Sequencing Has Started
Short video if a quick test of my first sequence for the show.
Ren64 #2 Lives!
As usual, it’s been a while since I’ve posted an update but I’ve been busy, I promise! Since the last update I’ve built out the second Ren64 board as well as 16 SSRez’s. I’ve tested the Ren64 and everything looks good (some pics below) but haven’t had a chance to test the SSR’s yet. I’ve also validated that the USB-RS232 and RS232-RS485 adapters I bought a while ago actually do work and will drive the Ren64’s. I’ve also allocated an old laptop as my show computer and installed a copy of Windows Vista Ultimate on it (hey, it was free!) So far so good. I think I’m in pretty good shape now aside from being horribly behind on my sequencing in Vixen. That’s the next large chunk of work I’ve got in front of me.
Current status (216 channel capacity built):
2 x Ren64’s built, 2 tested
20 x SSRez’s built, 4 tested
3 x Ren24SS’s built, 3 tested
1 x Ren16XMUS build, 1 tested
Stay tuned!
-joni-
The Update That Didn’t
Here it is August 17, 2010 and I’m just noticing that the post/update below that I wrote in March didn’t make it online. Odd. Well, better late than never, here it is!
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It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update but honestly, not much has been happening lately. Since the last update on the Ren64, I’ve bought several USB to RS232 and RS232 to RS485 converters to tie the computer to the controllers, a VASTElec FM02 FM transmitter for the music and just received the parts needed to build the 3 Ren24SS boards I bought before. Now I just need to get started on soldering them all. After that, testing and hopefully the SSRez group buy to finish out the Ren64 controller solution.
First Renard16 Built and Tested
This is actually a few weeks old but I finished building the first Ren16 controller and tested it with a quick sequence in Vixen. I’ve got one more of these boards (both from wjohn at DIYC) that I may decide to build later once I figure out how best to layout the channels in the yard. I’ve also got a couple of Ren64XC boards, also from wjohn, and 3 Ren24SS boards from waynej. One of the 64’s will be next since that’s all I have parts for at the moment.
Below is a video of the first Ren16 board test and some pics – blinky flashy lives! (I have no idea why Vimeo processed the video upside down)
Ren16 Test Bench from Joni Chu on Vimeo.
Awesome!
Joni
Welcome to the Blinky Flashy BLOG!
We’re up! This site will serve as the record of my journey into computer controlled lights – Christmas lights to be exact. Over the next few months I’ll be building controllers, sequences and other goodies related to making things blink and flash that will ultimately be attached to the house this coming Christmas. At this point I can’t say how often or how much the site will be updated but it is my intention to put anything significant or particularly interesting on here for both the DIYC community and anyone that’s just curious about what drives the inner Griswald.
Blinky blinky,
Joni