Lightspeed remote control
Hi Folks,
Just highlighting a slight goof on the VCCS board. On the component ident T1 pin configuration is shown as you would see it looking at the top surface of the device. This device is a surface mount device and would be mounted underneath the board on the copper side. The pins should be shown reversed to comply with the actual connections. Mounting T1 normally on the underside of the board will automatically give you the correct connection. I meant to flip the T1 symbol on the ident before sending to the board manufacturer but failed to do so.
Regards
Paul
Hi Folks,
Just highlighting a slight goof on the VCCS board. On the component ident T1 pin configuration is shown as you would see it looking at the top surface of the device. This device is a surface mount device and would be mounted underneath the board on the copper side. The pins should be shown reversed to comply with the actual connections. Mounting T1 normally on the underside of the board will automatically give you the correct connection. I meant to flip the T1 symbol on the ident before sending to the board manufacturer but failed to do so.
Regards
Paul
May I suggest a spread sheet to keep track of any changes / recommendations so it can be attached regularly in the thread?
Reason being, if they are stated once like now and some of us do not have boards it will be lost / forgotten.
But if there is a SS to refer back to when we do get our boards we can check them off as we assemble.
Reason being, if they are stated once like now and some of us do not have boards it will be lost / forgotten.
But if there is a SS to refer back to when we do get our boards we can check them off as we assemble.
Ahh, Pauls VCCS have a channel balance function 
A "simple" 2way biamp control unit would be possible with 2x VCCS boards
One fore each channel
The balance control could be used to fine adjust individual SPL level of 2 drivers in a 2way
The master volume control would be double mono
Please comment
A "simple" 2way biamp control unit would be possible with 2x VCCS boards
One fore each channel
The balance control could be used to fine adjust individual SPL level of 2 drivers in a 2way
The master volume control would be double mono
Please comment
Terminal blocks
Paul,
I have been trying to source the pcb terminal blocks and at the moment it looks like this (all from Farnell so far)
3.81mm pitch 2 way - 3704579
3.81mm pitch 3 way - 3704580
5mm pitch 2 way low profile 151789
5mm pitch 2 way high profile 9633324
My main concern is the 5mm blocks as your photos show one set being higher than the other.
Alan
Paul,
I have been trying to source the pcb terminal blocks and at the moment it looks like this (all from Farnell so far)
3.81mm pitch 2 way - 3704579
3.81mm pitch 3 way - 3704580
5mm pitch 2 way low profile 151789
5mm pitch 2 way high profile 9633324
My main concern is the 5mm blocks as your photos show one set being higher than the other.
Alan
Georgehifi, what's the best way to pair the optocouplers. Have been doing a lot of them lately with a 5V supply and 4 100k trimmer pots wich have a voltage output between 1470mv and 1950mv and having a 4 positions switch. The problem is measuring it the next day will alter some OC's to different values so to me it looks like a dissaster to do. I have the R2 types from Farnell but there is a huge spread in values. Some have 24k at 1470mv and others have 5M at that voltage.
How do you test them? with a constant current or with resistors in series?
Please help.
Thanx
Bert
How do you test them? with a constant current or with resistors in series?
Please help.
Thanx
Bert
this seems interesting..
found on some chinese sites
found on some chinese sites
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
bgt,
I suspect you are not letting them warm up long enough. You will notice the resistance changing as you apply and leave the DMM attached. Supply voltage through the resistance of your choice to the LDR. Then wait 15 minutes and test it then measure each one of them the same way. The only shortcut is to measure many of them at one time. I use multiple trimpots. Trim them all up and measure to make sure they are the same then measure the first few again. If the temp in your room has changed during adjusting trimpots then you will have problems as you will be supplying each LDR with a different voltage.
You have all trimpots trimmed perfectly. Now apply voltage to the pots and insert your LDRs. Wait 15 minutes. Come back and measure each one.
Repeat at a different resistance for 4 different resistances from 1k-40k or since you have 100k pots you can go higher.
