Gentlemen, I have returned home from my holiday yesterday and did an update on the order list.
Please apologize, if I am missing any payment sent or order change or ...
But tell me if so!
In the meantime I have received nearly all of the parts: the VCPre-PCBs, Peter has once more cut the auxiliary PCBs,
I have received the TAMURA transformers and the ICs.
The only part that is missing is the LDRs.
I received an EMail from Uriah Dailey telling me that he is currently busy matching the quads, but do not yet know, when this will be done.
Concerning the supported infrared protocoll:
Currently only the support for the Philips RC5 infrared protocol is implemented in the firmware of the PIC µProcessor.
Use the oldest TV - infrared - handheld that you possess, and it will probably do it. Please do not use some high-sophisticated hardware
like your APPLE iPhone or ... You will be disappointed to see that the VCPre will not show any reaction then.
I know of course that the Philips RC5 standard is near to being obsolete and have joined a German task-force that has implemented an
"Infrared Multi-Protocol (IRMP)" covering about 90% of the currently used proprietary protocols.
This is the URL of the IRMP taskforce (but written in German!):
IRMP - Mikrocontroller.net
In Appendix 3 you will find the protocols that will be supported, and of course SONY SIRC, APPLE, Philips RC5, ... are among them.
I have attached an image showing the transmission of a single command (when you have pressed a key on your remote handheld)
using the RC5 protocol.
The image shows a serial bit-stream using a bi-phase hardware protocol consisting of "0" and "1" pulses at a specific frequency (36 KHz)
that the µProcessors hard- and firmware has to detect and handle!
APPLE, SONY, NEC ... use other "hardware-protocols" like: pulse distance, pulse width, pulse position, ...., and it is very hard
to detect from the first pulse that is received, to which type of protocol this pulse belongs.
Nevertheless: the German taskforce gave it a try and has been very successful so far!
I will try and adopt their implementation for the VCPre, but this will take some time, and I wonder if the currently used µP's memory is big enough
to contain their implementation of IRMP.
As a start: the Philips RC5 - protocol is working flawlessly and offers you all of the available "remote handheld" comfort.
Best regards - Rudi_Ratlos
Please apologize, if I am missing any payment sent or order change or ...
But tell me if so!
In the meantime I have received nearly all of the parts: the VCPre-PCBs, Peter has once more cut the auxiliary PCBs,
I have received the TAMURA transformers and the ICs.
The only part that is missing is the LDRs.
I received an EMail from Uriah Dailey telling me that he is currently busy matching the quads, but do not yet know, when this will be done.
Concerning the supported infrared protocoll:
Currently only the support for the Philips RC5 infrared protocol is implemented in the firmware of the PIC µProcessor.
Use the oldest TV - infrared - handheld that you possess, and it will probably do it. Please do not use some high-sophisticated hardware
like your APPLE iPhone or ... You will be disappointed to see that the VCPre will not show any reaction then.
I know of course that the Philips RC5 standard is near to being obsolete and have joined a German task-force that has implemented an
"Infrared Multi-Protocol (IRMP)" covering about 90% of the currently used proprietary protocols.
This is the URL of the IRMP taskforce (but written in German!):
IRMP - Mikrocontroller.net
In Appendix 3 you will find the protocols that will be supported, and of course SONY SIRC, APPLE, Philips RC5, ... are among them.
I have attached an image showing the transmission of a single command (when you have pressed a key on your remote handheld)
using the RC5 protocol.
The image shows a serial bit-stream using a bi-phase hardware protocol consisting of "0" and "1" pulses at a specific frequency (36 KHz)
that the µProcessors hard- and firmware has to detect and handle!
APPLE, SONY, NEC ... use other "hardware-protocols" like: pulse distance, pulse width, pulse position, ...., and it is very hard
to detect from the first pulse that is received, to which type of protocol this pulse belongs.
Nevertheless: the German taskforce gave it a try and has been very successful so far!
I will try and adopt their implementation for the VCPre, but this will take some time, and I wonder if the currently used µP's memory is big enough
to contain their implementation of IRMP.
As a start: the Philips RC5 - protocol is working flawlessly and offers you all of the available "remote handheld" comfort.
Best regards - Rudi_Ratlos
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Great news, Rudi - thanks! Can you please withhold my delivery before this point will be clarified? Potential Apple IR support is worth the waiting for me!
Thanks for understanding,
Mike
Rudi I have almost completed the PCB. Only a few more parts to come so I have powered up and checked +5V, +5VA and +6V and all ok. Status LED is glowing and Mute and Source3 relays are energized. So far so good! Tomorrow I hope I will get the parts to connect the LCD. In the meantime I am looking to fit the LDRs but I am not clear which pair should be series? Is it 360/382 because they are lower resistance? And which one for top right position? The pair 360/382 is almost identical, 360 is lower at Reading 5 but 382 is lower at Reading 4.
Many thanks!
Many thanks!
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Paul, take the pair 360 / 382 as series LDRs (they " match better" than the other pair) and solder the LDR with number #360
on the top right position.
There is a tendency that LDR #360 has a lower resistance than LDR #382 at lower volumes and you will be able to adjust the
volume-imbalance by the means of the trim-potentiometer then.
Mike, Rondadon: read my post carefully! "I will try ...and implement the Infrared-Multi-Protocol" some day (?), when all of my
current projects are done.
But I will not offer anything else but RC5 - compatibility in this round of group-buy.
Niss-Man: I have EMail-ed MSEIDL and asked him to pay. He did not answer yet.
You can take his order, if you like (shipping would be 3.45€ though).
Best regards - Rudi_Ratlos
on the top right position.
