hutzley@bigq.dec.com (Steve Hutzley) (12/04/90)
I was wondering if anyone could help me with a project I'm trying to put
together.
I'm sure by now, that everyone has seen the christmas lights that CHASE
(this I belive is the theatrical term for it)...The kind of lights that
have the following sequence..
1000
0100
0010
0001
and repeats continiously, at a set rate.
I know this can be done with TTL, driven with something like a 555.
but have been unable to make it work. I have one of those "light in
motion" strings at home, and have tried to reverse engineer it with no
luck.
I have the solid state relays that I plan on using, that are driven
by 3-32 VDC and will handle 240VAC @ 10A.
Anyone want to help in this venture?
Steve_with_no_sig_fileelwood@wam.umd.edu (Jim Bogard) (12/05/90)
In article <2047@mountn.dec.com>, hutzley@bigq.dec.com (Steve Hutzley) writes: > I'm sure by now, that everyone has seen the christmas lights that CHASE > (this I belive is the theatrical term for it)...The kind of lights that > have the following sequence.. > > 1000 > 0100 > 0010 > 0001 > > and repeats continiously, at a set rate. > > Steve_with_no_sig_file See Don Lancaser's column in 11/90 (I think- the one with the laser on the cover) Radio-Electronics. He has several paragraphs on 'walking ring counters', as he calls them, and several nifty ways to make them. hope this helps. J-. -- Jim Bogard oper014@umuc.umd.edu jimbo@socrates.umd.edu elwood@cscwam.umd.edu disclaimer? I think UM has bigger things to worry about than my opinions.
hbg6@citek.mcdphx.mot.com (12/05/90)
In article <2047@mountn.dec.com> hutzley@bigq.dec.com (Steve Hutzley) writes: > > I'm sure by now, that everyone has seen the christmas lights that CHASE > > I know this can be done with TTL, driven with something like a 555. > but have been unable to make it work. I have one of those "light in > > Anyone want to help in this venture? The system I put together uses a 555 set up as a .1 to 1 Hz variable oscillator. The 555 output feeds a garden variety BCD counter. The four bits of output from the counter feed a BCD to 1-of-10 decoder. Decoder 0,1,2 and 3 all feed seperate solid state relays. These relays switch 110vac to four seperate strings of christmas lights. The decoder output number 5 feeds the reset pin on the counter. ( I think I had to invert that signal...can't remember) The hardest part of the project was making the light string. Line up all four strings so that the bulbs, taken in sequence, come from different strings i.e. 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2... The cable tie after every fourth light. It's a lot tougher than it sounds. good luck John Oh, as long as I'm here..... 74LS445 = BCD to decimal decoder / driver
verive@tellabs.com (Jeff Verive) (12/06/90)
In article <2047@mountn.dec.com> hutzley@bigq.dec.com (Steve Hutzley) writes: > > I was wondering if anyone could help me with a project I'm trying to put > together. > > I'm sure by now, that everyone has seen the christmas lights that CHASE > (this I belive is the theatrical term for it)...The kind of lights that > have the following sequence.. > > 1000 > 0100 > 0010 > 0001 > > and repeats continiously, at a set rate. > There are a lot of ways to do this. If you really want to, you could set up a state machine with flip-flop's and assorted gates, but this is fairly complicated for the uninitiated. You might try counting through some ROM, like you would do for an arbitrary wave generator, but the simplest thing to do is to use any cheap oscillator (like the 555) and feed its output to the clock input of a CMOS 4017 decade counter. Works great (less filling, too!) :-) Jeff -- **************************************************************************** ** Jeff Verive | If they ever stop making those little candy flowers ** ** 259371048378 | for birthday cakes, I shall lose my will to live. ** ****************************************************************************
davet@tsdiag.ccur.com (Dave Tiller N2KAU) (12/07/90)
In article <2047@mountn.dec.com> hutzley@bigq.dec.com (Steve Hutzley) writes: - - I was wondering if anyone could help me with a project I'm trying to put - together. - - I'm sure by now, that everyone has seen the christmas lights that CHASE - (this I belive is the theatrical term for it)...The kind of lights that - have the following sequence.. - - 1000 - 0100 - 0010 - 0001 - - and repeats continiously, at a set rate. - - I know this can be done with TTL, driven with something like a 555. - but have been unable to make it work. I have one of those "light in - motion" strings at home, and have tried to reverse engineer it with no - luck. - - I have the solid state relays that I plan on using, that are driven - by 3-32 VDC and will handle 240VAC @ 10A. - - - Anyone want to help in this