I had the same problem with the clash. Here's the clash circuit I came up with.



Speaking of inexpensive Saber ideas.  I've been thinking about having the sound card in the blade and just plugging it into different hilts.  The hilt would just house the parts that make it unique, like the crystal chamber, LEDs etc.  With more flash memory, so much more could be done.

Offline JakeSoft

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Re: Shoto Saber With Only a DFPlayer
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2019, 08:07:07 PM »

Cool!  Thanks for sharing the video.  It looks like I'm a few years behind, but following the same path as you guys.  My testbed is even using the same speaker you used.  Did you get if from a Walmart "Space Sword" by any chance?    :cheesy:

I think it was out of a Hasbro "Ultimate FX" if I recall correctly. It eventually blew and I started using a TCSS premium speaker since then. Probably the same cheap speaker is used in many toys.

I should put a driver transistor for the LED on V2 of the board.
Good idea. Depending on how cheap you can produce these, it could be a Hasbro killer. I end up throwing most of the saber away and just using the sound board.

I had the same problem with the clash. Here's the clash circuit I came up with.



Oh, I see. The capacitor slows down the rate it takes the signal to fall. Thanks for sharing!

Speaking of inexpensive Saber ideas.  I've been thinking about having the sound card in the blade and just plugging it into different hilts.  The hilt would just house the parts that make it unique, like the crystal chamber, LEDs etc.  With more flash memory, so much more could be done.

Wild idea! Now that's outside the box (and outside the hilt)!  :laugh:

 

retrousse