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Author Topic: Wiring HELP Please!  (Read 9269 times)

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Offline ARKM

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #15 on: March 01, 2012, 11:19:09 PM »
Hi scottjua.  I got your PM.

As I'm sure you know, the SaberSD is not designed to run a single LED.  It is instead designed to run the Hyperdyne LED driver board that in turn runs an LED string blade, not a single LED.  In my testing, I was only able to get the SaberSD to control when the auxiliary flash LEDs of a 4 die LED (10W LEDEngin) light up.  In actuality, the main LEDs AND the Aux flash LEDS all ran straight off of the batteries and I was only able to make this all work using a DPDT latching switch.  Again, all the sound board did was control when the aux flash LEDs lit up.  The auxilliary button used for lockup was actually a hinderance with the way I wired things up and was best unused but if you are not useing a 4 die LED for aux flash then you should be ok using it... but you will not be able to get any lighting effects with it, only sound.

Now as also posted in my thread by cannibal869 regarding Aux flash with the Saber SD, it may be possible to drive the aux flash from the clash putput on the sound board in conjunction with a Plecter Labs Power Extender (PEX) which can be bought from Plecter labs or from TCSS.  However in this case you are still driving the LEDs from the batteries and are still forced to use a DPDT latching switch.

Anywho, Aux flash is not really your issue here.  You want to be able to turn off and on the driver board and the SaberSD board using only one switch and you want that switch to be an SPST (single pull - single throw) momentary.  This might be possible but it depends on the driver board in question.  The driver board has to allow for a momentary switch and also has to have the ability to control the main power to the sound board.  if it does not have these things, it's not going to work off of an SPST momentary switch.  Since I am not familiar with how your particular Corbin driver board works, I sadly cannot tell you if it can do this and if it can, how to do it.

The other way to do this, if possible, is to have the sound board control the power to the driver board.  Since the SaberSD is designed to do this anyway using the Hyperdyne LED string driver board, perhaps there is a way to wire it up so that it can control a different driver board.  Again though, I have not tried this yet and the results may vary depending on the board being used.  The ones I have are newer than the Corbin board but older than what is currently being sold by TCSS and I am saving them for my SaberSD, lol.

Sorry I could not be of help.  Best of luck to you on this.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2012, 01:40:35 PM by ARKM »

Offline Psab Keel

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #16 on: March 02, 2012, 12:56:52 AM »
Also remember that you have to have the SD card configured to either latching or momentary switching.  As was stated by others you want either both latching or both momentary for both your LED driver and your Saber SD board.

Offline Obi-Shane

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #17 on: March 02, 2012, 02:28:11 AM »
Ok so I got in a core pulse simliar to a buckpuck to replace the corbin, and a new Cree Blue LED (didn't like the Cyan) in from LDM to use with this.

Well, I got he LED working perfectly, but since I already had the one switch wired up I tried to use it, and it only momentarily has an effect (hence I assume the reason it is called a momentary switch).........

Also, everything was working sort of... but when I got everything clipped together to test the switches (I use alligator clips now), I couldn't get the switch to function correctly, so I switched the leads to the battery to see if I had crossed them backwards. Then the Saber SD board didn't like it, and now I get no power on LEDs on the board. I can hear static from the speaker, so I know power is flowing... but nothing.

I'm hoping it has something to do with battery power level and I'm recharging the trustfires now and will check again later...

but do you think I screwed something up or killed the board? I checked and re-checked all my connections, testing 4-5 times, and all are good power wise...

I can't figure out why that now I cannot get the board to work at all (hoping battery).

.... ????????

Let me get this right, You decided to switch the wire leads that go from the battery to the Saber SD? Crossing your wires even for a second is a really good way to blow your components. If there is no power on LED on the board itself you just may have done that. Also, though this does little good to tell you now, your switch was probably wired up correctly, you just had the Saber SD set to latching configuration. If you use a momentary switch with a latching switch configuration on the memory card, the saber remains powered on only while you press down the momentary, as soon as you let go, the saber powers down. While you were using the alligator clips, I assume that you left them clipped on to each other, and that was why it was working just fine that way or?

This is what it sounds like has happened, I hope it might be a battery issue. Let us know and we will try and help.

          Shane

Offline Subvirtua

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #18 on: March 02, 2012, 08:32:29 AM »
I had problems with my saberSd a while back and while I was troubleshooting a contacted Jim at Hyperdyne for some clues. First thing he said was the micro is very fragile to reversed polarity and that was the most likely cause. I knew I hadn't done that and tracked it down to a broken ground connection in the end but if that is what you have done I can tell you replacing the micro is about $25 + shipping.

Offline scottjua

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #19 on: March 02, 2012, 09:23:01 AM »
Thanks guys!