venture? - -Steve_with_no_sig_file I'll take a stab. Note that this is from memory, and I don't have a ttl databook in front of me. (Meaning signal levels may be upside down.) ----- | |--15 ---- | |--14 | | | |--13 ---| ----- | |--A3--| 7 |--12 ---| |555|---|7493|--A2--| 4 | . ---| --- To solid-state relays. ----- | |--A1--| 1 | . ---| (Signals are active low). | |--A0--| 5 | . ---| ---- | 4 |--3 | | |--2 <------ Reset line from counter | | |--1 | | | |--0 | | ----- | | | ------------------------------ Here's how this works: The 555 generates pulses at the step frequency of the lights. These pulses cause the 7493 counter to advance from 0 to 15 in binary on the A3-A0 lines. These binary numbers, when fed into a demultiplexor, cause each discrete out- put line on the demux to go low one at a time. The solid state relays are activated by the output lines of the demux, causing (at most 16) lights to chase. If you wish to use more lights, hook subsequent sets of lights in parallel with the first set, which will allow several lights to seem to chase each other. If you want fewer lights/string, hook the reset line from the counter to the n+1th output line of the demux. This will cause the counter to reset when n lights have been sequenced. Examples: --O0-----SSR-----------()--| L0 | | --O1-----SSR-----------()--| L1 | | | --O2-----SSR-----------()--| L2 | | | | --O3-----SSR-----------()--| L3 | | | | | | | | -----()--| L4 | | | | | | -------()--| L5 | | | | ---------()--| L6 | | -----------()--| L7 | ----- --- - With this setup, and the reset line on O4, the following will happen: L0 L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 * . . . * . . . . * . . . * . . . . * . . . * . . . . * . . . * If you want every other light to chase, hook lights to O0 and O1, reset to O2, and parallel sets of lights from there. That will yield: L0 L1 L2 L3 L4 L5.....L99 L100 * . * . * . . * . * . * . * * . with the hookup ---O0---SSR------() L0 | ---O1---SSR------() L1 | | | |--() L2 | | |----() L3 | | | |--() L4 | |----() L5 Be sure you don't exceed the power handling capability or you solid state relays (SSR's), and be careful if you use high voltage bulbs. If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to send me email at davet@tsdiag.ccur.com. I hope this helps you. -- David E. Tiller davet@tsdiag.ccur.com | Concurrent Computer Corp. FAX: 201-870-5952 Ph: (201) 870-4119 (w) | 2 Crescent Place, M/S 117 UUCP: ucbvax!rutgers!petsd!tsdiag!davet | Oceanport NJ, 07757 ICBM: 40 16' 52" N 73 59' 00" W | N2KAU @ NN2Z
lamb@brahms.udel.edu (Richard E Lamb) (12/07/90)
I built one of these years ago. I used a 555 to clock a 4017 (one of 10 decoder), but almost any suitable counter can be used. Also used the above circuit for a real spiffy rotating becon for 1/72 scale model airplanes.
rrw@naucse.cse.nau.edu (Robert Wier) (12/09/90)
From article <4758@tellab5.tellabs.com>, by verive@tellabs.com (Jeff Verive): > There are a lot of ways to do this. If you really want to, you could > set up a state machine with flip-flop's and assorted gates, but this > is fairly complicated for the uninitiated. You might try counting > through some ROM, like you would do for an arbitrary wave generator, > but the simplest thing to do is to use any cheap oscillator (like the > 555) and feed its output to the clock input of a CMOS 4017 decade > counter. Works great (less filling, too!) :-) > > Jeff Or you could use extreme overkill, like we just did in our microprocessors course, and use an 8085 to do it! :-) (this was a lab assignment)... - Bob Wier -------------- insert favorite standard disclaimers here ---------- College of Engineering Northern Arizona University / Flagstaff, Arizona Internet: rrw@naucse.cse.nau.edu | BITNET: WIER@NAUVAX | WB5KXH or uucp: ...arizona!naucse!rrw
jim@fuji.eng.Yale.edu (James J. Szinger) (12/10/90)
In article <3023@naucse.cse.nau.edu> rrw@naucse.cse.nau.edu (Robert Wier) writes: > From article <4758@tellab5.tellabs.com>, by verive@tellabs.com (Jeff Verive): >> There are a lot of ways to do this. If you really want to, you could >> set up a state machine with flip-flop's and assorted gates, but this >> is fairly complicated for the uninitiated. You might try counting >> through some ROM, like you would do for an arbitrary wave generator, >> but the simplest thing to do is to use any cheap oscillator (like the >> 555) and feed its output to the clock input of a CMOS 4017 decade >> counter. Works great (less filling, too!) :-) >> >> Jeff > Or you could use extreme overkill, like we just did in our > microprocessors course, and use an 8085 to do it! :-) > (this was a lab assignment)... > - Bob Wier Our micro class did that also. Then in out mini-computer class, I seem to remember a lab assignment involving programming a PDP-11 to do this. :-) Jim