I dont like the 100k because they will drift significantly when they do drift. I push it at 40k and people wonder why I dont measure higher. This is why, the drifting will provide false results and the match wont actually match. If they are tracking well from 1-40k then you can be pretty sure they will continue to do so.
That said, I just purchased 25 100k pots and will see how this works out by changing room temp and checking for drift.
Uriah
I suspect you are not letting them warm up long enough. You will notice the resistance changing as you apply and leave the DMM attached. Supply voltage through the resistance of your choice to the LDR. Then wait 15 minutes and test it then measure each one of them the same way. The only shortcut is to measure many of them at one time. I use multiple trimpots. Trim them all up and measure to make sure they are the same then measure the first few again. If the temp in your room has changed during adjusting trimpots then you will have problems as you will be supplying each LDR with a different voltage.
You have all trimpots trimmed perfectly. Now apply voltage to the pots and insert your LDRs. Wait 15 minutes. Come back and measure each one.
Repeat at a different resistance for 4 different resistances from 1k-40k or since you have 100k pots you can go higher.
I dont like the 100k because they will drift significantly when they do drift. I push it at 40k and people wonder why I dont measure higher. This is why, the drifting will provide false results and the match wont actually match. If they are tracking well from 1-40k then you can be pretty sure they will continue to do so.
That said, I just purchased 25 100k pots and will see how this works out by changing room temp and checking for drift.
Uriah
I checked the BOM you posted, Alan, against the layout I got in the mail today. (Thanks Paul).
I found 2 mistakes and one oversight.
First is that R5 and R6 are not necessary in LDR board unless you are using a series resistor and shunt LDR. I just thought it should be mentioned in the BOM.
Second is that on the IR Receiver board Paul has C1, C2 as 100N SMD caps and C2, C3 as 100uf 16V caps. You caught a bit of it but not all of it. There is a C4 SMD 100nf cap on the bottom of the board near C3.
So it should read C1, C4 100nf SMD and C2,C3 100uf 16V.
I have not checked part numbers on Mouser Digikey or Farnell.
Oversight is that for C1 on the Transmitter board there is no size designation.
I think there was mention of this back a page or so. Not sure as of this post I will have to check. Just checked, not mentioned.
Uriah
I found 2 mistakes and one oversight.
First is that R5 and R6 are not necessary in LDR board unless you are using a series resistor and shunt LDR. I just thought it should be mentioned in the BOM.
Second is that on the IR Receiver board Paul has C1, C2 as 100N SMD caps and C2, C3 as 100uf 16V caps. You caught a bit of it but not all of it. There is a C4 SMD 100nf cap on the bottom of the board near C3.
So it should read C1, C4 100nf SMD and C2,C3 100uf 16V.
I have not checked part numbers on Mouser Digikey or Farnell.
Oversight is that for C1 on the Transmitter board there is no size designation.
I think there was mention of this back a page or so. Not sure as of this post I will have to check. Just checked, not mentioned.
Uriah
Lightspeed remote control
Hi Alan,
I didn’t include connector info as I thought that many scratch builders would hardwire. The connectors will be fitted to the modules as this will help those with little build experience to achieve an easy construction. The Phoenix 5mm pitch connectors are made up of 3 off of Farnell 304-1207 to give the six-way connector for the IR receiver and allow parallel connection of alternative control signals. This is a two tier offset connector with easy access to all connections.
Hi Uriah,
Woops.
I will alter that capacitor goofs on my drawings. The surface mount 100nf part is the 1206 size.
I have found the notes on the circuit I promised for you. I will set up the jig again at the weekend and verify all the circuit parts. Once I have done this I will send you the info via e-mail.
Hi Folks,
For those who do not require remote control, GeorgeHiFi privides a ready built and tested manually controlled Lightspeed volume control for a very good price. This will be hard to beat by the time you have ordered all the materials, added up the carriage costs and factored in your labour.