There is a tendency that LDR #360 has a lower resistance than LDR #382 at lower volumes and you will be able to adjust the
volume-imbalance by the means of the trim-potentiometer then.
Mike, Rondadon: read my post carefully! "I will try ...and implement the Infrared-Multi-Protocol" some day (?), when all of my
current projects are done.
But I will not offer anything else but RC5 - compatibility in this round of group-buy.
Niss-Man: I have EMail-ed MSEIDL and asked him to pay. He did not answer yet.
You can take his order, if you like (shipping would be 3.45€ though).
Best regards - Rudi_Ratlos
Here we are, Niss-man.
The total price is 62€; my PAYPAL-ID is: RRozek@t-online.de
I received an EMail from Uriah yesterday. He finished measuring / matching the LDRs and will send them to me in the course of this week.
Best regards - Rudi_Ratlos
The total price is 62€; my PAYPAL-ID is: RRozek@t-online.de
I received an EMail from Uriah yesterday. He finished measuring / matching the LDRs and will send them to me in the course of this week.
Best regards - Rudi_Ratlos
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Gentlemen, this is how this group-buy looks like on my desk.
A lot of PCBs (VCPre-PCBs and Peter has already cut and sent the auxiliary PCBs to me), TAMURA transformers, integrated circuits
(PIC µProcessor, MIC5205, MCP6021) from FARNELL, shipping material, ...
I have to wait for Uriah's LDRs!
Best regards - Rudi_Ratlos
A lot of PCBs (VCPre-PCBs and Peter has already cut and sent the auxiliary PCBs to me), TAMURA transformers, integrated circuits
(PIC µProcessor, MIC5205, MCP6021) from FARNELL, shipping material, ...
I have to wait for Uriah's LDRs!
Best regards - Rudi_Ratlos
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Thanks Rudi for the feedback on the LDRs! I have tried 2 LCDs now. The blue one I ahve (that came from an ebay PGA2311 preamp kit) works fine and contrst is fully adjsutable. The zyscom LCD Display HD44780 2x16 chr 16x2 Yellow I got from ebay though only works with the contrast pot set for Vo contrast voltage of zero. Did I order the wrong LCD from ebay? Got it from here :
zyscom LCD Display HD44780 2x16 chr 16x2 Yellow char neg Backlight | eBay
zyscom LCD Display HD44780 2x16 chr 16x2 Yellow char neg Backlight | eBay
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Rudi, Not sure if I should be posting here or we need a build thread? In any case I am finding the MCP6021 is saturating at both end of the pot (especially the low end). The bottom ~90 degrees of rotation shows -16db. I am using 150ohm safety resistors. Does the gain of the MCP6021 need to be modified to allow for this?
Also I am seeing some strange addressing issues with both LCDs. If I program keys using the IR remote, after completion input and attenuation displays on line 1. But after cycling power attenuation is on line 2 but spaced in from the left margin.
Edit : In case this is useful to anyone else I substituted TSOP4136 IR Receiver as its pinout better matches the LCD mounting PCB I am using.
Also I am seeing some strange addressing issues with both LCDs. If I program keys using the IR remote, after completion input and attenuation displays on line 1. But after cycling power attenuation is on line 2 but spaced in from the left margin.
Edit : In case this is useful to anyone else I substituted TSOP4136 IR Receiver as its pinout better matches the LCD mounting PCB I am using.
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Paul, as I have already written: it has been very hard to implement the display of the attenuation.
I should have taken an instrumentation amplifier like the INA111 to evaluate the voltage changes across the LDR's safety resistor,
but this amplifier needs additional power supply voltages that are not available.
I am using a dual linear 100K BOURNS motorized potentiometer. My display shows attenuations from -40dB to -1dB.
Peter has reported the same LCD behaviour / error that you have encountered! I was able to reproduce this error last night.
I did indeed a programming error and did not store the type of LCD used (16x1 or 16x2) correctly into the µProcessor's EEPROM.
This error is happening only, if you are using a 16x2 chars LCD.
I have amended the error and will send the corrected version (a new µProcessor) to every participant of the VCPre Revision 2.0 -
group-buy, who uses a 16x2 LCD.
The error is of coursed fixed in the current round of group-buy.
I am sorry for causing any inconvenience.
Best regards - Rudi_Ratlos
I should have taken an instrumentation amplifier like the INA111 to evaluate the voltage changes across the LDR's safety resistor,
but this amplifier needs additional power supply voltages that are not available.
I am using a dual linear 100K BOURNS motorized potentiometer. My display shows attenuations from -40dB to -1dB.
Peter has reported the same LCD behaviour / error that you have encountered! I was able to reproduce this error last night.
I did indeed a programming error and did not store the type of LCD used (16x1 or 16x2) correctly into the µProcessor's EEPROM.
This error is happening only, if you are using a 16x2 chars LCD.
I have amended the error and will send the corrected version (a new µProcessor) to every participant of the VCPre Revision 2.0 -
group-buy, who uses a 16x2 LCD.
The error is of coursed fixed in the current round of group-buy.
I am sorry for causing any inconvenience.
Best regards - Rudi_Ratlos
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Thank you Rudi
Before I start looking for remote (which is preferably has less buttons than more) check please if my Teac RC 722 compatible with rc5 ?
I ll look for specs myself but in case you know please let me know.
I have unused sony photoframe with small remote, but as I remember sony has proprietary protocol ?
Before I start looking for remote (which is preferably has less buttons than more) check please if my Teac RC 722 compatible with rc5 ?
I ll look for specs myself but in case you know please let me know.
I have unused sony photoframe with small remote, but as I remember sony has proprietary protocol ?
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