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A Mame machine in an antique buffet - USB probs solved (I think!)
gryhnd:
--- Quote from: severdhed on August 30, 2009, 10:59:58 pm ---very cool.. a nice easy and cheap solution. i ended up powering my trackball and buttons lights directly from the 5v on the power supply, instead of drawing it from the USB...that way it turns off when the pc shuts down.
--- End quote ---
I'm always hesitant to put unneeded loads on the PC power supply, and to allow another route for shorting if something goes whonky.
My first build I used an old AT PS to power all the gizmos. In my latest build I used one of the many orphan wall warts I had laying around, a number of which were 5V (LEDs) and 12V (fans). Either way, when they are plugged into a Smartstrip type of affair they all go off when the PC shuts down, of course.
drventure:
Good point
Right now, the LED's in the cab (there aren't many) are all powered via the LEDWiz USB 5v.
BUT, once I get to the point of hooking up my fake nixie's (if I get there, space being the real question), since there will be some additional circuitry involved to switch the 90v AC generated by the ELWire transformer, I was planning on using the LEDWiz bank voltage select and supplying the 5vdc from a wall wart.
The good news is, with a little help from digitaldj and my dad, I've got a nice little cheap solid state relay circuit to do just that, no inductive relays required!
drventure:
Well, a little success and a little fail :(
First the success.
With a little help, I found some schematics for simple circuits to
1) convert a constant contact switch to momemtary.
2) silently switch AC voltage via standard 5vdc (Like say, from an LED Wiz)
First, the constant to momentary switch.
I got the circuit from here
http://www.simprojects.nl/toggle_to_momentary.htm
Here's what it looks like
Change the 12v supply to 5v, and change the 12v relay to a little 5vdc relay you can get at radio shack
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062480
Keep the 330mfd capacitor and bam. There you go.
I prototyped this up and it works the treat. Slam the great big ol' frankenstein switch ON and you get a click on the PC power switch.
Pull it back, and you get another click to power off.
This click is really quick with a 330mfd cap, supposedly, you can increase it to 400-470mfd for a longer click, but I didn't get a bigger cap in my "assorted caps" grab bag, so I'll have to go back to the store tomorrow.
For the AC switching circuit, I found this at, of all sites, a Christmas tree light fan site!
http://computerchristmas.com/christmas/link-how_to/HowToId-7/How_to_build_a_triac_switching_unit_SSR
Here's the circuit
I couldn't find these exact parts but Fry's did have an NTE5603 (triac) and NTE3409 (optoisolator).
Now, I'm no Electrical engineer and if I was ACTUALLY switching household AC, I wouldn't be playing with any of this. But the output from the ELWire transformer, while high enough voltage to make you sit up and take notice ;) isn't enough current to actually do any real damage, so it's pretty safe to experiment with.
At any rate, buying the components from Fry's isn't cheap. I could get compatible components at digikey for pennies a unit, so I'll be ordering the rest from there (i've got 12 to wire up).
But, they work!
I could really see some cool stuff happening using ELWire with an LED Wiz to control multiple segments. How about lit tmolding, or inlaying the wire underneath your cabinet side art so that the art is outlined in glow when the lights are off?
And now the fail
Remember all that great gold "leaf" stampwork that really made the cp pop?
Well, turns out, that ink doesn't quite hold up as well as I thought it would to sweaty gamer hands
This is what has happened after only a few days of my 5 year old playing
that's not a shadow, it's worn down, not completely, but very significantly.
Doh....
Well, it's all one big experiment.
I did do a little test with some matte spray acrylic and it SEEMS to hold up pretty well and protect the design, plus it doesn't make the formica look weird. But it DOES make it like slightly blacker, so if I spray, I gotta do the whole CP.
Gack. Haven't decided what I'm going to do about this yet...
Ok, some additional counteracting good news. Those painted buttons I fretted over? Still look perfect. No issues whatsoever and we've been pounding them pretty good. I'll just have to wait and see how they hold up long term.
Ond:
--- Quote from: drventure on August 31, 2009, 10:26:30 pm ---
I could really see some cool stuff happening using ELWire with an LED Wiz to control multiple segments. How about lit tmolding, or inlaying the wire underneath your cabinet side art so that the art is outlined in glow when the lights are off?
--- End quote ---
Heh heh, guess whose been thinking exactly that with my 'Mark II CP" design. And for the really good bit the EL supplier here not only has wire but flat panels that can be cut to any shape - boggles the mind just thinking of the possibilities yeah? Sorry to hear about the gold art coming off, it's gonna have to be coated with something.
drventure:
Right, I forgot about those sheets, but yes, they could definitely be used for some good effect too.
And the el stuff is relatively straightforward to work with (if not a big pain in the a$% because of the tiny little wires involved)
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