Regards
Paul
Hi Alan,
I didn’t include connector info as I thought that many scratch builders would hardwire. The connectors will be fitted to the modules as this will help those with little build experience to achieve an easy construction. The Phoenix 5mm pitch connectors are made up of 3 off of Farnell 304-1207 to give the six-way connector for the IR receiver and allow parallel connection of alternative control signals. This is a two tier offset connector with easy access to all connections.
Hi Uriah,
Woops.
I will alter that capacitor goofs on my drawings. The surface mount 100nf part is the 1206 size.I have found the notes on the circuit I promised for you. I will set up the jig again at the weekend and verify all the circuit parts. Once I have done this I will send you the info via e-mail.
Hi Folks,
For those who do not require remote control, GeorgeHiFi privides a ready built and tested manually controlled Lightspeed volume control for a very good price. This will be hard to beat by the time you have ordered all the materials, added up the carriage costs and factored in your labour.
Regards
Paul
Hi All,
Following up on the digital LSA idea i posted a few days ago.
I think it might be better to start another thread on it because here there are way too many posts and it gets buried and also hard to follow.
Anyway for now, attached the sort of thing i was thinking about.
This is just a block diagram of the concept.
The idea basically is to calibrate the LDRs using LOTs (Look up tables). The calibration requires all I/O devices to be disconnected. There are two ways to do that, either integrate analog switches/relays and make it automatic, or leave the signal path alone and physically disconnect them every so often to do calibration. As i haven't used LDRs before i don't know how much they drift over time, so i'm not sure about the calibration interval, but for sure if it's automatic every time that it starts up can calibrate.
It's just the beginning
Cheers,
Following up on the digital LSA idea i posted a few days ago.
I think it might be better to start another thread on it because here there are way too many posts and it gets buried and also hard to follow.
Anyway for now, attached the sort of thing i was thinking about.
This is just a block diagram of the concept.
The idea basically is to calibrate the LDRs using LOTs (Look up tables). The calibration requires all I/O devices to be disconnected. There are two ways to do that, either integrate analog switches/relays and make it automatic, or leave the signal path alone and physically disconnect them every so often to do calibration. As i haven't used LDRs before i don't know how much they drift over time, so i'm not sure about the calibration interval, but for sure if it's automatic every time that it starts up can calibrate.
It's just the beginning
Cheers,
Salut
Thinking aloud: it's not clear (to me) from the DS1802 datasheet if the mute pin works like the volume and balance pins. Given Paul's 4-button remote I'm wondering if one button only can be used for volume (just parallel up) and use the spare button for muting. Anyone know?
Merci et @+
Vernon
Thinking aloud: it's not clear (to me) from the DS1802 datasheet if the mute pin works like the volume and balance pins. Given Paul's 4-button remote I'm wondering if one button only can be used for volume (just parallel up) and use the spare button for muting. Anyone know?
Merci et @+
Vernon
Latest BOM
I will leave everyone building their VCCS to source their own LDR's - I think there is enough info in this thread to allow people to do that.
If anyone wants to add comments to the BOM (to include items like the T1 silk problem) then it may be easier to send details to me.
However I have just had a thought (happens sometimes) - I could add a section to the BOM and update it myself from the posts that will inevitably come from those of us building the VCCS - and hopefully from those getting the modules.
So please post any findings etc and I will try to keep a summary of 'problems/solutions/thoughts/mods' etc for the normal VCCS if that is OK with everyone.
Alan
I will leave everyone building their VCCS to source their own LDR's - I think there is enough info in this thread to allow people to do that.
If anyone wants to add comments to the BOM (to include items like the T1 silk problem) then it may be easier to send details to me.
However I have just had a thought (happens sometimes) - I could add a section to the BOM and update it myself from the posts that will inevitably come from those of us building the VCCS - and hopefully from those getting the modules.
So please post any findings etc and I will try to keep a summary of 'problems/solutions/thoughts/mods' etc for the normal VCCS if that is OK with everyone.
Alan