Saturday, January 9, 2010

Automation Project Part 1: Remote controller update Part 1


This is an extended project that I have started that will take over a month to complete and will be composed of little parts, featuring (most likely) a remote control, a central controller, and individual outposts. The project will take place in 3 parts, each part consisting of individual updates that will be posted every time a memorable checkpoint is made. Now for the initial project start.

Project Progress:
The remote controller is at the hardware-compleate stage where all the circuits are built and all the vital parts are secure. The control consists of an IR LED for wireless communication, a bi-color LED for status, an OLED serial controlled display, 4 pushbuttons, and a 6-diget blue 7-segment display. It also has a port for outside control with a straight-through port to the OLED display.

What it does:
Well....nothing now. Without a program in the main processor it does nothing. However a clock program (I wrote it) IS loaded into it so that the digets function as a fully working clock. The pushbuttons let you enter in the clocks time and the digets display it in full blue glory.

Errors:
All projects have this subject in common, I've noticed. :-)

- The OLED flickers and gets hot withen seconds, It has worked before on other systems so this is a mystery since the display is totally isolated from the rest of the circuit excluding power and the serial control line. Even with the serial line unsoldered it still does this. This is the biggest error so far.

- The top segment in the displays has had to be re-routed because pin 0 is not operating correctly

- There is a more heavy "ghost diget" then usual and only in darkness does the display look almost solid and not like it's being pulsed.

Future updates:
Removal of errors (obviously) better clock fuctions, Serial interface, and the remote fuctions that it is made for.

Check back soon for more updates and maybe some mini projects!

4 comments:

  1. Hi! :D

    That OLED error sounds pretty bad... Maybe you need some resistors.

    can you post a schematic?

    ReplyDelete
  2. There is not much of one to post. The serial pins are connected straight to the propeller and the power pins are hooked up correctly. It worked on a breadboard this way with zero errors. I've been working on it, though. I have WAY too many projects going.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hmmm...
    I hate it when a breadboarded project works just fine and then when you put it on a PCB it goes haywire...
    Does the prop still connect to the computer? I have had a prop-protoboard go bad on me before--it was actually the one I got as a replacement for a bad DIP propeller... :O
    What power supply are you using? Since it's getting hot, I would decrease the voltage or amps you are using. Maybe you should try it on a different protoboard.
    Also, looking at the picture you posted you replaced the protoboard 1000uF capacitor with a longer leaded one! Make sure it has the same specs--1000uF and 16v limit.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It has 25v limit, and the screen didn't work before I chose to replace the cap with one that would lay down flat. The proto will connect just fine. 75% of the projects that I take off the breadboard and put on a PCB go wrong. Before I just un-cheaped myself and bought a Prop-plug, I built a serial one on breadboard. It worked. Put on PCB, nothing. Build again on breadboard. Works. Put on DIFFERENT PCB. Nothing. Build it AGAIN on breadboard. Works. Build AGAIN on DIFFERENT PCB. Nothing. I still don't have a permenant solution to this. But I don't care since I have a Prop-Plug. Right now this project has signed off for a bigger one. It will resume as soon as Mouser has some key parts I need in stock. A certian relay is backordered for months and I need it for this project. Right now I am working on a 4-foot tall robot. I will have an entry on here for that as soon as I break down and just take pictures of it!

    ReplyDelete