ARKM, I completely understand now where to go with this. Given what I have set up, I am going to forget AUX all together at this point. It is not worth the trouble.

At this point I just want to, like you said, get it to power on and off with the LED driven and the soundboard working. Up until the SaberSD board checking out I could only get one to work at a time... not both...which is probably because I was using the wrong type of switch.

Psab, I have/had the saber SD setup for the correct switch, just didn't get to try the correct switch. So it WAS working perfectly with the momentary switch, until I tried to get it to also fire the LED... which is because I apparently need the DPDT for. But now I cannot test that since the SaberSD is kaput.

Shane, I didn't switch the leads from the battery to the SaberSD... I changed the leads from the main momentary switch to the Corepulse and Aux. So I didn't cross polarities of the power... and I made sure to isolate and have all exposed wired covered. But when I did that, the SaberSD wigged out, and worked once after that, and then not again.

I tried freshly charged trustfires this morning on just the soundboard, with no luck. The speaker still hisses, but no power on the board LEDs.

I emailed hyperdyne this morning... we'll see if and when I get a response what I can do.

at this point, I may just get a PC to get this build done, and save the saberSD if it can be fixed for a second vintage graflex project in the future with a real string blade.

Sheesh... so I guess I had things wired right... but the driver(s) (Corbin and Core Pulse) are not happy with the switch... and now no more soundbaord.

Subvirtua, how did you track down your bad ground? Where should I look?

When I get a chance I''ll post a detailed pic of the wiring and a schematic too.

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Offline Subvirtua

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #20 on: March 02, 2012, 09:38:22 AM »
My bad ground was a break in the ribbon cable between the driver and the saberSd  and i'm using the Hyperdyne driver to run a string so that's not going to help you. The symptoms you describe do match mine exactly though , ( and Jim did mention he'd never heard the static before,) so I would double check you power connections to the saberSd are sound. It's worth a shot. Other than that I got nothing - sorry.

Offline scottjua

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #21 on: April 03, 2012, 08:05:58 PM »
Well, I ended up sending the board off to Jim and I just got it back a few days ago. I think I've abandoned the SaberSD for this build. I'm going to wait for Jim to have blades ready, and I will go all hyperdyne for the next build.

This one, is almost complete now, it's a PC 1.5 now and so much more simple for me at this point.

I AM looking forward to having a complete hyper blade though. ^_^

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Offline Gil Gamesh

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #22 on: April 03, 2012, 09:37:49 PM »
Well, I ended up sending the board off to Jim and I just got it back a few days ago. I think I've abandoned the SaberSD for this build. I'm going to wait for Jim to have blades ready, and I will go all hyperdyne for the next build.

This one, is almost complete now, it's a PC 1.5 now and so much more simple for me at this point.

I AM looking forward to having a complete hyper blade though. ^_^

IMO, great move.  It works, but there are so many headhache-less options to go with for and led driver/soundboard.  Best bet is get the hyperblade for the hyperboard and keep that all together.  That system is insanely bright.  I've had a green and a purple, and at another time a makoto green came through my doors, and I would love to have one of each at some point and compare the two  ;D

/end derail
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Offline scottjua

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #23 on: April 03, 2012, 09:48:27 PM »
Definitely! I felt so retarded when I wired up the PC the first time... "That's it!?" and it just worked. Now I've gotten some practice with my soldering and wiring, and gotten a better iron in the process, so I can't complain too much. I learned some lessons that were valuable, and now don't see the wiring as a huge hurdle anymore.

win/win??

I definitely want a string blade, as I like it so much more than a single LED at the base, but with Makoto's sound board (I don't love that so much), and the lack of hyper dyne blades, I'm either waiting for a CF-LS, or going to have to make my own string if things don't change soon.

While I am learning patience with this hobby, old habits die hard. ^_^

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Offline Subvirtua

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #24 on: April 04, 2012, 10:01:55 AM »
So you said you sent the board back to Jim. What was the diagnosis?

Offline scottjua

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #25 on: April 04, 2012, 11:01:44 AM »
So you said you sent the board back to Jim. What was the diagnosis?

"After doing several debug fixes we were finally able to get the board to work by replacing the micro, regulators, and put on a new amplifier.  I also had a larger regulator installed that powers the micro."

Those are his words. The cost was, to me, a reasonable $35 shipped back. Fairly fast turnaround from what I was anticipating too. Props to Jim!

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Offline Gil Gamesh

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #26 on: April 04, 2012, 09:18:56 PM »
Definitely awesome customer service!  Interesting repairs done
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Offline scottjua

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Re: Wiring HELP Please!
« Reply #27 on: April 04, 2012, 09:57:52 PM »
how do you mean "interesting?"


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